Residents of All Ages Share Vision for Woodland Park’s Future

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Residents of All Ages Share Vision for Woodland Park's Future

 May 5^th was the official kick-off for the Woodland Park Comprehensive Plan update.  The Woodland Park High School Student Council, representatives from Woodland Park Middle School and a host of Woodland Park residents shared their opinions of and dreams for the community.

Community Vision and Values Workshop

Nearly 120 residents, business owners, and students attended the first of two workshops designed to gain community input about the critical issues facing Woodland Park, what they value about Woodland Park, and what they want the City to be like in the future.  Civil Resources Planner Danna Ortiz began the session by summarizing what a Comprehensive Plan is, how it affects the community and why it's important (visit www.wpcompplan.org for details).  Attendees then utilized innovative keypad polling technology to answer questions about demographics and to gauge their opinions on transportation, downtown Woodland Park, and critical issues facing Woodland Park.  Fehr & Peers Transportation Planner Carlos Hernandez showed participants methods that other Colorado communities are using to work with the Colorado Department of Transportation to enhance their highway systems in a way that improves their downtowns.  Via keypad polling, workshop participants overwhelmingly supported becoming a more walkable and bikeable community.

Participants then grouped around tables to create a land use plan consistent with their group's vision for Woodland Park.  They discussed important issues in the community and how to resolve them ways that strengthen their collective vision for Woodland Park.  They also discussed important community assets and how to preserve and strengthen them for future generations.  Some of the issues that each group tackled include:

• How can we enhance Woodland Park's appearance?
• What steps can the City take to strengthen Woodland Park's sense of place?
• How can we help everyone in Woodland Park feel a part of the community, regardless of age, income, education, etc.?
• The City has planned water and sewer services available to serve a population of 12,900 people (currently, the population is approximately 7,720).  We will likely reach this point (build out) within 25 years.  Any additional commercial, industrial or residential growth will require a significant capital investment.  How should the City proceed?
• How can the City promote and benefit from its assets-artists, musicians, outdoor recreational opportunities, library, Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Research Center, mountains -and attract visitors? 

The groups provided an array of creative, realistic approaches to confront these issues.  Some of the ideas included:

Overarching Themes

• Become a self-sufficient community by promoting strong education, providing opportunities to live and work in Woodland Park and by transforming downtown into a thriving center for community events and activities.
• Embrace the western/mountain heritage commonly seen in the community's art and architecture.
• Woodland Park should remain an inclusive, family-friendly community.

 Woodland Park as a Welcoming Community

• Connect neighborhoods and create a flourishing downtown center with plenty of gathering space for residents during community events.
• Reach out to youth, the retirement community and long-term campers to better integrate them into the community. 
• Utilize community groups' resources and activism to engage under-represented people in community activities.
• Create a stronger sense of community through more density and diverse housing opportunities.

 Enhancing the Appearance

• Enforce existing codes.
• Plant more greenery throughout the City and along US-24: more trees, flowers and art in a cohesive design scheme that also helps establish and enhance the community's gateways.

 Woodland Park Future Population Growth

• Most participants do not want the community to grow beyond a population of 12,900.  They believe it is more important to preserve the community's safe, small-town, family-friendly character.  However, participants also want the City to take efforts to attract more businesses and to ensure that it continues to have adequate water and City services going forward. 

 Woodland Park's Economy and Identity

• Woodland Park needs to become more of a destination in itself.  Right now, the community has a number of attractions (i.e. the Dinosaur Resource Center, Donut Mill, a variety of community events, etc.) but most people come through Woodland Park as a means to go somewhere else.
• Continue to emphasize and build on Woodland Park's strong education base.  Try to attract a Community College and Challenger/Space Museum.
• Emphasize Woodland Park's proximity to Pikes Peak and build on the "mountains are calling" theme.
• Woodland Park should be a hub for trails and recreation amenities.  There are many unmarked trails that should be marked, mapped and have a trailhead.  A Recreation Center may help attract permanent residents and new students while also improving recreation opportunities for residents and visitors alike.
• Invest in more athletic training and research opportunities at high altitude. 
• Develop a cohesive, organized marketing plan for Woodland Park with local, regional and national appeal.

 Youth Input

Students at Woodland Park High School and Woodland Park Middle School shared many interesting and innovative ideas with the Comprehensive Plan Consultants (Civil Resources).  The youth spoke about what they like most about Woodland Park, what they would most like to change, the impact of tourism and how to best define the identity of Woodland Park.  Some of their thoughts and ideas include:

The Best of Woodland Park

• Very safe community for youth.  There is not much crime and Woodland Park is walkable and bikeable for the most part.  Most students are open to returning to Woodland Park to raise families of their own after they have "travelled and experienced the world."
• Students appreciate that they can grow up with the same group of friends and stay in the same schools together through their childhoods.
• They enjoy learning about the area's history and they would like to have opportunities to learn more about it integrated throughout the community.  They like the old pictures and artwork downtown and the old schoolhouse. 
• The small-town, mountain character of Woodland Park is great. 
• Proximity to nature and recreation amenities is unparalleled.  One student mentioned that she loves going "hiking from my backyard." 
• Meadow Wood Sports Complex is great for watching and playing sports at a high-end, modern facility. 
• The Middle School students enjoy attending High School events, especially school plays.

What Youth Would Most Like to Change About Woodland Park

• Woodland Park needs to be more diverse.  Encourage more exchange programs and housing options.
• Housing is too expensive in Woodland Park.  There are not many options for renters, students, small families or people with lower incomes.  Many teachers cannot afford to live here.
• Need more sidewalks and bike lanes throughout Woodland Park, particularly near Memorial Park and in older neighborhoods.
• They like the smaller, independent restaurants but would like more variety and fast, cheap food options (i.e. Red Robin and Chipolte).
• Need newer shops with extended hours, not just western-themed or tourist-oriented shops downtown but also retail that is geared toward youth so they don't always have to go to Colorado Springs to shop. 
• More family-friendly and youth-oriented activities (i.e. bowling alley, mini-golf, recreation center with a swimming pool, and extended movie hours and more to do at night). 
• The Teen Center is not advertised well-enough.  Although the Youth Advisory Committee meets there, most students do not use the facility very often if at all. 

Tourism

• Too many tourists come through Woodland Park but don't stop here.
• Attact tourists by offering more recreation-oriented businesses such as something as big as Cabela's or as small as a used backpacking supply shop.  Intrigue tourists enough to get them to stop and shop. 
• Tourism is very important for helping students get summer jobs (i.e. Dinosaur Resource Center, motels, golf course, etc.).

Woodland Park's Identity

• Emphasize the community's "logging roots" in architecture.  Emphasize the mining/logging history over the "ski town look and vibe."  They mentioned Sonic and Wal-Mart as buildings that exemplify the "woodsy theme."
• Transform Woodland Park into the "base camp" for mountain activities.  Build on the sportsman and outdoor theme in business development.
• Continue to emphasize and enhance community events.  They noted that the Farmer's Market and Oktoberfest as particularly successful events.  Because Woodland Park has a talented arts and music community, they suggested a Woodland Park Arts and Music Festival.  They would also like to see the rodeo and Colorado Festival of World Theater return to Woodland Park. 

Please go to www.wpcompplan.org to learn more about this workshop, the comprehensive planning process, progress reports and upcoming events.  A community survey will be online starting May 14^th and hard copies will be available at the Woodland Pak Library and City Hall.  Please encourage your family, friends and neighbors to individually fill out a survey. 

Contact: 

Sally Riley, Woodland Park Planning Director - sriley@city-woodlandpark.org or 687.5202

Danna Ortiz, Civil Resources Planner - danna@civilresources.com or 303.833.1416 x 203