Background

   The Pinery Trails committee is anticipating the need for additional trails in our neighborhood. Filings 1 - 8a of the Pinery were built before Douglas County mandated trails and walkways for the health and safety of residents. Newer neighborhoods like the Timbers and the Colorado Golf Club have complied with county regulations to provide walking surfaces and connections to the Douglas County trail system. Pinery Pointe and Filing 11 (Northwoods Glenn) were built following these requirements.

   Nevertheless, the Pinery has built two significant and popular trails:

• The Pinery’s Cherry Creek Connector Trail under Highway 83 near the Pinery Country Club was built partly with contributions from Pinery residents through the ‘Pinery Pedal’ summer event over ten years ago as part of the Cherry Creek Trail’s initial construction.
• The soft trail around Bingham Lake was built by Douglas County and Pinery resident volunteer labor thanks to coordination between Douglas County Parks and Recreation, the Pinery Homeowners Association, and the Pinery Water and Wastewater District.

 Trails Day at Bingham Lake June 2, 2001
See more pictures from the event in the Photo Gallery.

Colorado State Parks Trails Grant update
November 2006

   The Trails Committee submitted a grant application to the Colorado State Parks Trails Program, requesting $165,500 to build two 8’ wide trails and a Pinery History Center (located across from Northeast Elementary, near the Bird Sanctuary).  The overall description in the grant application reads like this...

   The goal of the project is to build safe trails between Pinery destinations and the Colorado Front Range Trail (CFRT). This will benefit the 11,000 residents of the Pinery area and users of the CFRT. The Project consists of:

1. Bingham Lake Trail Branch: 0.6 mi, 8 ft. wide, 4 in. thick concrete, ADA-accessible trail leading from the CFRT connector (at the Pinery entrance), to the existing Bingham Lake Park trail. Douglas County will provide curb and gutter along the road to protect the trail and trail users. Volunteers will build a rock trailhead with signage at the lower end of the trail at the Pinery entrance.

2. Kinney Creek Trail Branch: 0.91 mi, 8 ft. wide, 4 in. thick concrete, ADA-accessible trail from the CFRT connector, to the existing Kinney Creek Trail. Douglas County will also build curb and gutter on the road protecting this trail and users. Volunteers will build a trailhead with signage at the junction with the Kinney Creek Trail at the upper end of this branch.

3. Pinery History Center: Pinery volunteers will also build a 1,000 sq. ft. ADA-accessible area at the lower end of the Kinney Creek Trail branch near the Pinery Bird Sanctuary. It will consist of a 20 ft. x 20 ft. open shelter with moss rock boulders, picnic tables, trees, and plantings. It will house educational signage on the environmental, natural, and cultural history of the Pinery area.

4. Use of Staff and Equipment: The Pinery Trails Committee (45 volunteers) led by volunteers Tom Kimball, Blake Calvert, P.E., and Linda Calhoun, BSEE/MBA will provide project management and staffing. The Douglas County Roads and Bridges Department and professional contractors will provide heavy construction equipment to grade the trail, build the curb and gutter, and construct the trails. The Pinery Homeowners’ Association (PHA) will provide ongoing maintenance, management, and promotion of the trails after the Project is completed.

   Go to our Download Page for a copy of the project map showing existing and proposed trail locations:

   The grant winners will be named in May of ‘07, and if we receive our award, we’ll negotiate a contract with the state and will begin construction of the History Center immediately and trail construction beginning in 2008 and completing by the end of 2008.

   The contract will call for $165,500 in matching contributions, a significant amount will be provided by Douglas County with in-kind donation of curb and gutter on Pinery Parkway and Lakeview Dr, but we can still use cash, labor, and construction equipment (loaned) to fulfill the PHA’s half of the contract.  Please contact Tom Kimball, Pinery Trails Committee at 303-841-1846 if you have any ideas to contribute.  Thank you!