MEEKER | The Town of Meeker held a workshop last Tuesday, April 25, to discuss prioritization of Ute Park enhancements and discuss the Master Plan that will move the community toward seeing those enhancements come to fruition.
Town Administrator Mandi Etheridge began by introducing the history of Ute Park. The park was purchased by the town in 2000 for $250,000, 16 years after the 1984 Comprehensive Plan “…identified the property as an area to be preserved as open space and to be used as a public park.” Since the purchase, the Wilbur Barn and two other homestead buildings were moved from Paintbrush Park to Ute park in 2006, wherein the Town of Meeker assumed ownership of these buildings. Additionally, from 2015 through 2020 the Public Works Department has greatly improved the Hill Street Trailhead, and Main Street parking lots, and built new fencing throughout the park.
To date there have been a variety of events held at Ute Park, the longest standing event being the Meeker Classic Sheepdog Trials which has been held at the park since 1987. And the newest event, Meeker Skijor, which was held at the park for the first time this Dec. 30, 2022 through Jan. 1, 2023.
Ute Park is not only used for special events. It is also utilized by Smith Ranches for cattle grazing.
With this information as a foundation, Etheridge spoke about the maintenance the Public Works and Smith Ranches currently do yearly at the park. This includes daily irrigation, which averages 10.8 million gallons of ditch water a month, dragging and fertilizing the field, spraying weeds, mowing around the buildings, and then the trail maintenance as well.
At this point, the meeting moved into the Community Comprehensive Master Plan. The plan has a specific goal that Ute Park should serve as Meeker’s “gateway.” To paraphrase, a community gateway is a feature that makes it clear to visitors that they are entering a special place. “Gateways provide a sense of arrival.”
To achieve this goal the plan states that design professionals, Meeker Classic organizers, ERBM Recreation and Park District, Meeker Area Mountain Bike Association, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and other stakeholders need to work together to finalize the design.
Many new features are being considered for the final design of Ute Park. Community Development/Planner Carly Thompson and Etheridge prepared an online poll for workshop attendees that began by asking what the attendees would like to see Ute Park become, and/or how they would like it to stay the same. The poll then moved into focusing on specific features that are being considered in the development of Ute Park, and what the maintenance, infrastructure, cost, impact, and time required would be to add these features. The features the poll covered included: paved ADA compliant trails, upgrading existing trails, picnic area(s), pavilion, permanent bathrooms, improving parking lots, Frisbee golf course, public art, pump track/bike park, shaded seating areas around the trail, boulder garden and informational kiosks. Etheridge and Thompson will use the poll results to help prioritize Ute Park projects. Etheridge invited the public to come to the May 16 board meeting if they have additional comments/ideas that may be pertinent to this project.
The night concluded with the option of open discussion. A few topics were brought up, a dog park, rattlesnake awareness, the plant center contributing plants for the area with educational kiosks, overnight camping, integrating youth and prioritizing the amenities for Ute Park by thinking about what other parks in Meeker already offer and what they do not.
Etheridge hopes that enough progress will be made this year to allow for budgeting to begin in 2024
