Blog
The South Metro Land Conservancy is Reimagining Powers Park
As you may know, we are close to breaking ground on a new affordable senior housing development at Powers Park. However, our project is just one piece of a much larger picture.
The South Metro Land Conservancy (SMLC) is working on reimagining Powers Park, which is in a dense part of the City of Littleton. SMLC wants to see this park go beyond being a hole in the ground to retain floodwater to be a true park that the neighbors will enjoy — a place where they can play, walk, roll, sit, and connect with nature.
It all started when the SMLC Board learned that South Metro Housing Options (SMHO) was planning a 51-unit apartment building on a corner of the park. SMHO was interested in ideas that could make this park a true asset for the seniors who will live there. SMLC was interested in seeing the park transform to serve seniors and all of the neighbors in this part of Littleton — all of which led to a partnership.
Powers Park is historically known as a “multi-purpose drainage facility” and since the 1970s the park’s main purpose has been as a stormwater detention facility to minimize local flooding with minimal park amenities. In 2020 the SMLC Board decided to undertake a vision plan to “reimagine” Powers Park in a way that would:
- Further SMLC’s mission to connect people with nature and enhance important habitats close to home in a neighborhood park
- Provide better park amenities for current residents and the new residents of the South Metro Housing Options housing project
- Accomplish the two above goals without negatively impacting the park’s stormwater detention function and operational needs
Last summer, SMLC commissioned Stream Landscape Architecture + Planning to develop the vision plan. Outreach with the Powers Park neighbors was held to get their thoughts about amenities like a perimeter path, community gardens, native plants, rainwater harvesting, the playground and exhibits about water quality. Those ideas are now incorporated in the vision plan.
Learn more on the SMLC website: www.smlc.land/our-projects
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