Editorial: Denver’s fight to preserve the Park Hill conservation easement rewarded with 155-acre park

Denverites knew inherently that a conservation easement shouldn’t be lifted on one of our last chances to create a large park in this city. So community members rallied against plans to lift the easement to allow development of the old golf course in northeast Denver.

As a result, Denver will get a new 155 acre park.

To put that in perspective, nearby City Park – the crown jewel of metro-Denver — is about 320 acres and includes the Denver Zoo, The Museum of Nature and Science and the City Park Pavilion and boat dock. And just in case anyone is bereft of the Park Hill Golf Club, City Park Golf Course was recently renovated and is open for business offering unparalleled views of the downtown skyline framed by Front Range mountains.

This new park – yet to be named – will transform northeast Denver.

Residents should dream big. We know that the Clayton community west of Colorado Boulevard needs easy access to a recreation center, especially one with an outdoor pool and a library too. But perhaps residents crave open spaces with long trails and natural features.

The possibilities are endless – dog parks, skate parks, basketball, tennis, and pickle ball courts, Nordic trails in the winter and an epic cross-country race course in the summer, flower gardens, and community gardens for fresh produce.

Mayor Mike Johnston deserves credit for the shift he has made on this issue. While running for office he supported the development of the land – as a way to bring much-needed housing to the area and a grocery store to a food desert.

But after voters upheld the conservation easement blocking development Johnston got to work to acquire the land from Westside Development. The land swap he orchestrated is a good deal for taxpayers who will get 155 acres of prime real estate in exchange for a slightly smaller amount of land out by the Denver airport.

We could not have asked for more, and we also extend our gratitude to the ownership of Westside for working with the city for an amicable solution to what was a difficult position. We hope they find success as they seek to develop the land in Adams County.

Colorado is a place that prides itself on recreation and access to the great outdoors. Our urban core needs more places for kids to explore and for adults to unwind. This park could be the legacy of both Johnston who saw it across the finish line and former Mayor Wellington Webb who was in charge of buying the conservation easement long before it was clear how valuable this land would become.

If we could transport this land to another part of Denver – one where there is a dearth of parks and an abundance of concrete we would, but that is not how land conservation works. City and state parks often are located simply by who is willing to donate the land or where the state happened to already own a parcel.

All of Denver should engage with the city to plan for this new park. It is located just off of Interstate 70 and there is access to light rail and bus transit. So while the park is known for now as Park Hill Golf Club, eventually it will be a regional draw for the entire city and the entire state.

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