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Parks and Recreation report: strong revenues, capital projects and stormwater constraints hamper some bond work
Summary
Parks & Recreation reported record revenue for golf (~$4 million) and strong attendance at Farm & Train and Pirates Cove while warning that stormwater permitting and aging infrastructure have forced scope changes on some bond projects and increased costs.
Christine Underhill, Director of Parks, Recreation, Library & Golf, briefed the Budget Advisory Committee on 2025 operations, saying the department ran enterprise funds for parks, recreation, library and golf and that higher-than-expected demand drove both revenue and personnel costs.
"We brought in $4,000,000 in revenue," Underhill said when summarizing golf operations, noting the department nonetheless exceeded budget in certain personnel and commodity lines because of added staff for increased programs and higher fertilizer and soil amendment needs driven by unusual weather.
Capital accomplishments included completion of Bates Logan Park — a multiyear project with a total cost around $3,000,000 supported by Arapahoe County Open Space grants and matching funds — and a $600,000 grant for Centennial Park to fund ADA-friendly fishing docks, solar path lighting and a storywalk. Underhill said the Little Dry Creek Plaza renovation will be a public–private partnership with the Englewood Downtown District Authority (EDDA), with city and EDDA contributions of roughly $600,000 each this year and a projected total project cost in the mid‑millions.
Underhill flagged operational challenges: vandalism and heavy wear on park restrooms and amenities, staff shortages for some part‑time roles (passport and front-desk duties), and aging infrastructure that the bond program aims to address. She described stormwater permitting as a binding constraint on some projects: because new work at Miller Field lacks nearby stormwater infrastructure, retaining water on site could be costly; disturbing more than 10,000 square feet (for example at the Rec Center) would require on-site stormwater retention, which she said could have added "probably another million, 2,000,000" to the cost and led staff to drop proposed pickleball courts from that site.
On project timing, Underhill said key Renew and Recreate projects such as Pirates Cove and the Rec Center will move into construction this fall and next year and that the oversight committee posts monthly budget updates. She also described partnerships and access initiatives: the department provides free or deeply discounted admissions through nonprofits and school partnerships (more than 500 student admissions provided last year) and is considering dynamic pricing for golf and targeted free days to encourage post‑bond usage.
What happens next: staff will continue bond project permitting and capital planning, pursue remaining grant opportunities and return to the committee with spending updates and potential a la carte items for council consideration if interest earnings become available.
