Open Space Program

About the Program

Category: Parks and Recreation (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

Adams County’s Open Space Program is funded via a dedicated sales tax reauthorized by voters on November 2, 2004. The sales tax is ¼ of one percent, and sunsets in 2026. Program success is measured by regional cooperation to plan and fund county-wide recreation opportunities, advancements in sustainability and environmental stewardship, and quality of life metrics. A recent, innovative outcome of the Open Space Program described in this submittal is the dual adoption of the District Plan by Adams County and the City of Brighton, which balances agritourism, place-based economic development, and land preservation by targeting $1.5 million in joint Open Space funds annually. Overall, the program’s outcomes include collaborative partnerships, residents’ use/perception, implementation of the Parks and Open Space Master Plan, and acres of lands preserved for open space, agriculture, and wildlife habitats. Over the course of the program, $149,914,151.11 has been distributed (2/3 via a competitive grant). Of the roughly $100 M awarded competitively, $70,659,088.04 has been awarded to passive projects, and $29,009,556.71 to active projects. Oversight of the Open Space Program is undertaken by an appointed, seven-member, geographically representative citizen board which reviews all grant applications and recommends annual funding allocations to the Board of County Commissioners.