Douglas County commissioners on Tuesday approved $7.5 million each to help fund two large regional park projects in the county’s northeast portion.

The move comes amid a countywide push for more parks, recreational athletic fields and open space amenities.

In addition to the proposed 500-acre Zebulon site in Sterling Ranch, or more trails in the 202-acre Wildcat Regional Park in Highlands Ranch – there are two other large park investments the county is prioritizing in both Parker and Lone Tree.

The county is equally supporting both the Salisbury Park North project in Parker and the High Note Regional Park project in Lone Tree. Both municipalities had originally requested around $8 million in county funding for respective projects. The projects expect to break ground soon and finish within the next three-to-four years.

“It’s the most significant investment in parks and open space in the history of Douglas County,” Commissioner Abe Laydon, who represents northeast Douglas County, said at Tuesday’s board meeting.

“This is not just funding, it is generational commitment to our people and to our land.” he said.

Salisbury Park North

For years, Parker officials have heard demands for more ball fields in the town located in northeast Douglas County.

Today, Salisbury Equestrian Park, located at 11920 Motsenbocker Road, currently has four baseball fields, one of them named after Colorado Rockies legend Todd Helton and Dale Farmer, one of Parker’s “founding fathers,” according to Parker Mayor Joshua Rivero, who spoke to commissioners on Tuesday.

Currently, the project’s first phase for new sports fields is estimated to cost $28 million, much lower than previously expected, according to a city spokesperson.

Last year, the county provided Parker $8.7 million in share back funds, meaning the county, in total, has contributed $17.7 million to the project’s first phase, the spokesperson said.

Parker is contributing $10.3 million toward the first phase, part of a .5% sales tax residents approved in the early 1990s to fund parks and open space projects, plus other dollars the town has saved for the past decade on this project, officials said.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Mayor Rivero called Salisbury Park North a “significant investment,” emphasizing a need for more sports recreation and amenities.

“These are incredible dollars going to an incredible park,” Rivero said. “This is truly our central park. It will be an incredible asset to our community.”

The project includes four more grass baseball/softball fields, two turf soccer fields, restrooms, biking trails, a cycle cross track, 21 pickleball courts, tennis courts and other amenities.

The mayor also called this an economic driver, noting further sports tournaments will drive in tax revenue.

High Note Regional Park

Centered around the “Braid,” this Lone Tree project acts as a “unifying thread” running through the length of the park and surrounding neighborhood, city officials said.

More ball fields, playgrounds and trail amenities are in the works.

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 along High Note Avenue.

The park is poised to feature more trails, five large sized multi-use fields, an accessible playground, a hiking hill, full sized basketball courts, gardens, a park cafe, an amphitheater stage, pickleball courts, a rock climbing wall, a dog park and a “bark bar.”

On Tuesday, Lone Tree Mayor Marissa Harmon told commissioners the project aligns with county needs for more park amenities, especially for the desire of its own citizens who called for more recreational options.

Lone Tree’s mayor called the High Note Regional Project a “signature project” in the city.

In total, the project’s first phase is to cost $31 million. Lone Tree is contributing $9 million, while South Suburban Parks & Recreation contributed $13 million. And now, the county’s $7.5 million, according to a city spokesperson.

“These investments will shape the daily lives of families, athletes and adventurers for decades to come,” Laydon said.