EVERGREEN, Colo. — It's been more than five years since dogs could roam free at Elk Meadow Park in Evergreen. Its incredible mountain views were a draw for many dog owners.
"We had a 107-acre park in the mountains with hiking trails. It was extraordinary," Friends of Evergreen Dog Park founder Betsy Rich said Thursday.
But its popularity was also its downfall.
"Organized volunteer cleanups in the dog park had done everything we could to keep it clean to help manage it, and the county closed it anyway," Rich said.
Since its closure in 2017, Rich and her team have been fighting to get it reopened or to get a new dog park.
"We've talked to the county commissioners. We've talked to the rec department asking, please, to give us back a dog park because we need it. Our dogs need it," Rich said.
They never gave up and could soon be getting what they want.
Evergreen Parks and Recreation Department staff shared plans for a new off-leash dog park on Thursday afternoon. It would be located right off of SH 74, just east of Fillius Park, about five minutes from the old park. The location, which stands on 36 acres, is currently private property.
Jefferson County has offered to buy the land for $1 million and pay $200,000 in capital improvements.
"We've previously tried to buy it, but this will be better. Parks and Rec will manage it, and it'll be a win-win for everybody," Rich said.
Here's some of what the town is proposing:
- an annual membership program, with a fee of $150 and $50 per additional dog to help maintain the park
- access would be given only to 300 households, at least in the beginning, through a card/keyfob
- a management plan that includes waste disposal stations and possibly a DNA database of each dog
There's overwhelming support for the plan, based on the reaction from community members at the meeting. But some homeowners near the proposed location have concerns about the lack of communication.
"There's already problems with dogs off leash at Fillius Park today. There's the enormous problems with dog poop in the park today. There's enormous problems with overcrowding in the park today. And I don't see how this is going to get any better," one homeowner said.
Another resident expressed concern about how the town would decide who would get the first 300 memberships, which may be available on a first-come, first-serve basis or be handed out through a lottery system. The Town of Evergreen has a population of more than 9,000.
Supporters, however, are hopeful that after a years-long fight to make it happen, it will be a success.
"Everybody else has managed to do a dog park successfully," Rich said. "Evergreen can do it, too."
There is a lot of work ahead to make the park a reality, including multiple zoning and community meetings. If all goes according to plan, town staff hope to have it open by summer 2023 at the earliest.
