The City will host a kick-off event 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at Missile Site Park,
(10611 CO-257 Spur, Greeley CO 80634) to celebrate the launch of a community process to create a shared vision for Greeley’s newest natural area. The event will take place rain or shine, so make sure to dress appropriately for the weather.
Everyone is invited and officials ask all to please RSVP by Oct. 3. Attendees will have an opportunity to hear from community and project leaders and tour and
explore the site.
After nearly a decade-long effort, Greeley recently acquired the 978-acre site (known as the Shurview property) in partnership with Trust for Public Land (TPL), doubling the city’s acres of public natural area. The property is one of the last large parcels of land suited for open space in western Greeley.
The city’s goal is for the property to act as a hub for recreation and habitat conservation, eventually offering a network of trails between Greeley and Windsor and a spur trail to the 40-mile Poudre River Trail. While initially dubbed the ‘Shurview
property,’ the community will rename the site during an extensive public engagement process over at least the next six months.
“This site provides an opportunity for larger-scale outdoor recreation and is a one-of-a-kind regional amenity that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the area,” said Justin Scharton, Natural Areas & Trails Division superintendent. “It’s
important that the city works with the community to bring a shared vision to life for the site while also balancing the needs of wildlife habitat.”
The property supports habitats for a wide range of plants and animals, providing shelter, food, and water for deer, songbirds, game birds, and small mammals. The property also supports several prairie dog colonies, a food source for raptors.
“It is an honor to work with Greeley and GOCO to make this acquisition happen,” said TPL Senior Project Manager, Wade Shelton. “Making sure that everyone has a place to enjoy the outdoors is what drives us at TPL, and our entire team
is looking forward to working with our partners in Greeley.”
Plans for Public Engagement
Anyone can provide ideas and respond to a poll about the new natural area on the city's Speak Up Greeley project page.
The Oct. 8 event marks the beginning of a community engagement process that aims to make sure the final plan for the site is in line with the community’s vision. This process will include:
- Planned ‘sneak peek’ public tours of the site
- Roundtable community meetings
- Public surveys (both hard-copy and online)
- Community-wide naming contest for the site
- And more!
Funding the Site Acquisition
Together, the City of Greeley, Trust for Public Land (TPL), and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) secured
$7.75 million of the $8.5 million property purchase price. The property was purchased using a GOCO grant, a grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and internal TPL and City of Greeley financing. The City is leasing the property from TPL
and providing the remaining funding for the acquisition over the next two years.
TPL provided bridge financing needed to complete the purchase before the agreement with the previous property owner expired. The initial purchase ensured the property would not be sold for development and gives the City and TPL enough time to work together
to raise the remaining funds needed. At that time, TPL can transfer the property to the City of Greeley.
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