City parks build neighborhood pride and provide spaces for the community to gather and connect. And now a grant the City of Boulder’s Parks and Recreation Department (BPR) and the PLAY Boulder Foundation were awarded will ensure that the future park along Violet Avenue will be an accessible place for the community.

City parks build neighborhood pride and provide spaces for the community to gather and connect.

And now a grant the City of Boulder’s Parks and Recreation Department (BPR) and the PLAY Boulder Foundation were awarded will ensure that the future park along Violet Avenue will be an accessible place for the community.

The grant was awarded by the Safe Routes to Parks Colorado Activating Communities program and consists of two parts:

  1. Assistance from the Safe Routes Partnership organization to help engage park neighbors to develop and prioritize ways to connect the future park with surrounding neighborhoods, Boulder Valley School District’s (BVSD) Crest View Elementary, and other nearby parks and open space; and
  2. $10,000 to implement early, small-scale improvements in 2024.

“With this grant we will work with neighbors this spring to study problems with accessing the park by foot, bike, or mobility device,” said Senior Landscape Architect Deryn Wagner. “We will also hold a workshop to prioritize ideas for improving travel between the park, neighborhood, Crest View Elementary and other green spaces.”

The future neighborhood park will serve those living within a half mile, primarily residents of the city’s largest manufactured home community (Boulder Meadows) and another west of Broadway (Ponderosa). These neighbors currently have little access to this land, which is situated within a floodplain and along a road without sidewalks.

“This new greenspace will provide an excellent connection to Crest View Elementary, a new library branch, trails, and public transportation for the over 470 BVSD students living in the neighboring Boulder Meadows mobile home park,” said BVSD School Transportation Coordinator Amy Thompson. “We frequently hear from families that they desire pathways to school that connect them to nature and avoid the dangers of cars. This park will provide that low-stress connection and create a space for children to play.”

“Part of the PLAY Boulder Foundation’s placemaking work includes expanding and renovating the city’s parks, so we’re happy to receive this grant and help park neighbors make this a place they want to be!” said PLAY Boulder Foundation Executive Director Angie Jeffords.

The future neighborhood park will be in a 9-acre site along Violet Avenue between Broadway and 19th Streets. The park’s final name will be determined through a community engagement process this summer. Construction for other parts of the park is expected to begin in 2025.

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