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Englewood seeks Arapahoe County open-space grant to add solar lighting, dock and storywalk at Centennial Park
Summary
Parks staff plan a grant application to Arapahoe County for trail lighting, a replacement dock with ADA fishing access, a storywalk with the library and wildlife interpretation; deadline April 11, decision expected in July.
Englewood Parks and Recreation staff said Feb. 12 they will apply for an Arapahoe County Open Space grant to fund a package of improvements at Centennial Park, including solar trail lighting, a replacement dock with ADA fishing access, a storywalk in partnership with the public library and wildlife-interpretive signage.
Adrian Torres, the city’s open space manager, told the commission the city ran a successful solar-lighting test at Bellevue Park and wants to extend solar lighting to Centennial’s path. Torres said the grant would also fund replacement of a damaged dock on the park’s west side and add ADA access “to fish in Centennial Lake.”
“We get asked all the time for additional solar lighting,” Torres said. He added the park has begun to see a return of birds and migratory species and the project would include signage to help visitors identify wildlife and bird species and educate about habitat.
The project package described to the commission also calls for a storywalk — a sequence of mounted book pages around the path in partnership with the Englewood Public Library’s children’s program — and installation of view-finder binocular stations at a park overlook. Staff said they are designing concepts for a location near Rockies Ball Field.
Staff described the Arapahoe County open-space program as offering both large and small grants; historically the department has applied for $600,000-scale grants and typically provides a minimum 25% local match. The grant application is due April 11; staff said applicants will be notified in July.
Commissioners were asked to provide support letters for the grant application. Staff also noted the Conservation Trust Fund (state lottery-derived funds distributed to Colorado municipalities) and Arapahoe Open Space funds as capital resources the department will use for multiple projects; staff reported the city received approximately $1,300,000 from Arapahoe County open-space funding this year.
No formal action was taken at the meeting beyond staff notifying the commission of the planned application and requesting support letters.
