Shurview Property acquisition could bring nearly 1,000 acres of open space to Greeley, Windsor

GREELEY and WINDSOR — If all goes according to plan, Greeley and Windsor soon will acquire nearly 1,000 acres of open space for recreational use and conservation.

The land is the mostly undeveloped Shurview property, north of U.S. Highway 34 and bisected by Colorado Highway 257. Conceptual documents call for the creation of more than 17 miles of trails for hiking, running and mountain biking, as well as a connection to the Poudre River Trail. It also includes the Missile Park campground site, which will be further developed with more trails to connect it to the rest of the open space.

“The Shurview property is what we’re hoping will be a catalyst into more conservation and outdoor recreation efforts,” said Justin Scharton, superintendent of natural areas and trails for Greeley. “As this steady march of development goes east and west, you realize that open space is finite and we should think about conserving it.”

The land acquisition will cost $8.5 million. Greeley will provide $5 million and Windsor about $250,000. The remainder is being acquired with the help of the Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit that helps create parks and open spaces. The trust already has helped the municipalities secure a $1.5 million Great Outdoors Colorado grant, and is in the process of securing a $1.25 million grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Scharton said the sale is expected to close by the end of March. 

Once the sale closes, the Trust for Public Land will own the open space and lease it to Greeley and Windsor. The municipalities will also lease the Missile Park campground from Weld County, which owns it. Municipal parks departments will be responsible for maintaining the open space.

“The whole idea is that combined we’re doing a lot more than we could otherwise,” said Wade Shelton, senior project manager for the Trust for Public Land.
Greeley had been making efforts to acquire the Shurview site since the 1990s, but until now had been unable to secure the funding. Now, it and Windsor will have open space recreational offerings that will help them compete with the other cities along the Front Range. 

“If we want to attract new employers and developers, the best are going to ask for a great quality of life,” Scharton said. “We want to be able to offer what nearby communities can offer.”

That may also include an open-space tax. Scharton pointed out that out of the 20 biggest cities in Colorado, Greeley and Pueblo are the only two without one. Greeley also identified securing an open-space tax as one of its largest priorities in Get Outdoors Greeley, its five-year strategic plan for open space, trails and natural areas. Scharton said such a tax is crucial if Greeley is “thinking about being competitive in the Front Range for employers and residents.”

The property is also the last large tract of open space between Windsor and Greeley, something that both municipalities are eager to preserve. 

“Our town board has identified a strong desire for community separators even back into the 1990s,” said Wade Willis, manager of open space and trails for Windsor. “This area was identified as a strong one. We want to make it so that when people go between the two municipalities, they know.”

After the sale closes, municipal staff will begin working with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the communities to help create the final layout of the trail systems, with the hope that the area will be open for limited access later in 2022. 

“This truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity, especially with the incredibly rapid growth of the northern Front Range,” Willis said.

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