Mountain Rec to Revisit the Edwards Field House
Edwards, CO – As part of its strategic plan to regularly check in with community needs, the Mountain Recreation Board hopes to collect feedback from Edwards residents over the next month. The District will be engaging residents regarding current amenities at the Edwards Field House, and asking residents if the 2019 Edwards Community Survey results still resonate in 2023 – or if amenity needs have shifted.
“Our mission is to provide recreational opportunities for everyone in our community. The challenge we face in Edwards is that the facility could be better structured to serve all age groups,” said Janet Bartnik, Mountain Rec’s Executive Director. “We recognize the Field House does a fantastic job to provide recreation for youth. However, as we found through our 2019 survey: the majority of the 475 respondents said that they didn’t personally use the facility, because it did not have the right types of amenities for them.”
Four years later, post-COVID, and with All Access Rec falling short of voter approval, the District now finds itself with a different opportunity: to fulfill a handful of those amenity needs expressed in 2019. With increased property assessments expected in 2024, the District looks to earmark funds towards potential renovations in Edwards – all within the current mill levy set in place since 2002.
“Voters made it clear that a property tax increase is not an option for improving or expanding services throughout the District at this time,” said Chris Pryor, Mountain Rec’s Board President. “All Access Rec had contemplated using a portion of the existing mill levy to assist with funding proposed capital improvements. With a property tax increase currently off the table, the District board aims to make improvements that meet community needs. In order to do this, capital plans need to be significantly reduced in both scope and scale to fit within available funds.”
While the final dollar amount is yet to become official, District staff would like to engage the Edwards community to see how they would invest these funds: by ranking the top three amenities they need to recreate at the Field House. Staff will provide a list of top amenities requested by the community in the 2019 survey, along with ballpark cost estimates, allowing the community to budget first-hand for their needs.
The District plans to gather feedback in two stages over the next month. First, by prioritizing listening to residents in person. Then, through an online survey to see to it that everyone gets a chance to participate.
- In Person Community Check Ins
- Tuesday, January 17th (5pm-7pm) Singletree Clubhouse
- Saturday, January 21st (5pm-7pm) Edwards Field House
- Wednesday, January 25th (5-7pm) Eagle River Village Clubhouse
- Thursday, January 26th (5pm-7pm) Edwards Field House
- Friday, January 27th (10am-12pm) Edwards Field House
- Online Community Survey
- Monday, January 30 – Friday, February 10
Along with ranking their top three amenities, the community will also get a chance to hear what current program participants need, and what other factors come into play with any expansion efforts – including access to land.
“We often hear from folks who would like to see the vacant lot, north of the Edwards Field House, be used for various recreational improvements,” said Bartnik. “The vacant lot is not part of the agreement under which Mountain Rec operates Freedom Park.”
Freedom Park is owned by Eagle County and operated by Mountain Rec. The Edwards Field House is the subject of an intergovernmental agreement that spells out how much of the Park can be used for the field house facility.
To view the 2019 community survey results and to access the 2023 online survey starting on January 30th, click below.