The Canon City Recreation and Park District and the Fremont County have been notified that a $300,000 Colorado Energy and Mineral Impact Grant has been awarded to help pay the cost of a highway access into the new Pathfinder Regional Park west of Florence. Colorado Department of Local Affairs Executive Director Michael Beasley notified the Recreation District this week that the Energy and Mineral Impact Assistance Advisory Committee awarded the $300,000 as part of the Committee’s spring grant awards.
The money will be used to help pay the costs of widening the highway and constructing an access with acceleration, deceleration, and left turn safety lanes where Colorado Highway 115 turns into the new Pathfinder Regional Park. Engineering work on the access and the entryway into the park is now being completed and is jointly financed by the Recreation District and the Fremont County Commissioners. Work on the access is expected to being later this year.
Recreation District Board President Scott Johnson and Fremont County Commissioner Ed Norden accompanied Upper Arkansas Area Council of Governments Executive Director Judy Lohnes to Denver March 23rd to make a presentation for the grant application. Lohnes was instrumental in writing the grant application. They received support at the presentation from District 47 State Representative Liane ‘Buffie’ McFadyen.
Design and engineering plans are being prepared for the park. The Recreation District is initially focusing on building a pair of multi-purpose playing fields on its 131 acres while the County focuses on building an outdoor arena on its 47 acre site.
A $500,000 “Great Outdoors Colorado” grant was awarded earlier to help finance initial development of the Pathfinder Regional Park. Both the Recreation District and the County are exploring other funding options to finance complete build out of the park.