The Town of Parker received a 2017 Metro Vision Award from the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) for the Parker Mainstreet Master Plan and the EastMain Vision Plan. The award was presented at DRCOG’s annual awards celebration on April 26, 2017.
The Town of Parker’s Mainstreet Master Plan and EastMain Vision Plan re-imagined a downtown space that is a vibrant, sustainable and accessible hub for the community’s residents and visitors. The Mainstreet Master Plan provides long-term guidance on evolving issues such as infrastructure, land use, accessibility and mobility. Several aspects of the plan have already been implemented to support a new vision for Parker’s downtown area, including improvements to sidewalks and the addition of wayfinding signs.
“The EastMain Vision Plan introduces best practice planning methods that bring together creative thinking and ideas, a shared vision of the Parker community, and the Town’s ability to leverage public/private partnerships,” said John Fussa, Community Development Director for the Town of Parker. “The partnership goals and policies create a vibrant, compact and walkable mixed-use neighborhood that incorporates community gathering places and a sense of place.”
The Master Plan integrates the EastMain Vision, which transforms a vacant parcel of land adjacent to Parker’s downtown area into a welcoming gateway and community focal point. Infusing the area with contemporary architecture, public art and creative landscape design, the EastMain Vision will encourage a vibrant downtown culture for visitors of all ages. The area’s new Discovery Park features amenities for use throughout the year, including a state-of-the-art band shell, a summer splash garden, large gas fire pits for use during winter and an ice skating ribbon, one of a few of its kind in the country.
DRCOG’s Metro Vision Award program recognizes exemplary projects, plans and initiatives that significantly improve the quality of life in the Denver region and its communities. The regional council has been honoring outstanding achievements for more than 30 years.
The Denver Regional Council of Governments is a planning organization where local governments collaborate to establish guidelines, set policy and allocation funding in the areas of:
•Transportation and personal mobility
•Growth and development
•Aging and disability resources