AURORA | Arapahoe County acquired 4.5 acres in the Four Square Mile neighborhood last month with plans of eventually creating a park for the surrounding community.
The corner of South Parker Road and East Mexico Drive sits vacant right now, but county officials say the community will help shape the design of the park. That process is forthcoming.
For now, the county wants residents to steer clear of the plot of land. It’s not yet clear when cleanup and demolition is slated for the future park.
The development of the park is another effort from the county to improve access to the outdoors, especially in its most urban areas.
Since 2004, the county’s Open Spaces department has funded 130 local park projects. Long’s Pine Grove, also in the Four Square Mile neighborhood at 1523 S. Uinta Way, opened in 2020, providing a new trailhead to the High Line Canal Trail, along with other amenities.
It’s strange that this pocket of unincorporated Arapahoe County between Denver and Aurora still exists. Since most of the urbanized county lies within municipal boundaries, it’s duplicative that the county has an “Open Spaces” Department “competing” with city services such as Aurora’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space Department. The Four Square Mile neighborhood should be annexed to Aurora and resolve the lingering inefficiency of the county trying to serve scattered unincorporated islands.
I’ve wondered about this lonely pocket of Arapahoe County. Seems silly to not make it consistent with surrounding jurisdictions.
Always delighted to see more access to trails and parks!