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Parks, Open Space, Trails and Main Street Master Plan

As Westcliffe, Silver Cliff, and Custer County continue to grow rapidly and dynamics change, there is an opportunity to update planning efforts for the Town of Westcliffe. This Parks, Open Space, and Trails Master Plan provides a roadmap for the future. Westcliffe is a vibrant and growing community with a strong connection to the outdoor spaces, and this POST Master Plan is meant to serve the community by identifying opportunities, casting vision, developing an implementation strategy, and development of budgetary order of magnitude cost.

The Town of Westcliffe has experienced a 12% population growth in the past 10 years. Based on the last census projection, the population is 644 with a median age of 54 years old. In comparison, Colorado’s median age is 37. Per the last census, Westcliffe has a poverty rate of 26%, 17% higher than the state average.

The objectives of this POST Master Plan are to research and develop planning documents, including; updating the inventory of the parks system, capturing public desires and recording recent planning initiatives. To achieve this, the following steps were taken:

1. Facilitate an inclusive public process to solicit active input from community members and stakeholders regarding parks and trails with particular emphasis on expectations for aesthetic character, park program elements, trail connections, recreation uses and needs, safety, and pedestrian activity.

2. Develop a Westcliffe Parks, Recreation, Trails and Open Space Master Plan using a public stakeholder process including:

a. A site-specific Master Plan for Memorial Park, 401 S. 3rd Street

b. A site-specific Master Plan for Hermit Park, 390 Hermit Road

3. Develop a Street Scape Master Plan including:

a. A site-specific Master Plan for the Main Street area from the west end of Main to 6th and Main.

4. Review existing trails and sidewalk connections and provide a plan of improvements.

5. Outline implementation and phasing strategies for the Westcliffe Board of Trustees to help aid the Town with budgeting for capital improvements, construction sequencing, funding and maintenance.

In the summer 2021 DHM Design was selected to prepare a POST Master Plan for the Town of Westcliffe. The first site visit was held on Thursday August 25th and two separate meetings were conducted: Stakeholder Meeting and Public Meeting. During the Stakeholder Meeting the group walked all the Town Parks including Bluff Park, Pocket Park, Jess Memorial Park, Hermit Park and Memorial Park. Throughout this working meeting, the Stakeholders recognized both needs and opportunities in their community parks.