Our ultimate goal is to have the City purchase the land for a fabulous regional park paying no more than the fair market value of the land as encumbered by the PHGC Land Conservation Easement.
- The City has money for purchasing land for parks through the 0.25% Parks and Open Space sales tax approved by voters (Ballot Measure 2A) [note to Maggie: link from YES “Our Vision” page]. This 155 acres could be a true Regional Park!
- The property has a current fair market value, with the conservation easement, of no more than approximately $5-6 million. This is about the same amount the City paid in 2019 for 2 acres of property [note to Maggie: link from YES “Our Vision” page] for a park in southeast Denver.
- After a City purchase of the PHGC land, a planning process would be appropriate. The Denver Parks and Recreation Department would be the voice of the City (rather than the Community Planning and Development Department). Neighbors and residents would have a true voice in deciding what the open space and recreation land would look like.
- Since the PHGC land has been operated as a golf course, it could easily become a park immediately, with desired improvements added over time.
- The present Clubhouse building was a valuable community gathering place for decades. Perhaps this, too, could be immediately available for public use.
Imagine a Great Park
Imagine what these 155 acres could look like as a park and open space. We looked to other cities around the country and what they have done and this map is a possible version for Denver. It hopefully provides food for thought about some ideas for what sort of exciting park and open space amenities could be included over time in a new regional park. That said, a thorough and honest community process would be a first step after a Denver purchase of the PHGC land.
