Chapter 39.40
PARKS, RECREATION, OPEN SPACE AND TRAILS
Sections:
39.40.010 Background – Existing parks and recreation facilities.
39.40.030 Bike and pedestrian trails.
39.40.040 2010 Comprehensive Plan goals and policies.
39.40.050 Orchard Mesa parks, recreation, open space and trails.
39.40.010 Background – Existing parks and recreation facilities.
One of the guiding principles of the 2010 Comprehensive Plan is a “Grand Green System of Connected Recreational Opportunities.” Orchard Mesa has about 50 acres of park lands providing a variety of facilities (Table 10). City parks include Duck Pond Park, Eagle Rim Park and Dixson Park; Burkey Park South is undeveloped. Mesa County parks include Arlington/Oxford Park, Lynwood Park, Teardrop Park, Veterans/Lions Park and Village 9.
Other recreational facilities include the Orchard Mesa Community Pool, operated by the City of Grand Junction through a Memorandum of Understanding with Mesa County Valley School District 51 and Mesa County. The 95-acre Mesa County Fairgrounds at Veteran’s Memorial Park includes the Orchard Mesa Little League fields, BMX track, and equestrian facilities, as well as open space.
Chipeta Golf Course is a privately owned 18-hole golf course. School playgrounds and sports fields provide additional facilities for local residents. However, availability is dependent on school schedules, policies, and funding. As of the writing of this plan, the Orchard Mesa Middle School tennis and volleyball courts are not available for use by the public due to fiscal constraints. Private parks are located in some subdivisions, for use by subdivision residents.
(Ord. 4629, 5-7-14)
39.40.020 Park needs.
One of the guiding principles of the Grand Junction Comprehensive Plan is to have a “Grand Green System” of connected parks, trails, and open space. The Comprehensive Plan summarizes parks by type – mini, neighborhood, community and regional, and their related service areas, with radii that range from one-quarter mile to 10 miles. Many existing Orchard Mesa neighborhoods lie outside park service areas, indicating that there is a need for additional neighborhood and community parks. The Comprehensive Plan provides detail on levels of service (Figure 10).
Figure 10: Park Service Areas
The Comprehensive Plan specifically references the concept of Confluence Park, to be located at the junction of the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers. The future high school site, located at the northwest corner of B Road and 30 1/2 Road, could include sports fields to serve regional recreation needs.
|
Name |
Jurisdiction |
Acres |
Type |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Arboreteum |
Mesa County |
1.2 |
Walking paths; amphitheater |
|
Arlington/Oxford |
Mesa County |
2 |
Open space |
|
Burkey South |
Grand Junction |
10 |
Open space/future park; trailhead for Old Spanish Trail |
|
Dixson |
Grand Junction |
2 |
Open space; picnic area; sports fields |
|
Duck Pond |
Grand Junction |
4.4 |
Playground; picnic area |
|
Eagle Rim Park |
Grand Junction |
12 |
Playground; picnic area; skate park; trails; access to Old Mill Bridge/Colorado Riverfront Trail |
|
Lynwood |
Mesa County |
2 |
Playground; picnic area |
|
Mesa County Fairgrounds |
Mesa County |
85 |
Picnic area; open space; equestrian activities; BMX course; ball fields |
|
Orchard Mesa Pool |
GJ/MC/Dist. 51 |
n/a |
Indoor swimming |
|
Teardrop |
Mesa County |
1 |
Open space; picnic tables |
|
Veterans/Lions Park |
Mesa County |
7 |
Green space; picnic tables; volleyball; Veteran’s Memorial |
|
Village 9 East |
Mesa County |
1.8 |
Playground; picnic tables |
|
Village 9 West |
Mesa County |
7.5 |
Open space |
|
Schools |
Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 |
n/a |
Playgrounds and sports fields at schools |
|
Chipeta Golf Course |
Private |
124 |
18-hole golf course, driving range, tennis course |
(Ord. 4629, 5-7-14)
39.40.030 Bike and pedestrian trails.
Bridges connecting to the Colorado Riverfront Trail are located at Eagle Rim Park (Old Mill Bridge) and 32 1/2 Road off C 1/2 Road. Other access points are across the river via the 5th Street Bridge and the 29 Road Bridge. The Orchard Mesa area includes a few bike and pedestrian facilities along streets, mostly in incorporated neighborhoods, but has little in the way of dedicated bike and pedestrian trails (Appendix Map 13). Trails connecting the Colorado Riverfront Trail and the Old Spanish Trail as well as connections across the Gunnison River at the Black Bridge site have been identified by residents as desirable routes. A bike and pedestrian path along Highway 50 is a high priority. The Urban Trails Master Plan identifies existing and future routes for bike facilities and trails.
One of the most significant assets of Orchard Mesa, both recreationally and culturally, is the Old Spanish Trail North Branch. Together with the Gunnison River Bluffs, they are known as the Sisters Trails. The area provides open space, hiking and biking, and opportunities to enjoy the natural setting. The north trailhead is a parking area located at the Burkey Park South property, which is undeveloped. Trail users must use Valley View Drive and Sunlight Drive, passing through a residential neighborhood to get to the trail. The southern trailhead is located in Whitewater, on Coffman Road. The trails pass through land owned by the BLM, Mesa County, City of Grand Junction, and private parties. The Old Spanish Trail is seven miles long, while the Gunnison River Bluffs Trail runs for eight miles. The draft Sisters Trails Plan has been prepared and will be considered for adoption in the near term. The plan identifies possible trailhead and interpretive improvements and emphasizes partnerships to implement the plan. The Old Spanish Trail Association is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting awareness of the Old Spanish Trail and its multicultural heritage. The local chapter serves as an advocate for the North Branch of the trail, partnering with government and other organizations to promote the trail as well as maintain and make improvements to the trail.
The Palisade Fruit and Wine Byway begins at 32 and C Roads and provides a 25-mile loop route for bicyclists and motorists touring the orchards and wineries of Orchard Mesa to Palisade. The majority of the Orchard Mesa portion of the Byway places the bike route within existing roadways.
(Ord. 4629, 5-7-14)
39.40.040 2010 Comprehensive Plan goals and policies.
(a) Goal 10. Develop a system of regional, neighborhood and community parks protecting open space corridors for recreation, transportation and environmental purposes.
(b) Policies.
(1) A parks master plan that identifies regional, community and neighborhood parks and open space. The plan will be integrated into the Regional Transportation Plan and the trails master plan.
(2) Preserve areas of scenic and/or natural beauty and, where possible, include these areas in a permanent open space system.
(3) The City and County support the efforts to expand the riverfront trail system along the Colorado River from Palisade to Fruita.
(Ord. 4629, 5-7-14)
39.40.050 Orchard Mesa parks, recreation, open space and trails.
(a) Goal 1. Parks and recreational opportunities meet the needs of Orchard Mesa residents.
(1) Actions.
(i) Identify locations for new mini and neighborhood parks that will positively impact and enhance the Orchard Mesa community and meet the level of service standards for parks and recreation facilities in the Grand Junction Comprehensive Plan.
(ii) Include active, passive and natural areas, to provide a variety of experiences and activities for residents.
(iii) Preserve natural drainages, wildlife habitat and vegetation as open space.
(iv) Develop an historic park and/or viewpoint at Confluence Point.
(b) Goal 2. The Old Spanish Trail and Gunnison River Bluffs Trail are recreation destinations.
(1) Actions.
(i) Adopt the Sisters Trails Plan and in coordination with the City of Grand Junction, Mesa County, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), National Park Service (NPS), Old Spanish Trail Association (OSTA), Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Association (COPMOBA) and other interested parties, implement the Sisters Trails Plan.
(ii) Work with OSTA, COPMOBA, BLM, NPS, City of Grand Junction, Mesa County, Museum of the West, Visitor’s Bureau, Interpretive Association of Western Colorado and other groups to make people aware of the Old Spanish Trail and Gunnison River Bluffs Trail and to promote the Old Spanish Trail as one of the reasons to visit Grand Junction.
(c) Goal 3. A system of trails provides a network of connections throughout Orchard Mesa for pedestrians and bicyclists, with connections to the Riverfront Trail, the Redlands, and Whitewater.
(1) Actions.
(i) Continue to require new development to provide trails and connections as identified in adopted plans, either as easements or dedicated rights-of-way, as links to existing trails and to the transportation system.
(ii) Work with property owners when planning routes for new trails, especially along drainages and other areas where easements from private property owners will be needed.
(iii) Work with the Regional Transportation Planning Office (RTPO) and Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to plan for Highway 50 bike and pedestrian facilities.
(iv) Establish and develop Black Bridge Park with a pedestrian bridge over the Gunnison River that can also serve as an emergency access for businesses if the railroad blocks the current access, in coordination with the Riverfront Technology Corporation, the Riverfront Commission and the Department of Energy.
(d) Goal 4. Parks and recreation facilities serving the residents of Orchard Mesa are developed, maintained and operated through effective partnerships between the City of Grand Junction, Mesa County and Mesa County Valley School District No. 51.
(1) Actions.
(i) Continue to utilize shared use agreements and intergovernmental agreements to develop, operate and maintain parks and recreational facilities.
(ii) Encourage new partnerships among government agencies, nonprofit organizations, private sector businesses and area residents to assist with provision of park and recreational facilities and programs.
(iii) Enter into a partnership with Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 to develop a sports field complex at the high school site, redevelop the community sports facilities at the middle school site, and to locate neighborhood and community parks adjacent to school sites, to maximize resources.
(iv) Continue the partnership with the City of Grand Junction, Mesa County and School District No. 51 to operate the Orchard Mesa Community Center Pool.
(Ord. 4629, 5-7-14)