During Monday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Garfield County residents expressed concern about recent changes to the Axtell Park playground (1102 Grand Ave.) and called on the county to restore the park to its original condition.
In May, county staff removed playground equipment as part of a broader plan to build an employee parking lot in the nearby former Chamber of Commerce building. The city of Glenwood Springs, which previously maintained the park, offered to leave some basic amenities such as a table, bench and trash can, but required the removal of the city’s branding sign. County staff eventually collected their equipment, and the county is now responsible for maintaining the park.
Local residents, many of whom grew up in the park, were disappointed that the playground was gone. During the public hearing, several voiced concerns about the park’s future.
“It’s an eyesore right now because we took it away from the citizens, and it needs to be restored to its original state,” said Commissioner John Martin, highlighting the community’s frustration with recent changes. “It’s been there for 100 years and it needs to stay that way. It’s a place that a lot of people have a lot of memories of, good memories and bad memories, but it needs to stay there.”
The City of Glenwood Springs had leased the park land from Garfield County since the 1920s. In 1989, the city subleased the front portion of the property to the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association, further strengthening the city’s involvement in the park’s maintenance. Despite this history, the lease expired several years ago, resulting in park management being transferred back to the county.
Residents also expressed concerns about the lack of communication from the city and county regarding the removal of the playground.
“I will admit to the lack of communication on this issue myself,” said Glenwood Springs City Manager Steve Boyd. “I should have done a better job of informing the neighbors, and I’m sorry for that… We’re here to help, so if you’d like us to put back the things we removed, we’re happy to do that. We’ll be happy to maintain the park until we find a permanent solution.”
One of the more passionate voices came from Cooper Avenue resident Emily Cool Greener, who emphasized the importance of the park.
“I have three young children who play in this park every day, and many other young children in the area,” Greener said. “I respect people’s need or desire to have a parking spot near where they work, but there is plenty of street parking in our area. Within a three-block radius, I think there are dozens of parking spots within easy walking distance of the building.”
County officials, including commissioners and city staff, acknowledged public concerns and pledged to work together to restore Axtell Park as quickly as possible.
“We need to act as quickly as possible to put the playground equipment back in there,” said Commissioner Mike Samson. “I think it needs to match what was there before.”
The county has committed to holding a public meeting to gather further suggestions on how to redesign the park. The date and location of the meeting have not yet been announced, but some residents would like the meeting to be held in the park itself.
The timetable for completion is still uncertain, but both the city and county governments made it clear on Monday that they are determined to restore the park to its original form.
