Littleton and South Suburban revise Jackass Hill Park plans after neighborhood concerns

Melissa Reese Backer, director of planning for South Suburban Parks and Recreation, told the Arapahoe County Board the City of Littleton and South Suburban revised the Jackass Hill Park site plan to respond to neighborhood concerns and preserve accessibility.

The revision reduces the amount of concrete trail while keeping a concrete accessible route to the Vista Terrace overlook, removes some amenities including a proposed nature play area and certain discovery trails, and adds an access point on Dry Creek Court at neighbors' request. "We received 52 comments between August 20 and September 3," Backer said, summarizing the public outreach that informed the changes. She said the South Suburban board adopted the site plan first amendment following its public hearing process.

City of Littleton staff described the changes as a compromise intended to protect the park from erosion, improve accessibility and provide better buffers between neighbors and park users. Mike Gents of the City Manager's office said the partnership between the city, South Suburban and the county improved the final plan.

On schedule and next steps: Backer said the project team aims to award a construction contract in April and begin work soon after, with completion expected by November. "We're looking to award a contract in April, and starting construction shortly thereafter," she said.

The board did not take a final vote on the site plan modification at this meeting; commissioners praised the outreach process and the revised proposal and asked staff to continue communication with residents and to coordinate nearby projects (including Ridgeview Park, less than a mile away) to preserve nature-play opportunities where feasible.

The update was presented as an informational item; staff said formal approvals and construction permitting remain subject to the City of Littleton's processes and any remaining county requirements.