Pinery Loop Trail Update
As you may know, Douglas County has been awarded a grant on our behalf from Colorado Parks and Trails to build and maintain a loop trail in the Pinery. This loop will circle the center of the Pinery and connect at the Pinery Country Club with the Cherry Creek Regional Trail Pinery Access spur, which runs under Parker Road there. The PHA Board of 1991 motivated the construction of the tunnel and spur trail and we are just now completing the next phase of the vision.
Over the past five years, Douglas County Parks and Trails has been consulting with Tom Kimball, Linda Calhoun, Joe Narracci, and others from the Pinery on the design and furnishings of the trail. Construction is planned for late summer 2009.
Except for the existing trail at the bird sanctuary, the route of the loop trail runs entirely on Douglas County land and right-of-way, mainly along major roadways in the Pinery.
The main goals for the trail have been to:
- Provide a safer and more enjoyable way to walk in the Pinery and to access the Cherry Creek Regional Trail via the tunnel under Parker Road.
- No financial burden on the residents of the Pinery. The expenses of construction and maintenance will be borne by Douglas County. There are no other significant costs. The PHA office will provide information to residents and others outside the Pinery.
- Increase Pinery residential property values. We believe additional buyers will be attracted to the Pinery by the trail for themselves and their kids. The office and realtors will inform prospective buyers of this amenity.
The Route:
- Clockwise, the loop route begins at the Cherry Creek Regional Trail connector in front of the Pinery Country Club, crosses over and runs along Pinery Parkway (PP) from the RTD Park-and-Ride to the entrance to Pinery Pointe. The route begins again adjacent to PP just east of Windwood Way and continues on PP along the inside of the curve going up the long hill up to the slow side road of Windcrest Row (WR).
- There is no trail there, but pedestrians should find WR a safer route than walking on the side of PP. At the uphill end of WR the route starts again adjacent to PP and proceeds to the Douglas County land south of Mountain View Elementary. Where the land opens up, the trail then travels cross-country and southeast to the intersection of Lakeview Drive and Pine Hollow Drive (PHD). There is no trail along PHD because it has relatively little traffic and is walk-able. The route proceeds along PHD and then makes a right turn on Lightening View Drive. The route jumps off the road shortly after that and goes cross-country through the large plot of Douglas County Land that drains into Bingham Lake. The trail route goes around the earthen berm, continues through the grass and connects with the existing path at the PHA’s Lakeshore Park.
- Crossing the road, the route joins with the existing trail around Bingham Lake. The trail along Lakeshore Drive is the shortest; the southern route along High Prairie Farms at the Lake is a bit longer, but they will meet up with the picnic area at the Northwest corner of the Lake. This recreational facility is maintained by Douglas County and contains a parking area, dock, and continues to provide access to Bingham Lake to many Pinery Residents.
- The route proceeds on a trail along Lakeshore Drive from the intersection with the Bingham Lake access road up to Lakeview Drive, where it makes an inside left turn and remains off-road until it reaches the low-traffic road/street parking area of Fairway Ridge.
- The route continues through the paved area and picks up a trail alongside Lakeview Drive (LD) again at the low end of Fairway Ridge. That trail route proceeds in the Douglas County right-of-way along LD to connect with the Cherry Creek Regional Trail connector that goes under Parker Road.
The loop is about four and a half miles in total and we are asking Douglas County to include mileage markers along the way. We will also be requesting discreet wooden posts to mark trail entrances and exits.
Come to the May 13th General Meeting for more information.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact me, Tom Kimball at 303-841-1846.
Thank you to all of the Pinery residents who have supported this project over the years.
Sincerely,
Tom Kimball
303-841-1846