The town of Windsor paid just over $4 million to add 138 acres of land for parks and recreation, a school, a police facility and road widening.
The land is adjacent to the north edge of the existing Public Services facility located at 922 N. 15th St.
According to a town news release Tuesday, the conceptual plans for the site call for:
- 71 acres of land for parks, recreation and open space
- 15 acres for a new police facility
- 12 acres for future expansion of the town’s public works property
- 40 acres of land intended to be purchased by the Weld RE-4 School District for a middle school
- Space to accommodate improvements and widening to Weld County Road 15 and future alignment of Weld County Road 70 between county roads 13 and 15.
The conceptual drawing shows the middle school along County Road 15 and surrounded by the park and open space with shared parking. The police station is along County Road 15 just north of the public services facility.
John Thornhill, the town’s community development director, said tentative plans call for engineering work for the expanded County Road 70 between county roads 15 and 13, school property and utilities to take place next year.
Eventually, he said, County Road 70 will connect County Road 13 east across Colorado Highway 257 to Hollister Lake Road.
“With the future planned expansion of County Road 70, there will be an east to west commuter option on the north side of Windsor that can help alleviate congestion from Colorado 392,” Thornhill said.
Windsor Lake: Town refutes claim of limited access
The purchase also includes 117 acre-feet of water from a farm located adjacent to the public services facility.
Thornhill said the water is needed to help fill a gap of 500 to 700 acre-feet of water for the the town and that the acquisition satisfies a “good chunk of that need.”
Cost breakdown for the acquisition includes about $1.5 million for water rights, about $1.3 million for the school property to be purchased by Weld RE-4 School District and nearly $1.3 million for the police and public works parcel.
Thornhill said 55 acres for a community park with sports fields, open space and trails were required to be dedicated by the property owner as part of developing the area.
The Town Board approved the funding in November, and negotiations with the property owner started in the spring, Thornhill said.
Completion of the $13 million public services facility took place in 2017. It contains six buildings totaling 15,000 square feet on 24 acres and houses public works and various other town offices.
Future Legends sports complex: Windsor project signs hotel deal
Reporter Miles Blumhardt looks for stories that impact your life. Be it news, outdoors, sports — you name it, he wants to report it. Have a story idea? Contact him at milesblumhardt@coloradoan.com or on Twitter @MilesBlumhardt. Support his work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.
