City parks staff outline Joel Gold Pocket Park design, $650,000 budget; commissioners raise size, slope and access concerns

Parks and Recreation planning manager Mark Pearson presented schematic designs Sept. 17 for the Joel Gold Boulder Junction Pocket Park, a roughly one-quarter-acre site near Goose Creek. The department described a $650,000 project budget, nature-play features, a small gathering plaza and efforts to bring more mature trees to the site.

Pearson said the department aims to restart the project in November 2025 with design-development and construction drawings in early 2026; permitting will follow and he estimated construction would take roughly six to nine months, with a conservative target for opening in the third quarter of 2027.

Why it matters: The pocket park will add publicly accessible green space in a high-density neighborhood near the Depot and the RTD station. Parks staff say the site responds to earlier public input calling for play and intergenerational gathering areas; the commission and staff also discussed potential district contributions to close a budget gap for implementation.

Design and program elements:

• Play and nature-play: The schematic prioritizes multi-sensory and discovery-based “nature play” rather than a single, prefabricated play structure. Parks staff described four play types (gross motor, fine motor, creative/imaginative and collaborative/cognitive) and said using woodland materials and loose parts can lengthen play time while reducing construction cost.

• Gross-motor focal element: Parks staff said a major gross-motor feature (examples shown in earlier city projects) could cost in the neighborhood of $200,000 to $220,000. The full site program was described as landing around a $450,000 to $650,000 range depending on feature selection and finishes; Parks staff used $650,000 as the working project budget in the presentation.

• Trees and site character: Staff said they plan to bring in larger-caliper trees from a local contract grower to establish canopy quickly and improve the site’s sense of place.

Funding, timing and district involvement: Parks staff and Community Vitality said they are exploring funding combinations and asked the commission to consider district capital contributions to help deliver the park as designed. Community Vitality staff indicated district capital dollars have been used for comparable projects in other areas and could be considered as “gap” funding if needed.

Concerns raised by commissioners and staff during discussion:

• Size and slope: Commissioners cautioned that the site’s small footprint and steep grades may limit usable open lawn and that over-programming could leave insufficient space for relaxed, unstructured use.

• Impervious surface: Commissioners urged minimizing pavement and non-porous material to preserve grass and open play area; staff said they are evaluating low-permeability paving alternatives (resin-bound or porous surfaces) to maintain accessibility while limiting impervious cover.

• Dog relief and sightlines: Commissioners noted existing informal pet-relief use and asked staff to coordinate with the adjacent developer and property owners about appropriate on-site pet facilities and to address sightline and safety concerns where the park meets the Goose Creek path.

• Loose parts and vandalism risk: Some commissioners expressed concern that loose-play materials (sticks, loose parts) could be removed from the park or create safety hazards on nearby bike paths; Parks staff said pilot projects and regular morning sweeps have not shown systemic problems in other locations.

Staff follow-up and next steps: Parks intends to enter design development in November 2025, pursue permitting early in 2026, return with a refined cost estimate and community-engagement plan, and seek commission guidance on any district capital participation requests. Staff suggested a follow-up briefing in early 2026 when design-development materials are available.

Quotes from the meeting: Mark Pearson, planning manager, Parks and Recreation, said the department will “restart” the project in November 2025 and aims for a conservative Q3 2027 opening. Commissioner Rebecca DuMoiselle raised concerns about overprogramming the compact site, urging staff to prioritize open lawn and universal access over additional impervious elements.

The presentation included several schematic approaches and precedent images for nature play; staff said they will bring a refined design for further commission and public review during the design-development phase.