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Council approves land exchange to reshape trails and add pocket park in the Ridges
Summary
City council voted 6-0 to approve an ordinance repealing and replacing a prior land‑exchange for the Camelback Gardens project, authorizing conveyance of about 12,782 square feet of city open space in exchange for roughly 15,000 square feet of park and trail dedications that will be city‑owned and HOA‑maintained.
Council voted 6-0 to adopt an ordinance repealing and replacing a prior land‑exchange ordinance to enable the Camelback Gardens residential project and formalize trail connections in the Ridges neighborhood.
The new ordinance corrects ownership disclosures and acreage in the original 2023 exchange and authorizes the city to convey about 12,782 square feet of Ridges open space to the project applicants in return for the applicants’ dedication, construction and improvement of roughly 15,000 square feet of city‑owned public park and trail connections, the council was told.
The exchange matters because it updates the record on who owns the parcels involved and adds a small amount of city land — about 446 square feet — to the exchange to accommodate a street realignment, Principal Planner Daniella Acosta Stein told the council during a staff presentation. She said the applicant will dedicate and build a 9,482‑square‑foot pocket park and two trail corridors totaling about 5,597 square feet; the park will be city owned and maintained by the Camelback Gardens homeowners association (HOA).
Planning and parks staff reviewed the proposal and found no negative impact to the city’s open space system, Acosta Stein said. The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board considered the petition earlier and forwarded a recommendation to council. Parks staff explained that, if the HOA fails to meet maintenance obligations, the city would communicate with the HOA and seek remediation as it does with similar privately maintained park agreements.
Jeffrey Fleming, representing the property owners and developer through Colorado Land Advisor, said the exchange will “clean up” irregular property lines created when the original plat was vacated decades ago and will create clearer, legal access points for people who currently cross the area informally. Fleming said the change will enable trail construction and reduce trespass and user conflicts during future construction.
Council members who spoke expressed general support for the outcome. Council Member Van Dyke moved adoption of Ordinance No. 52 76 (repealing and replacing Ordinance No. 51 34); the motion was seconded and carried on a 6‑0 roll call vote. The ordinance directs final publication in pamphlet form.
Why it matters: staff and the applicant said the exchange will formalize popular informal trails, increase legally accessible public open space, and provide a small, city‑owned pocket park adjacent to the development while resolving property‑line irregularities tied to past plats. The ordinance does not transfer long‑term maintenance obligations to the city; instead the HOA will be responsible for upkeep under recorded covenants and the city will monitor compliance.
Next steps: the developer will proceed with an outline development plan (ODP) under the city’s current code; specific trail and park construction details and standards will be reviewed as part of subsequent approvals and recorded covenants that will govern HOA maintenance and city oversight.
"This exchange gives city residents legal access to spaces that today are used informally," the applicant's representative told council.
