City of Fort Collins Parks

a vibrant passion for life exists here a pioneering spirit flourishes here a solid tradition of sustainability drives here welcome to Fort Collins inspiration lives here Fort Collins Colorado is located at the foothills of the majestic Rocky Mountains from its modest beginnings as a military outpost to the thriving city of today Fort Collins is harnessed the innovative and pioneering spirit of its residents to grow and thrive in one of the most beautiful natural settings in the country Fort Collins began as a hub for agricultural production namely sugar beet manufacturing today its economic drivers have shifted to education technology and sustainable energy development we are consistently selected as one of the most desirable communities in the country to work and raise a family Fort Collins also boasts a vibrant downtown historical and arts district the heart of the city Old Town Plaza offers shopping restaurants and concerts and an outdoor ice rink in the winter months more Collins has established itself as the napa valley of brewing with several local breweries achieving global recognition for their beer as well as for their use of alternative energy sources such as wind energy fort collins reputation for innovation and creativity is evident in the international high-tech companies that call it home our city offers exceptional parks and recreational opportunities for community members these define our active healthy lifestyle and family-friendly culture in 1996 the city of Fort Collins Parks and Recreation Department updated its parks master plan to address the community's rapid population growth the plan addressed a future which saw more competition for open space and a growth in our diverse base of recreation users extensive public input was gathered and analyzed the resulting plan was created to meet the needs and desires of all users the first goals of the plan were the building of two community parks fossil creek community park and spring canyon community park with 99 acres of expansive lakes and open space fossil creek community park provides an opportunity to recreate in beautiful surroundings users can access the park through our network of award-winning multi-use trails to enjoy a variety of recreational opportunities an inline hockey rink and skate park provides fast action thrills and for the younger set the park offers a unique playground complete with a woolly mammoth for those wishing solitude grassy hilltops provide views of the Rocky Mountains and a refreshing water feature cools off young and old at the end of the day nestled at the base of the foothills spring canyon community park is home to Colorado's most unique play area inspiration playground the result of a partnership between the city and several community groups inspiration playground is expressly designed to provide recreational opportunities to children of all ages in a features include all rubberized surfaces for wheelchairs and crutches signage and Braille modified play features for children with disabilities and a water feature that can be enjoyed by all inspiration playground allows all children and their families to share the experience of play together Spring Canyon Community Park is fully integrated into the natural landscape with uniquely designed shelters and activity areas an adjoining three acre dog park allows users to exercise their dogs off leash a free ride course provides hours of fun for mountain bikers of all skill levels all these opportunities are easily accessible via our network of trails the city of Fort Collins legacy of stewardship preservation and sustainability was demonstrated when ground contamination was discovered near the site of an aging recreation center the city partnered with the Environmental Protection Agency to assess and restore the area a nearby natural area and a 1/4 mile long section of the puter River were reclaimed the aging Center was torn down and a new state-of-the-art 50,000 square foot facility was dedicated in 2007 with the triple gymnasium full weight room classrooms and a computer lab the Northside opslaan Community Center is the nation's first Gold LEED designated recreational facility a standard adopted for all new city buildings to achieve this distinction the center was constructed with over seventeen percent recycled materials high-efficiency lighting water saving features and natural day lighting combined to lower energy use introduced a sustainable recreation center for the 21st century the Fort Collins Parks and Recreation Department's goal is to provide a positive experience throughout the community and reach the entire population with life enriching opportunities the city's adaptive recreation opportunities program ensures that community members with disabilities have the necessary support to participate in any recreational activity they desire to teach future generations the values of sustainability and preservation the gardens on Spring Creek is home to a 1/2 acre children's garden the first in the United States with a focus on the themes of sustainability and community residents can take classes in sustainable horticulture or grow their own vegetables in the community garden at Leigh Martinez Park a restored farm in petting zoo gives children and appreciation of our agricultural background and the value we place on stewardship the city of Fort Collins Parks and Recreation Department's commitment to our community is evident in our open and responsive network of advisory boards and our innovative collaborations with local organizations and businesses the city is partnered with the puter School District to offer recreation scholarships and waived or reduced fees so that children from low-income families can participate in recreation programs the senior advisory board and the city were successful in obtaining capital funding to expand the fitness facilities at the Fort Collins Senior Center the Recreation Department partnered with a local health system to increase access to computer education classes we collaborated with Colorado State University's baseball team to upgrade an existing field and convert it to an intercollegiate baseball diamond the field is now utilized by Colorado State the city local youth baseball leagues and the local semi-pro team we rely on our community's feedback it is critical to Parks and Recreation and our ability to offer world-class service to the community every two years the city conducts a comprehensive citizen survey this survey creates a baseline for establishing budgets and the responses are used to refine program offerings in 2008 95 percent of our community members rated parks and recreation performance as good or very good at the community's request wireless internet access was added for users of the city's ice and Aquatic Center and has now expanded to include other facilities healthier food choices are also offered at the city's two concession stands and to reduce paper use and postage costs community members are offered convenient online class registration innovative solutions continue with the formation of a mobile landscaping crew that uses petal power to transport and maintain downtown flowers and landscaping these bicycle landscaping crews will eventually maintain the city's trail system a community linked by our passion for the natural beauty that surrounds us a community united by our parks and enriched by our recreational opportunities welcome to Fort Collins you

Channel: City of Fort Collins

Views: 31,339

Rating: 4.6589146 out of 5

Keywords: Parks, City of Fort Collins, Colorado

Id: S7GhFZZReuM

Length: 8min 45sec (525 seconds)

Published: Wed Oct 19 2011