Chatfield Elementary is the only public school in the Pear Park
Planning Area. Chatfield serves residents east of 30 Road and south
of E Road. The remainder of the area is within the Columbine and Fruitvale
Elementary attendance areas. Students also attend East Middle School,
Grand Mesa Middle School, Grand Junction High School and Central High
School. Generally, Pear Park students are bussed to the schools, with
the exception of those students within one mile of Chatfield Elementary.
Statistics indicate the number of students attending these public
schools has increased by about 275 students (five percent) for K –
12 during the past four years.
School (LRP Target Capacity)
|
Enrollment 2000 through 2004
|
% change
|
---|
2000/01
|
2001/02
|
2002/03
|
2003/04
|
---|
Chatfield Elementary (565)
|
519
|
537
|
555
|
578
|
11.4
|
Columbine Elementary (268)
|
224
|
221
|
263
|
244
|
8.9
|
Fruitvale Elementary (476)
|
529
|
565
|
520
|
515
|
(2.7)
|
Grand Mesa Middle (625)
|
643
|
661
|
666
|
732
|
13.8
|
East Middle (398)
|
436
|
453
|
450
|
446
|
2.3
|
Grand Junction High (1,676)
|
1,624
|
1,576
|
1,600
|
1,632
|
0.5
|
Central High (1,470)
|
1,544
|
1,596
|
1,652
|
1,650
|
1.7
|
TOTALS (5,478)
|
5,519
|
5,609
|
5,706
|
5,797
|
5
|
Source: Mesa Valley School District 51.
|
The 2003/2004 attendance was nearly six percent above the target
capacity of the schools. Recent School District 51 projections indicate
about 600 additional students will be in these attendance areas by
the year 2013 which would be about 17 percent above the target capacity
of the schools. Within the Pear Park planning area, the School District’s
Long-Range Planning Committee recommends that sites be identified
for two additional elementary schools (10 acres each), one middle
school (20 acres) and possibly one high school (40 acres). The acreage
of potential sites can be reduced by 25 to 30 percent if combined
with a park/open space. For example, an elementary school and a park
together could potentially fit on 15 acres. The City of Grand Junction
Growth Plan and the Mesa Countywide Land Use Plan adopted in 1996
identified the desire to combine school and park sites to achieve
cost savings and provide more recreational opportunities for the community.
According to the Grand Junction Growth Plan and the Mesa Countywide
Land Use Plan, elementary schools should be located within residential
neighborhoods to minimize the need for children to cross arterial
streets and to minimize the need for school busing.
The tremendous growth of the Pear Park area has left few parcels
of land available to be developed for parks and schools. Developing
public parks in conjunction with schools allows greater opportunity
for recreational/physical activities and learning opportunities for
school children.
Parks are an important quality of life aspect of a community
as they provide open space for active and passive recreation, community
gathering areas, accommodate athletic events and protect natural or
scenic areas. Trails link residential areas with amenities in and
around their immediate area.
Trails are an important component to parks as well as the overall transportation system of a community. Trails are typically defined as off-street nonmotorized routes with few road crossings that are open for bicycle and pedestrian use and sometimes equestrian use. Trails are also identified as on-street bike lanes. The City of Grand Junction and Mesa County have adopted a Grand Junction Circulation Plan that defines the type and locations of nonmotorized transportation corridors in the Grand Junction urban area, as well as on-street bicycle and pedestrian facilities (see Chapter
37.12 GJMC,
Transportation and Access Management). Trails not only provide recreational opportunities to residents, but provide a needed transportation option for the nonmotorized public, providing connections between residential areas. Trails, along with sidewalks and bicycle lanes, should link residential subdivisions with parks and schools helping to provide safe routes to schools, reducing the need for busing children to school and lessening the need for parents to drive children to school.
(Res. 13-05, 1-5-05)
Existing park facilities and trails include the Corn Lake section
of Colorado River State Park at 32 Road, access points along the river,
eight-foot wide concrete trails and equestrian paths along the stretch
between 30 and 32 Roads, all owned and maintained by the State of
Colorado State Parks. The current focus of State Parks is on gaining
nonmotorized access along the river between 27 1/2 to 30 Road for
additional trails and interconnectivity. Some property owners have
indicated they are hesitant to allow trail access through their property.
The State’s response is that it will not condemn any land to
gain access, but will work with property owners to find alternate
routes in those areas along the river. Many of the existing State
Park facilities have been designed to accommodate a multitude of users
including pedestrians, bicycles and horses. Future trails and paths
would be designed to provide the same or similar amenities.
There are a few private parks owned by local homeowner associations.
Some of these parks are simply open space grassy areas. Others, like
Wedgewood Park, have playground equipment that was funded by Mesa
County lottery funds.
Trails are very much needed throughout the planning area to
link parks, schools and residential subdivisions. More connections
to the riverfront trail, as well as links between other trails are
needed. 28 3/4 Road was identified as a possible connection to the
Colorado River trail. Parking areas for the river trail are also needed.
(Res. 13-05, 1-5-05)
This Plan provides for parks in the Pear Park neighborhood by
identifying park service areas, establishing the type and size of
parks needed, and identifying major urban trail corridors through
and to these park service areas, other areas of Pear Park and other
neighborhoods in Grand Junction and Mesa County. As land for parks
and schools is identified and secured, trail linkages will need to
be planned.
The Grand Junction Parks Master Plan and Mesa County’s
East Valley Parks Plan identified the need for four neighborhood parks
(three to 10 acres) and one community park (10 to 20 acres) for the
Pear Park neighborhood. The following table from the previous plans
defines those types of parks as well as two other types of parks that
may be privately or publicly built in the Pear Park neighborhood.
Park Type
|
Size Range
|
Service Area
|
Key Features: (May contain one or more of the following)
|
---|
Mini
|
1/4 to 3 acres
|
1/4 mile radius
|
Open play area, playground, picnic tables, fronts on one or
more streets
|
Neighborhood
|
3 to 10 acres
|
1/2 mile radius
|
Open turf area, picnic area/pavilion, playground, walking path,
softball/baseball fields, tennis courts, basketball court
|
Community
|
10 to 20 acres
|
2 mile radius
|
Softball/baseball complex, restrooms, parking lot, open play
fields, playground, tennis courts, basketball courts, picnic pavilion,
walking paths, natural area, water feature, swimming pool, regional
trail connections
|
Regional
|
40+ acres
|
10 mile radius
|
Lighted sport complexes, recreation/community center, and/or
significant natural areas with natural recreation (hiking/biking trails),
large complex
|
In addition, the School District 51 Long-Range Planning Committee
identified the future need for two additional elementary schools,
one middle school and possibly a high school in the Pear Park neighborhood.
With the above information, the following needs were identified through
a review of existing plans, an inventory of existing parks and trails,
meetings with officials from the School District, State Parks, City
and County planners and input from residents gathered from the Pear
Park Open House held on March 30, 2004, at the Pear Park Baptist Church.
The Pear Park
Neighborhood Parks and Schools Map at the end of this chapter identifies the parks and schools needs for each service area as listed below.
(a) West Pear Park.
The population density at build-out
for this area is projected to be less than the other areas. West Pear
is designated at a density of two to four units on the Growth Plan
versus four to eight units in the other three areas, except the State
property consisting of 151 acres which is designated as “public.”
Generally school sites are most suitable east of 29 Road.
The need for an elementary school is not anticipated for this
area; therefore a neighborhood park would be a stand-alone amenity
in West Pear Park. In addition, there is the potential for passive
recreation along the river, in conjunction with the Colorado State
Park River Trail. A connection to the river trail is needed somewhere
between 28 1/2 Road and 28 3/4 Road.
(b) Flintridge Pear Park.
The school needs in this area
include an elementary school and middle school, both of which could
be combined with needed park sites. It could also be an area for a
high school.
The City owns a three-acre parcel in the Flintridge subdivision
that could be expanded for a neighborhood park. The needed neighborhood
park could also be combined with a future elementary school site.
The gravel pits south of D Road could be a future location for a middle
school and community park. A high school site could also be located
in this area and could be combined with a park.
(c) Central Pear Park.
One neighborhood park and one elementary
school are needed in this area and a middle school could also be located
in this area if a large enough site is obtained. This area of Pear
Park has very little vacant land remaining that could accommodate
parks and schools. It is imperative that land be secured as soon as
possible.
(d) Chatfield Pear Park.
Chatfield Elementary School is
already serving this area, but providing the additional two elementary
schools in the other service areas of Pear Park will relieve the enrollment
pressures on Chatfield. A neighborhood park is still needed. Chatfield
Elementary School could be expanded and further developed to provide
more park land. A regional park has also been identified as optional
for this area, but may not be needed with the current development
of Long Park, a new regional park located near 31 Road and E 1/2 Road,
next to Central High School.
(Res. 13-05, 1-5-05)
The following criteria should be used in the selection of sites
for schools:
(a) Central location – walkable for majority of students within
the service areas, minimizing bussing;
(b) Locate elementary schools on local streets with good connections
to collector roads;
(c) Combine school/park sites;
(d) Maximize trails/sidewalk access;
(e) Availability of public utilities;
(f) Avoiding proximity to hazard areas, i.e., railroads, ditches, canals,
etc.;
(g) Appropriate surrounding zoning;
(h) Analysis of existing site conditions for ease and efficient construction.
(Res. 13-05, 1-5-05)