Jan. 24—Louisville residents gathered Tuesday to discuss rebuilding Enclave and Sunflower parks after both were heavily impacted by the Marshall Fire.

In December 2023, Louisville received a $500,000 grant from Great Outdoors Colorado, which doubled the budget towards rehabilitating both parks.

Adam Blackmore, the city’s parks, recreation and open space director, said at the Tuesday open house at the Louisville Recreation and Senior Center that the revitalization project was “exciting yet somber.”

Both parks were damaged by the Marshall Fire on Dec. 30, 2021.

Enclave Park, 1140 Enclave Circle, features a playground in the southwest corner of the park and is listed as “temporarily closed” on the Louisville website.

Sunflower Park is a small, half-acre park placed between homes northwest of Sunflower Street and south of Washington Avenue. The park had no shelter or playground, and was just an open turf area. Residents said the park was often used for ball games in the summer and as a sledding hill in the winter.

Blackmore said the intent of the open house was to get residents’ input on how to best revitalize the parks. Blackmore especially valued the opinions of the younger residents.

“It’s the kids that are going to tell us if the slide sucks,” Blackmore said.

Carter Marshall, senior project manager and associate at Design Concepts, a landscape architecture firm working with the city on both parks, that the project was very significant to him. Marshall, who lives in Lafayette, said that he understands the significance of having an outdoor space where communities can gather especially after the fire.

“The placemaking aspect of a park is often overlooked,” Marshall said, “It’s a place that actually brings people together and you can actually see your neighbors and learn about the community.”

Marshall said the main priorities residents had for Sunflower Park were landscape and horticulture improvements, being able to use the park to host community gatherings, and irrigation for the turf.

Marshall noted that the top three resident priorities for Enclave Park were landscape and horticulture improvements, creating a community gathering area and adding lighting throughout the park.

Blackmore also said both parks would be getting new turf and new soil to make the grassy areas clearer.

Blackmore said that some of the trees at both parks will need to be removed, as some have been damaged by the fire and pose a threat of limbs falling.

One attendee pointed out that owls live in some of the cottonwood trees in the parks. Blackmore ensured that the city would look more into safely and responsibly managing the owls and will prioritize the owls’ habitat.

Shannon Michaly, a Parks and Public Landscaping Advisory Board member who lost her home in the Marshall Fire, said that she appreciates the chance to comment on the parks’ designs. She said as the community rebuilds, it is valuable for residents to take part in the rebuilding process in community spaces.

“Considering the fire and the impact it had, the community knows the importance of having an outdoor place to gather,” Michaly said.

Blackmore said the goal is to start revitalization projects on the park this year and complete the projects by early 2025.

Blackmore added that the open house would not finalize any park plans or designs. The Parks and Public Landscaping Advisory Board would be discussing the park plans further and approve final designs. The board meets the first Wednesday of each month at the Louisville Public Library.

More information is available at tinyurl.com/LouisvilleParksAdvisoryBoard.