Winter Park Grants Application for Rendezvous Park

This article originally appeared in the Sky Hi Daily News on November 3rd, 2016. Click here for the original story. Partnering with Rendezvous developers, the Winter Park Town Council approved a motion to move forward with an application to Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) for a grant to construct a new Idlewild Park. The Rendezvous at Winter Park Final Development Plan requires a park to be dedicated to the town. According to a memorandum introduced to the council by Gerry Vernon at the November 1 meeting, the plan requires the park to be approximately 1.4 acres containing a six-vehicle parking lot, bathrooms, a playground amenity and irrigation, all constructed at the sole cost of the developer. The grant will request funds that assist with the construction of the park that includes a pavilion, athletic field, playground areas, and a sledding hill for children. The total project will cost $1,552,619. The request for the grant from GOCO will be $350,000. Winter Park will be responsible for approximately $84,000 in a land donation match while the developer will be responsible for the remaining construction and cash match requirements. GOCO requires the town council adopt a resolution to ensure the decision-makers are aware of and support the application and recognize the financial and other obligations the grant creates, according to the memorandum. According to their website, GOCO invests a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds to help preserve and enhance the states parks, trails, wildlife, rivers and open spaces. Their independent board awards competitive grants to local governments and land trusts, and makes investments through Colorado Parks and Wildlife.