Residents and trail users urge Littleton to halt paving of Jackass Gulch/Mineral Spur; dispute over grant claims

Several residents, runners and neighborhood property owners addressed Littleton City Council during public comment, urging the council to reconsider plans to replace the crusher-fine “spur” trail in Jackass Gulch with a 16-foot-wide concrete surface and to preserve the trail’s recreational value.

Mark Flink, a Southbridge resident and daily user of nearby trails, told council the city used misleading claims in grant applications to obtain federal, state and Arapahoe County open-space funds for the paving component. He said the city’s application to the Colorado Department of Transportation characterized the project as an implementation of the transportation master plan and claimed it would serve “hundreds of residential dwellings within the 1 mile travel shed of the light rail station.” Flink said the TMP’s authors used a 1/2-mile walkshed standard and that the graphic accompanying the city’s grant paperwork shows no homes within the half-mile walkshed east of Jackass Hill Road. "Please rethink and stop the spur trail paving project," Flink said.

Don Brunns, a neighborhood resident and frequent trail user, described a recent walk with trail experts who concluded the planned concrete roadway does not fit the open-space setting, reduces value for walk-and-run users and would not materially improve access to the Mineral light-rail station. Brunns and others suggested alternatives: relocate and replant a sidewalk along Mineral where it adjoins the road shoulder; create a parallel crusher-fine descent linking the station to Mary Carter Greenway; keep and maintain the existing crusher-fine spur trail; or modify the concrete design to be narrower and parallel to the crusher-fine path.

Runner and commenter Steve Lowry said the city’s grant applications contained “incorrect or questionable statements,” and asked Arapahoe County Open Space to consider revoking a $562,000 grant if the project proceeds as planned. Lowry and others argued the paved roadway will mostly serve recreational traffic rather than station commuters, and that paving could compromise trail character and local open space values.

Ned Stern and other speakers challenged representations made by South Suburban Parks and Recreation District at earlier meetings about crusher-fine surfaces. Stern said South Suburban operates ADA-accessible crusher-fine trails (for example on the Mary Carter Greenway) and that claims they cannot be plowed or maintained are incorrect; he recommended improved maintenance rather than paving.

Several residents connected the trail issue to larger local planning questions — walkability to Mineral station, accuracy of the transportation master plan walkshed analysis, the appropriate use of open-space and grant funds, and the trade-offs between recreation and mobility projects. City staff and council acknowledged the concerns and described recent outreach: members of council and staff have met with South Suburban representatives to discuss trail policy, and staff said they will continue design review and public engagement as the project moves forward. No vote or ordinance on the Mineral Spur paving was taken at Tuesday’s meeting.

Ending Speakers offered both technical alternatives and appeals to preserve the trail’s recreational character. Councilors said they expect continued conversation with South Suburban and additional design work and public outreach before any construction decision that would alter the existing crusher-fine trail.