Alvarado Open Space Park in Georgetown is made up of several flat trails, a mirror pond, trees and log cabins. The county wants to know what locals would like to see improved and how to keep it useful.
The 4,800 acres of land at 1259 Alvarado Road was purchased from private landowners by Clear Creek in 2015 and opened to the public as Alvarado Open Space in 2019, according to county records.
For more than a year, community planning division director Amy Saxton said the county has asked for input on how to improve the unique space. In the past walking, birdwatching, photography, picnicking and dog walking were some of the most popular responses.
“The community wanted and needed a space that was designed as a recreational space for the community that was not a space for tourists, and we really feel like this space … (it) is a perfect spot for that,” Saxton said.
Crowd gathers at Alvarado Open Space in Clear Creek County to discuss options for future of public park Oct. 17.
Credit: Chris Koeberl
More than a dozen people showed up at the open space during a chilly morning Oct. 17 to learn what the possibilities could be.
Proposed maps and plans were on display next to the lake showing the current configuration and potential changes, which, in part, would allow for more off-street parking and handicapped accessibility.
THK is a design team retained by the county to help with mapping, planning and design work with the goal of an eventual master plan for the space, according to county planners.
Artist conception for possible future design of Alvarado Open Space in Clear Creek County Oct. 17. Credit: Chris KoeberlThe “on-site field day,” according to landscape designer and ecologist with THK Taryn Farber said, is “to share and learn from the community how they want to see Alvarado Open Space be improved and cater to the needs of the people that will share it more appropriately.”
A county forum has been set up online to continue the conversation. Find it at forum.clearcreekcounty.us/public-eye-on-alvarado-open-space-park-what-do-you-see-what-do-you-want.
“We lack recreational spaces that are not super steep that are not for more advanced use or higher levels of physical fitness,” Saxton said during the event. “This is a space that is level and accessible and accessibility is going to be one of the key things that we’re going to try and add to this space with the master plan.”
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