The Future of Erie’s Open Space and Trails

So far, Erie has taken a stable, balanced, even methodical approach to the preservation of open space. How this strategy unfolds in a rapidly growing town will be telling—the result will be a test case for other areas around the state and country navigating the transition away from a rural background.

To learn more about the town’s efforts going forward, I sat down with Ken Martin, who is on Erie’s Open Space and Trails Advisory Board. Echoing what Fred Diehl, assistant to the town’s administrator, told me, Martin pointed out how beneficial the developer requirements are.

“The developers—certainly from the standpoint of trails—they understand the benefits. So many people who buy the homes here are younger, with young kids, and they want the kids to be able to get out onto the trails,” he said. “The planning department has been very responsive, so it’s looking good.”

Connectivity between existing trails and those of other towns will be a priority—especially after the flood wiped out a portion of the Coal Creek trail. Neither is there currently an easy way to go west to Boulder, something that will hopefully be remedied.

Political will is bound to play a large part in future of Erie’s open space, too.

“We just had an election with an incredible change,” said Martin, referring to the recent Trustees vote in which new candidates largely took the Board. “We have four people sitting there that weren’t there in March.”

A pivotal area to watch the new Trustees navigate will be the corridor east of Old Town, stretching to I-25. Pointing to that area on a map, Martin explained, “There’s no infrastructure out here. So, typically, the developer will request annexation. The town is going to be responsible for putting in the water and sewer. Now, the developer pays fees toward that, and obviously the homeowner pays water and sewer bills. But there is a capital expense, so the town typically has to borrow money.

“If the developer is out close to another town,” Martin continued, “he can put the other towns in competition. That’s a very tough decision for a Trustee to make, because, obviously, I-25 represents a huge potential for commercial development, which will expand the tax base, which is very important. Who knows, if that scenario came up, how the Trustees would react to it.”

To Martin, the issue boils down to the manner in which individuals perceive Erie.

“When people talk about open space, each person has one definition,” he explained. “But the definition will differ in two aspects. One is, a lot of people think of it as natural areas: they have grasslands, and creek corridors. But other people define it more broadly as lack of development.”
The pliability of the definition is what will make years to come intriguing to watch. Can Erie remain picturesque without large conservation easements preserving agricultural land? Is it a farming town? Is it a suburb? Is it the next Boulder? Stay tuned.