VEHICLES & EQUIPMENT

the 63-acre Niver Open Space and renovations to ve ball elds at four ball parks around the city.

Hyland Hills Recreation District will receive $1.9 million for two projects, $1.8 million for improvements to the district’s Sports Complex and $25,000 to make a master plan for the Caroll Butts Park.

Brighton looks to get $1.75 million for improvements to Benedict Park and Northglenn looks to receive $575,000 for three projects. e grants would earmark $250,000 for three playgrounds in the Fox Run subdivision, $300,000 for an aquatic adventure project at the Northglenn Recreation Center and $25,000 for trail map and sign project.

Adams County’s Riverdale Regional Park will get $375,000 for a series of connected park spaces there and Commerce City looks to restore open space near Second Creek and to purchase a handicap accessible single rider golf cart for Bu alo Run Golf Course.

Westminster will receive $25,000 in grants for a two utility vehicles for the city’s Open Space Division.

Other grant recipients for the spring 2023 grant cycle are as follows:

City View Park, Welby, $1.25 million

City View Park, in the Welby neighborhood of unincorporated Adams County, has long needed renovation. e proposed project will o er new opportunities for recreation and community enrichment, including design elements such as new picnic areas, a walking trail, and a new playground that will be a landmark of the park. Additionally, environmental bene ts and aesthetics of the site will be enhanced by reducing the amount of irrigated turf and using more native grasses and better landscape plantings, including a pollinator garden. A boulder play area and new shade structures will also be provided.

Bennett Park and Recreation District Roof Repair, $58,000

A grant was awarded to repair the leaky roof of Bennett Parks Recreation Centers. e roof required sealing to protect the building and contents such as exercise equipment, computers, working areas, and printers. e Recreation Center is one of the only local establishments that supports a broad range of health and wellness for the entire I-70 corridor.

Bennett Park and Recreation District Pool Cover, $21,000

A grant was awarded for a pool cover at the Bennett Recreation Center. A pool cover will conserve energy and save costs.

Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership, Inc., $116,129.60 e Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership uses the 13.1 miles of the Sand Creek Regional Greenway as an outdoor classroom for historically underserved youth, families, and adults living in the northeast metro Denver area. Funding from the grant will support SCRGP’s “Spark.Inspire. Embrace.” environmental education program, which o ers equitable, experiential, and hands-on environmental education for peope of all ages and abilities living near the Sand Creek Greenway. Using nature as the catalyst, SCRGP’s programs help to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.

Strasburg Wolf Creek Run Athletic Fields Renovation, $442,250 e Wolf Creek Run Athletic Fields

BY TEDDY JACOBSEN TJACOBSEN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e High Line Canal, which winds 71 miles across the metro area, will soon be permanently protected as regional open space.

Great Outdoors Colorado, an environmental nonpro t, announced in June a $350,000 grant to High Line Canal Conservancy to help permanently protect the canal as a continuous recreational, ecological, historical and stormwater resource.

“Permanent protection of the canal has been a top-line goal of our board and organization since the beginning in 2014,” High Line Canal Conservancy CEO Harriet Crittenden LaMair said in a press release. “It’s extremely exciting to be actively working with Denver Water, Arapahoe County and other local governmental partners toward a permanent protection vehicle.” e canal spans 860 acres and its associated trail system connects walkers, hikers, runners, cyclists, horseback riders and others to thousands more acres of parks and open spaces. e canal runs through parts of Adams, Arapahoe, Denver and Douglas counties, spanning a solid slice of eastern metro area from north to south.

“It’s important for the community to know that the canal is preserved permanently for them to use freely into the future,” High Line Canal Conservancy Senior Director of Programs and

Partnerships Suzanna Fry Jones told Colorado Community Media. Jones said Denver Water will maintain ownership of the canal, but has been moving its customers to more sustainable sources of irrigation water in recent years.

Denver Water Senior Community Relations Specialist Jimmy Luthye said they plan to play an active role in the ongoing discussions about the canal’s future.

“ e evolution of the public’s use of the canal for recreation and stormwater management, along with its original role as a water delivery method is one of the reasons why Denver Water and regional partners, including cities, counties, park and ood districts and stormwater management entities, have partnered with the High Line Canal Conservancy to assist their mission to preserve, protect and enhance the 71mile canal,” Luthye said in an email to Colorado Community Media. e conservancy is expected to complete legal work to secure protection, gather documentation of the present conditions of the canal and assess potential future projects with the grant.

Great Outdoors Colorado’s Director of Programs Chris Yuan-Farrell said the process will likely involve a conservation easement, which is a legal agreement that limits land use to protect its conservation values. Yuan-Farrell