Mancos will soon have a new park on the north side of town.
The park will be in the Creekside subdivision at the northwest corner of Angel Way and North Willow Street. It includes a playground selected by Mancos Elementary School students and fills a need for a park in the northern part of Mancos, town staff members said.
“I am very excited about it,” said Mancos Town Administrator Heather Alvarez. “It’s being designed and managed organically from the beginning, which is something our citizens wanted.”
Alvarez added that the park’s location is very important because of the increased growth the north side of Mancos has experienced in recent years. The park’s arrival means children won’t have to cross U. S. Highway 160 to find park space.
The playground equipment arrived last week and is being installed. Town staff members are waiting on a few parts to come in, but expect it will wrap up by middle to late August, Alvarez said.
The project originally was budgeted at $60,000, with $45,000 supplied by a Great Outdoors Colorado grant, and the rest was provided by the town of Mancos, according to Alvarez.
To design the park’s playground, the town came up with three options, which were then selected by a vote of Mancos Elementary School students. The students selected the first option, which includes a playground, picnic table, shade structure and a grassy area.
The budget is on track, Alvarez said, though the town is waiting to receive a bid from Bee Happy Lands, a company that specializes in organic weed management. Organic weed management was identified as a priority by residents.
Because Mancos Elementary students had a part in selecting the playground design, the town plans to coordinate the grand opening ceremony with the school, Alvarez said.
ealvero@the-journal.com