WHEN A COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER

By KerriAnne Mukhopadhyay, Communication Specialist, Town

Castle Rock Parks and Recreation and Lisa Sorbo, Communication Specialist, Town of Castle Rock Parks and Recreation

With tear-filled eyes, Kris Frey watched her son smile with glee as he ran around the playground. Diagnosed with Down syndrome, 5-year old Ben and his family didn’t have a suitable place in their neighborhood to play together. After the opening of the Possibilities Playground at Butterfield Crossing Park, that all changed. Ben’s mother stood filled with emotion and gratitude as her son played near their home for the first time in a playground designed for children of all abilities.

“This is magical,” said Frey. “To see all these spaces where everyone can play together is amazing. It’s more than I expected.”

For more than 30 years, Butterfield Crossing Park has been one of the most beloved parks in Castle Rock, CO. Nestled in the heart of The Meadows, the park has been home to countless community events, sport practices and swim lessons. But, after so much love, the park was in need of an upgrade.

As the Town of Castle Rock’s Parks and Recreation Department started planning for the improvements, the team quickly realized there was a gap in service for some residents. The community had a strong desire to create a playground and shared community space to serve users of all ages and ability levels.

“It was the community’s vision to make this happen and have a fully inclusive park,” said Castle Rock Park Planning and Construction Manager Brian Peterson.

“We knew Butterfield Crossing Park could be so much more and that we could create a special place where all felt included.”

With help from landscape architecture firm Design Concepts, the Town got to work gathering community feedback and realizing the dream to update this 30-acre space. Many of the new, multigenerational elements were in direct response to public surveys including enhanced gathering spaces and shade structures, new pickleball courts, relocating the tennis courts, a new basketball court, improved accessibility and LED lighting, new walking paths and trail connections, an outdoor fitness course enhanced with ADA and senior-specific equipment, and the fully inclusive playground.

While the Town had the funding for the initial park improvements, a partnership with the Castle Rock Parks and Trails Foundation helped transform the park even further. Grassroots contributions from a wide range of community members raised nearly $1.3 million to fund adaptive, wheel-chair accessible and inclusive play equipment including a sensory wall, roller table, two-way Zipkrooz, Pulse tennis Table, We-Go-Round, Friendship Swing, music area and more. It’s proof that anything is possible when a community comes together.

“One of the most impactful moments when the park opened was to watch a grandmother and her wheelchair bound granddaughter swing together on the Friendship Swing,” said Peterson. “They talked to us afterward to express their gratitude for creating one of the most special moments of their lives.”

The Possibilities Playground is one of only a handful of fully inclusive playgrounds along the Front Range. Now, the park is ready to welcome a new generation of visitors to its updated facilities. Learn more at CRgov.com/Butterfield.