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Arapahoe County reviews Bijou Basin master plan, signals funding support of about $4.35 million
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Summary
Open Spaces staff asked commissioners to adopt the Bijou Basin Open Space Master Plan and to allocate roughly $4.35 million from the Open Spaces Acquisition and Development Fund for site improvements; staff recommended hikers and equestrian use initially (no dogs or bikes) to protect grazing and conservation easements, and commissioners offered informal approval.
Open Spaces staff presented the Bijou Basin Open Space Master Plan to the Arapahoe County Board of Commissioners and asked the board to adopt the master plan and approve funding to build the site improvements.
Josh Garcia of Arapahoe County Open Spaces described Bijou Basin as a contiguous property of just over 3,100 acres in central Arapahoe County (about six miles south of Byers), originally purchased in 2010 (2,854 acres) and supplemented earlier this year with an additional 362 acres from the Colorado State University Research Foundation. Garcia said the county purchased the land with open-space sales and use tax and that existing conservation easements along West Bijou Creek are held by the Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust.
Staff recommended a "light touch" recreation approach focused on passive uses. The recommended preferred plan includes roughly 7 miles of trails arranged in four loop trails, separate parking for equestrian and regular vehicles, primitive restroom facilities, information kiosks, picnic shelters, benches and wayfinding/educational signage, and an ADA-accessible overlook. Staff also cited potential programming such as environmental education, astronomy events and limited small recreational events; they noted a potential limited hunting program as a possibility.
On access policy, staff proposed initially limiting Bijou Basin to hikers and equestrian use ("no dogs, no bikes") to protect grazing operations, nesting ground birds and the conservation-easement values; staff said they had consulted animal control and the Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust and that those parties advised against allowing dogs and cautioned about impacts from bikes on some surfaces. Commissioners debated that approach: some argued preserving a pedestrian/equestrian backcountry experience has conservation and visitor-experience benefits, while others raised accessibility and demand concerns and said bicycle access could be revisited later if usage patterns and maintenance capacity change.
Staff presented an estimated construction cost of about $4.35 million (the transcript includes two nearby figures, $4,350,000 and $4,345,000, which staff described as an opinion-of-cost with contingency), and noted additional roadway and trail improvements were added after discussions with the Bennett Fire Protection District to support emergency response. Staff estimated a 10–12 month land-use/permitting process during design development and suggested construction could occur mid/late 2027 or possibly be pushed into 2028 depending on permitting.
The board indicated informal approval (five thumbs up) for adopting the master plan and allocating the funding from the Open Spaces Acquisition and Development Fund; staff said they will continue outreach and move into design and permitting. The board later recessed into an executive session on unrelated legal and negotiation matters.
What happens next: Staff will proceed to design development, refine cost estimates and contingency, begin land-use and permitting (10–12 months estimated), and return with construction drawings, survey data and a finalized budget to guide procurement and construction timing.
