In taking a stab at beginning 2026 budget preparation, finance director Mary Davis is hoping the public will weigh in on the proposed capital projects they feel are most important for the Estes Valley Recreation and Park District to consider funding in the next year.
The EVRPD board members will consider the list at their 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 19, meeting at the Community Center.
Among the considerations are the master plan projects identified for Stanley Park, followed by the need for utility upgrading at the campground operations on property owned by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Suggestions for other near-term projects are among the priorities for all improvements to all other EVRPD facilities.
Six possible expenditures specifically for parks and trails are on the list. They include improving trail drainage at Lake Estes north of the power plant, beginning a multiple-year trail signage and wayfinding system, upgrading and replacing the Wapiti and Cherokee picnic shelters, replacing the Wapiti bridge on the Lake Estes Trail, and repairing and performing parking lot maintenance.
The 18-hole golf course’s possibilities include adding a deck awning and a different-style surface to the deck railing. Staff have also suggested asphalt maintenance and improving the road to the cart barn at that location.
The 9-hole golf course improvements could include adding a concrete pad to the first tee box, extending the patio, and adding outdoor furniture in that location.
If the board agrees, Stanley Park’s ball fields will receive stabilizing clay and leveling, sports equipment replacements, and a shed. Ground squirrel mitigation could be initiated, and the parking lot at Stanley Park could be paved.
Utility upgrades, based on an engineering estimate, are on the list of possible improvements at the Estes Park Campground, while the community center could be repainted, treadmills could be replaced, and flooring in the meeting room and cardio area could be upgraded or replaced.
Considerations for the marina include adding a cleaning station and a parking kiosk, replacing store windows and doors, and repairing the marina’s parking lot.
Capital improvement costs are just one element of the budgeting process needed by EVRPD before the 2026 spending plan is approved before the end of the year.
This week’s meeting will also consider the bridge replacement project at the 9-hole Lake Estes Golf Course. Kinley Built, an Estes Park construction company, submitted the only bid received for the project, which is estimated to cost $89,000.
In another budgetary conversation, the board will consider the costs of additional engineering needed to extend the Devil’s Gulch-Dry Gulch trail expansion project. The board’s trails committee approved the expense at its meeting in August.
Revisiting the plan for the trail’s expansion with the Larimer County Engineering Department in May resulted in the identification of several deficiencies in existing plans. The issues seen have resulted in revising plans so accurate cost estimates for potential trail construction can be obtained. This project element, estimated to cost $45,000, has not been obligated in the 2025 budget, so board members will be asked how to proceed.
A final budget proposal must be submitted to the EVRPD board of directors for approval no later than Oct. 15.
The August meeting of the Estes Valley Recreation and Park District Board of Directors will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 19, at the Community Center, 660 Community Dr.