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High Note Regional Park

Designing Lone Tree, South Suburban,
and Douglas County’s
Next Signature Public Space

The City of Lone Tree and South Suburban Parks and Recreation are working collaboratively in developing plans for Lone Tree’s first and only regional park. High Note Regional Park, previously known as Lone Tree Regional Park, will be located along Happy Canyon Creek near I-25 and RidgeGate Parkway. 

The 80-acre park has long been planned for the area and was included in the vision that Lone Tree residents voted for when the land was annexed into the City in 2000. With surrounding development now underway, the time has come to develop a master plan for the park. 

The Vision

The regional park will be a destination park, creating a new central gathering place in north-central Douglas County.

As part of the park’s initial visioning process, the following goals were identified:

  •  Signature Park – Create a signature regional park for everyone, incorporating principles identified in the SSPRD Master Plan: Quality First, Enrich Wellness, Connect to Nature, and Lead Sustainability
  • Access for All to the Natural Environment – Offer all members of the community access to the unique natural environment, especially the creek and related water features
  • Riparian Habitat – Protect and enhance a diverse riparian habitat
  • Environmentally-friendly Stormwater Management – Design a park that incorporates state-of-the-art floodplain and storm water management
  • Active & Passive Recreation – Accommodate the active recreation demands of a growing community of people of all ages and abilities with synthetic multi-purpose fields, sports courts, picnic areas, gathering places, trails, etc.
  • Connections – Connect the regional park to the historic Schweiger Ranch, Bluffs open space, Reuter-Hess Reservoir, and the regional trail network, including the Cherry Creek system and surrounding communities
  • Community Events – Accommodate vibrant community events throughout the year
  • Partnering – Identify opportunities and programs to partner with public, private, and non-profit organizations to enhance access to everyone in the community
  • Transit Accessible – Take advantage of unparalleled transit access with RTD’s RidgeGate Station nearby

The future park will be located near I-25 and RidgeGate Parkway

Master Planning Process

The regional park’s master planning effort began in 2020 after Shea Homes began planning a new neighborhood in RidgeGate’s Southwest Village, now known as Lyric. The neighborhood, adjacent to the future regional park, triggered the beginning of the master planning process. 

Planning the regional park concurrently with the neighborhood development and other projects in the area has allowed for better connectivity, intentional topography design, and proactive infrastructure development. It also lets future residents know what the plans for the area are before moving in.

When will the park be built?

Funding for the project and a timeline for construction have not yet been identified. The goal of doing the master planning process early is to coordinate with current projects happening around the park site and to make sure that future residents of the area know what the plans are for the space before they move in.

Public Input

Due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the initial public input process was conducted mostly online. A survey of community members in the spring of 2021 guided development of the concept plan.

In addition, the project was presented to a number of citizen lead community groups for input, including Lone Tree’s Recreation Advisory Committee, Planning Commission, and Arts Commission and Douglas County’s Parks Advisory Committee and Open Space Advisory Committee. Additional community meetings are anticipated as the design develops. 

Most Highly Requested Features
Walking Paths & Trails
Playground
Bike Hills / Trails
Pickleball
Dog Park
Event Space
Splashpads

RidgeGate East South Suburban Master Plan Addendum

In addition to public outreach specific to the regional park, the planning work has considered the public outreach already completed for the addendum to South Suburban’s Master Plan outlining priorities specific to RidgeGate East, including the regional park site. This public engagement effort looked at the parks system in RidgeGate East as a whole, connected system. The 2018 addendum can be viewed here.

Concurrent Projects

The master planning process has taken advantage of concurrent projects happening around and within the regional park site.

Happy Canyon Creek Rehabilitation

Lead by the Mile High Flood District and Rampart Range Metro District, Happy Canyon Creek is being rehabilitated and stabilized. A portion of the project runs through the regional park.

Stepping_Stone_Crescendo_EricLucero_Plan_2205_Model_Ext_B

Lyric at RidgeGate

Lyric, a new neighborhood development by Shea Homes, is currently under development in RidgeGate's Southwest Village. The neighborhood borders the regional park.

Development around RidgeGate Station

New homes and mixed-use development around RidgeGate Station, including Lone Tree's first affordable housing community, are currently in the planning stage or under construction.

Infrastructure Development

Infrastructure near and around the site is activley under construction or in planning stages, including new streets, streetscaping, water, electric, stormwater and more.

The Master Plan

The Architerra Group, the project’s Landscape Architect, developed multiple concept plans aligning with the project’s goals and community input.  The preferred concept was selected for advancement because of it’s alignment with the community’s input, strong connectivity within and outside the park, and for using creative design approaches to address challenging site conditions. 

 Key achievements with the preferred concept include:

    • Developing a unique design feature known as The Braid– a unifying thread that runs the length of the park. The Braid is an interwoven promenade of paths that all the programming elements align across. It also provides a linear connection between the north and south side of the park which is bisected by a future road. 
    • Accommodating a diverse range of both passive and active recreation opportunities. 
    • Creatively embracing the natural grade of the site to minimize the use of retaining walls and create more natural slopes that better blend into the natural landscape.

The selected concept is shown below. Hover or tap on the map to identify park elements in the concept plan. It might help to rotate your mobile device. A breakdown of the key park elements are listed further down the page.

Having trouble? Download a PDF of the site plan instead.

Central Playground

Creek Access Plaza

Event Lawn

The Vista - Overlook Hill

Bouldering / Climbing

Festival Terrace

Drop Off Area

Fitness Court & Challenge Stairs

Parking

Dog Park

Pickleball Courts

Basketball Courts

The Braid - Central Promenade

Playground

Playground

Concessions

The Braid - Central Promenade

The Hawk's Nest

Elevated Canopy Walk

Lighted Multi-Use Fields

Drop Off Area

Parking

Water Quality / Detention Pond

Park Elements

Below are the key park elements incorporated into the preferred concept plan. Note that the plan remains early in the design process and is subject to change.

The Braid

Key to the design is The Braid, an interwoven promenade of paths that extends half a mile, the length of the park. All park elements are accessible from The Braid.

Where the paths intersect and diverge creates various “rooms” that create opportunities for smaller play areas, seating, public art, community gardens, and other elements that will make The Braid the hub of activity for the entire park.

Festival Terrace

The Festival Terrace, located in the center of the park, will create a grand public plaza for events, farmer’s markets, and community gatherings. The area could feature splash pads, concessions, and other activities. 

Event Lawn

The Event Lawn will be Lone Tree’s first public amphitheater space for concerts and other events. When not in use, the space will still be open as green space.

Canopy Walk

A canopy walk is proposed to give park goers a unique experience elevated above the creek in a way that preserves natural habitat down below. 

Bouldering

A designated bouldering area is located near the fitness court, challenge steps, and event lawn.

Creek Access Plaza

The Braid descends into the Happy Canyon Creek corridor, giving people access to the creek and natural riparian habitat.

Fitness Court

An outdoor fitness area is located at the base of the Vista overlook and challenge steps. The area would feature exercise equipment for people of all abilities. 

The Vista- Overlook Hill

The south end of the park features an overlook hill with panoramic views of the park and front range. The hill will blend seamlessly with the hills and open space just to the south.

Central Playground

While smaller playgrounds are proposed near the athletic fields, the south side of the park features a large central playground. The playground will embrace the natural slope of the site and provide opportunities for climbing and exploration. The playground may take inspiration from the historic megafauna that once called the area home.

Other Park Elements

The park will feature many other park activities such as:

    • 5 lighted multipurpose fields
    • A dog park
    • Sports courts, like pickleball and basketball
    • Regional trail connections to the East/West Trail, Bluffs Regional Park, and the Reuter-Hess Trail System

What do you think?

Do you have any questions or thoughts about this project? Let us know using our feedback form. 

Would you like your group to receive a presentation about this project? Reach out here.