Clear Creek County open space staff present final draft annual report, advance Alvarado plan and LUR process
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Summary
County open-space staff presented a final draft annual report covering multiple years, described a new Land Use Recommendation (LUR) process now being applied to legacy properties, and said the Alvarado concept plan (a botanical-focused option) has a roughly $300,000 estimate and will be pursued for grant funding. Commissioners asked for fundraising, historic-structure cost estimates and follow-up reports.
At a joint meeting of the Clear Creek County Board of County Commissioners and the Clear Creek Open Space Commission, staff reviewed the final draft of the Open Space annual report and outlined tools for managing county properties going forward.
Open Space coordinator Martha Tableman told the joint meeting the report covers work from the past four years and that photographs will be added before publication. She described a new Land Use Recommendation (LUR) form intended to document how acquired and previously held properties should be managed, saying the LUR uses about 12 criteria to record whether a parcel’s primary purpose is preservation, recreation, wildlife habitat or other uses and to guide future management and trail decisions. "We came and this is gonna overlap...we started doing the land use recommendation process," Tableman said during the meeting.
Why it matters: commissioners and staff said the LURs will standardize decision-making, preserve institutional memory and help trail crews and future managers know the county’s intent for each parcel. Several members noted the county lacked a consistent written record for older acquisitions and that the LURs will also help identify priorities and expected levels of development on a parcel.
On Alvarado Open Space, Tableman summarized a concept plan developed by THK and said the commission selected a botanical-focused concept with a hub and native-plant garden areas. She said the full concept as presented carries an approximate price tag of $300,000 and that staff will pursue grant funding and other sources to cover costs. Tableman also said staff have discussed placing a memorial for the Glass family’s son at Alvarado and will meet with the family in coming months to refine plans. "We walked it with them, but we wanna get down to what are their ideas of what should be done there," Tableman said.
Commissioners asked staff to return with cost estimates and to explore preservation options for on-site historic structures. Staff reported that asbestos abatement was already completed in the caretaker’s cabin and that smaller cabins may be easier to preserve than the larger structure. County attorney and others suggested contacting historic-conservation partners and History Colorado to seek possible assistance.
The meeting also discussed how LURs connect to more detailed land-management plans: LURs provide the acquisition/management intent, while management plans (such as the Alvarado plan) lay out specific tasks—trail work, road closures, parking and infrastructure—needed to implement that intent.
What happens next: staff said they will complete additional LURs, finalize the annual report with photos, seek grant funding for Alvarado, and return with more detailed cost estimates and implementation steps. The county and commission discussed bringing revised plans and branding/signage proposals back to the Board for formal consideration.
