The Aurora City Council zoned nearly 130 acres of land near E-470 as open space on Monday, protecting the land from development.

The 128.97 acres of undeveloped land runs west of the toll road on both sides of Picadilly Road to State Highway 30. The city purchased the land in unincorporated Arapahoe County between 2014 and 2019.

Officials said the land is “a critical connection” for the Triple Creek Trail corridor — a trail system being constructed to connect 27 miles of biking and walking trails between Aurora Reservoir to the south and the South Platte River to the north.

“These properties are covered by an existing conservation easement and were acquired to provide land for the referenced Triple Creek Trail corridor in Aurora to be constructed in the future,” said Pat Schuler, the city’s manager of open space and natural resources. “The properties are rural in nature with native vegetation, stream corridor and wildlife habitat.”

The properties surrounding the land are zoned for mixed use, with residential and mixed-use development planned on the north side of the project and to the south in unincorporated Arapahoe County.

Council members unanimously passed the zoning Monday after the proposal was approved by the planning commission in October. The discussion largely centered on how the land would be maintained, a responsibility that was ultimately given to Aurora Parks, Recreation and Open Space.

The city will also be responsible for handling community concerns regarding the land, including litter commonly reported along Picadilly Road. Community members are asked to direct their concerns to the online reporting system Access Aurora.

Under the land’s existing conservation easement, it is only available for passive use and cannot be made into facilities like dog parks, as was recommended by Councilman Steve Sundberg.