Littleton council endorses Powers Park site plan; playground, trails and accessibility upgrades approved

Littleton City Council on April 22 endorsed a final site plan for Powers Park that replaces the neighborhood playground, adds a loop trail and improves accessible connections, while deferring substantial changes to the park’s detention pond pending separate flood‑control work, city staff said.

The plan matters because Powers Park sits on a 25‑year stormwater detention facility for Slaughterhouse Gulch; the pond’s operation constrains what can be built inside the park. "It is a 4.75 Acre neighborhood park owned by the City of Littleton, managed by South Suburban," said Melissa Lisonbee Backer, senior planner, summarizing the site and the limits the flood facility imposes.

City staff and project partners said the site plan responds to aging park infrastructure and neighborhood requests for more inclusive play and gathering space. The plan enlarges the main plaza and shade pavilion, replaces the 24‑year‑old playground with equipment built to current accessibility guidance, adds a loop trail around the detention pond, introduces boulder features and native planting pockets, and adds an accessible route from the southeast corner of the park.

Melissa Lisonbee Backer told the council the playground lacks an accessible route and that the existing play equipment had reached the end of its useful life; South Metro Land Conservancy produced a 2023 vision plan that informed the design. Pat Cronin Burger of South Metro Land Conservancy said her organization was "very supportive of the final site plan" even though the vision plan’s more extensive regrading of the pond cannot proceed until separate floodplain work is completed by the Mile High Flood District and the city.

Public engagement. South Suburban reported a series of outreach steps: the South Metro Land Conservancy vision process funded in part by Arapahoe County Open Space; an online survey in October that produced 18 responses; an Oct. 17 open house with three attendees; and a North Littleton Promise bilingual presentation and meetings with seniors at Bradley House. The South Suburban board approved the final site plan at its April 9 business meeting after allowing public comment.

Access, restrooms and costs. Council members pressed staff about parking, restroom access and drinking fountains. Staff said neighborhood parks generally do not include formal parking lots and that flush restrooms are typically provided only at parks with multiuse fields. Staff gave cost examples: a pre‑fabricated flush restroom recently cost between $500,000 and $600,000 at another site; a single vault toilet (a satellite unit) has an enclosure cost of roughly $40,000; and a new water tap to serve a drinking fountain can cost in the neighborhood of $30,000 because of current Denver Water rules. Project staff gave a planning‑level project budget of about $1,200,000 and estimated playground equipment alone at roughly $130,000 (equipment plus installation and surfacing).

Accessibility and play. Staff said the design follows 2010 ADA recreation guidance where feasible and aims to include at least one fully inclusive play element while recognizing space constraints at small neighborhood playgrounds. The plan proposes an accessible route from the park’s southeast corner and staff said they would explore accessible parking or an accessible parking space on Powers Avenue in coordination with Public Works.

Council action and next steps. Council verbally recorded support for the final site plan; council discussion ended with members indicating approval and the mayor announcing five yeses. City staff said construction drawings will be completed in June 2025, the city applied for an Arapahoe County Open Space grant on April 11, 2025, and if the grant is awarded (staff expect notification in late July 2025) the construction contract could be awarded in November 2025 with construction starting January 2026 and continuing through June 2026.

The council’s endorsement directs staff and the South Suburban Parks and Recreation District to proceed with the approved site plan and follow the city’s abbreviated site plan and development permit review.