Agenda Memo

City of Boulder City Council Agenda Item Meeting Date: September 17, 2026 Agenda Title Consideration of a motion to adopt Resolution 1390 regarding a Colorado Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Grant application by the City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department to fund improvements supporting the Boulder Creek Park Phase 2 Project

Staff Contact • •

Ali Rhodes, Director, Parks and Recreation Bryan Beary, Senior Recreation Manager, Parks and Recreation

Draft Motion Language Staff requests council consideration of this matter and action in the form of the following motion: Motion to adopt Resolution 1390 regarding a Colorado Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Grant application by the City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department to fund improvements supporting the Boulder Creek Park Phase 2 Project.

Executive Summary The purpose of this item is to request that City Council adopt resolution 1390 (Attachment A) confirming council’s support for a grant application prepared by the Parks and Recreation Department (BPR) for approximately $5,000,000 from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Grant program’s allocation of the Land and Water Conservation Fund to transform access to outdoor recreation in the urban core of our city and region by supporting the Phase 2 Project

improvements to the city-owned lands managed as Boulder Creek Park (formerly Civic Area); and authorizing the city manager to apply for the grant, confirming City Council’s support for the completion of the project and intent of the city to support long-term maintenance and dedicated of the affected park land to public recreation in perpetuity. The project improvements are elements of the 2015 Civic Area Master Plan which was approved by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB) and Council following an extensive community engagement process.

Council Action Options Option

Outcome

Approve motion language as drafted

If the motion is approved staff will include the resolution in the grant application and advance to CPW.

Define and adopt a modified motion

Council would need to define any modifications or amendments to the draft motion language. This will likely require staff to bring back an amended version and staff will submit the resolution late, after the grant application advances to CPW.

Deny the motion or take no action

If this motion is denied staff will not advance the grant application for the current funding round to CPW.

Refer back to staff

If council refers this item back to staff will not advance the grant application for the current funding round to CPW.

Alignment with City Plans and City Council History Sustainability, Equity and Resilience (SER) Framework and Citywide Strategic Plan Alignment SER Framework Goal Area • • •

Responsibly Governed Environmentally Sustainable Healthy and Socially Thriving

Citywide Strategic Plan Strategy 12 – Implement organizational and financial best practices to continuously improve asset management, customer experience, and project and program performance.

Staff Notes The item requests City Council to approve the use of federal funding sources administered by the State of Colorado to leverage city funds for priority improvements on city parkland. The project has been specifically designed to protect natural resources and improve outdoor recreational opportunities for community members.

Alignment with Additional City Plans The Boulder Creek Park Phase 2 project directly aligns with the broad policy directives of the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan (BVCP). • •

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The BVCP formally incorporates the Boulder Civic Area as an adopted subcommunity and area plan withing the city’s core framework. The project fulfills the BVCP vision for a sustainable, resilient, connected and inclusive urban center by improving multimodal transportation connections, expanding cultural arts spaces, and integrating natural environments with urban spaces. The project supports the BVCP’s environmental and land use goals be addressing floodplain challenges.

The project directly aligns with the 2022 Boulder Parks and Recreation Department Plan Update goals to revitalize and invest in aging urban infrastructure, expand accessible downtown green spaces, integrate nature with the built environment, and activate community and cultural spaces along Boulder Creek.

City Council History None

Analysis The proposed resolution is in support of the city’s application to the State of Colorado, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP). The purpose of the ORLP grant program is to help public agencies acquire new parkland and develop outdoor recreation facilities in urban communities. Managed by the National Park Service (NPS) with Colorado applications coordinated by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, this nationally competitive federal grant program operates under the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act. The program targets Census-designated urban areas with a population of at least 25,000, funding land acquisition and development projects that increase outdoor recreation access, align with community needs, leverage partnerships and resources, and promote conservation and ecological benefits. In 2022, the city was awarded $750,000 from the ORLP program to support the development of Primos Park.

With mounting costs for materials, supplies and contracted services, BPR staff has been seeking alternative funding sources to supplement revenues across all department funds. The proposed project would fund multiple play areas, climate demonstration gardens, seating and gathering spaces connected to the historic Glen Huntington Band Shell, and community picnic spaces in downtown’s Boulder Creek Park. Staff identified these improvements in the Boulder Creek Park Phase 2 project as a good candidate for the ORLP grant because of their alignment with the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP), their alignment with the ORLP priorities of protecting and expanding outdoor recreation opportunities in urban and lowincome communities, and Boulder Creek Park’s position as an invaluable resource for outdoor recreation for both the city and the region. Grant funding is proposed to specifically supplement existing project funds to develop a picnicking deck under shady trees for seating and viewing the mountains, a splash pad for multiple generations, an enhanced terraced lawn at the bandshell to improve seating, and a series of nature play area spaces designed to support youth play, local schools, and youth programs. As part of the application process, Colorado Parks and Wildlife requires a Resolution from the governing body confirming their support for: 1) completion of the project in compliance with program requirements and laws, 2) long term maintenance of the site, and 3) maintaining and protecting the site for outdoor recreation in perpetuity. Resolution 1390 (Attachment A) provides those assurances subject to annual appropriation of funds and provisions of the City Charter. The laws and regulations associated with the ORLP discourage the conversion of the site from outdoor recreation and require the city to record that the property has been dedicated to that use in perpetuity. The city owns the properties identified in the grant and staff believes that requirements for federal funding are consistent with the City Charter purposes of parkland and does not anticipate conflicts with the future use or management of the site.

Equity Analysis The SER Framework was used to ensure diverse representation and co-creation in the design and activation of the Boulder Creek Park. This equity-centered engagement process was the product of close collaboration between City of Boulder staff, Downtown Community Connectors, and design consultants, guided by the Equity Plan and Instrument. The process included: •

Intentional Focus Groups Formed to Elevate:

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o Racial equity discussions, space activation and place making o Universal design and programming feedback with disability equity discussions o Youth engagement series on youth space activation and place making o Conversations with low-income populations and the unhoused o Intergenerational feedback from older adults, college students, teens, and families Wide-Reaching Methods of Engagement, Including: o Focus group meetings o Pop-up idea murals o Design proposals from CU Boulder students o Boulder High School’s Civic Area Art Gallery o Family and community feedback concert o Online questionnaire Engagement Data, Analysis, and Outcomes that: o Elevated voices of historically excluded communities, especially a need to create a welcoming, inclusive, safe, and connected urban heart o Fostered community support for the next phase of design o Highlighted top priorities for the Civic Area, according to community members

Fiscal Note Estimated Fiscal Impact Narrative The total Boulder Creek Park Phase 2 project has an approved budget of $18,000,000. The city’s share (cash match) of the funded improvements for the grant application is approximately $5,000,000 of the project’s total approved funding. The city proposes to request approximately $5,000,000 in grant funding from the ORLP program Current Year Estimated Fiscal Impact None. Disbursement of grant funds would begin May 2028 – May 2030. Fund(s): Project funded through Community, Culture, Resilience and Safety Department(s): Parks and Recreation Program(s): Capital Improvement Program

Item

FY 2026 Budget

FY 2026 Estimated Impact

FY 2026 Net Change

Beginning Fund Balance

$0

$0

$0

Total Forecasted Revenue

$0

$0

$0

Total Estimated Expenses

$0

$0

$0

Ending Fund Balance(s) After Reserves

$0

$0

$0

FTE

0.00 FTE

0.00 FTE

0.00 FTE

Three-Year Estimated Fiscal Impact

Item

FY 2026

FY 2027

FY 2028

Total Forecasted Revenue

$0

$0

($5,000,000)

Total Estimated Expenses

$0

$0

$0

Net Estimated Impact

$0

$0

($5,000,000)

Climate, Resilience, and Sustainability Considerations The project design includes a conservation approach through the conversion of turf areas into gardens with native plants to provide pollinator and wildlife habitat and the protection of important stormwater detention greenspace. This design supports Colorado’s SCORP goals including stewardship and the conservation of lands, water and wildlife.

Community Engagement Community engagement for the Boulder Creek Park Phase 2 project has been guided by the city's Racial Equity Instrument tool, its Community Connectors program, and equity groups across the city to ensure historically excluded community members are meaningfully represented at every stage of design, engagement, and analysis. The project has so far undergone three engagement windows:

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Window 1: Community Values & Park Perception - The project team gathered information from the community about how they use the park now, how they'd like to use it in the future, and confirmed community values established during Phase 1 of the project. Window 2: What We Heard & Design Ideas - The project team showed two design diagrams created from community ideas and priorities heard during Window 1 of engagement and asked for the community to vote on their favorite features shown in the diagrams. Window 3: Concept Design Options - The project team brought family-friendly activity to the park space through the installment of a temporary nature discovery area in Central Park. The team also brought the concept design, formed from feedback heard during Windows 1 & 2, to the community and asked them to vote on their favorite features shown in the design. The project team is now taking feedback to define which features will be built under the Phase 2 budget.

Workplan Considerations None

Next Steps for City Council City Council provided feedback on the design for Boulder Creek Park Phase 2 in December 2023, April 2024, April 2025, and November 2025. The project is now moving into design and construction. Council will be notified as major milestones are achieved.

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Attachments Attachment A - Resolution 1390