Macanta Regional Park: Douglas County approves $5.95 million contract

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice

A stretch of open land south of Crowfoot Valley Road in Douglas County is getting trails, a trailhead and stairs built for a workout.

Douglas County commissioners approved a construction contract for Macanta Regional Park at their Nov. 10 business meeting, according to the county’s announcement.

The park covers 464 acres about a mile south of the intersection of Crowfoot Valley Road and Pradera Parkway.

The county expects it to open in June 2028.

Commissioners authorized up to $5.95 million for the project. A county staff report lists three funding sources, and the general fund isn’t one of them. Most of the money comes from dedicated open space dollars, with the rest from the state’s Conservation Trust Fund and a developer.

What’s being built

The county says the park will have 5.3 miles of trails, three sets of challenge stairs, a small playground, and a trailhead with parking, shelters and restrooms.

The county’s announcement first said 6 miles, and the staff report still does.

The construction contract calls for about 5.3 miles of soft-surface trail. Most of it is an 8-foot-wide road-base path, priced at $402,220.

The fitness steps alone cost more than the road-base trail.

The bid schedule lists 1,035 linear feet of timber fitness steps at $712 a foot, for a total of $736,920.

The single largest line item is retaining walls. Contractor Timberline Building Systems priced 12,425 square feet of gravity retaining walls at $1,119,244.

The contract also covers installation of an 80-foot prefabricated Corten steel pedestrian bridge, a concrete low-water crossing, a custom steel park sign, and electrical service for security lights and outlets at the shelters.

Two add-alternate items in Timberline’s bid are part of the contract. One, for $370,961.36, covers earthwork, an asphalt parking lot and pavement markings. The other is $28,730.34 in concrete work for the playground, covering pavement, curb and a base for the play surface.

Play equipment does not appear in the bid schedule.

Where the money comes from

Commissioners set aside money for Macanta in the county’s 2024 adopted budget, according to the staff report from Parks and Recreation Director Steve Shoultz.

The largest share, $4.5 million, comes from the open space operations and maintenance portion of the county’s Parks, Trails, Historic Resources and Open Space Fund. Voters first approved the 0.17% sales and use tax behind that fund in 1994 and extended it in 2022.

Another $1 million comes from the Conservation Trust Fund, the share of Colorado Lottery proceeds the state constitution sends to local governments for parks and open space.

A developer is contributing $450,000. Neither the staff report nor the county’s announcement names the developer.

Shoultz did not respond to RMV’s questions before publication.

The contract

Timberline, a Colorado Springs firm, won the job through a competitive bid process under Invitation for Bid IFB-PARKS-2026-005, the county said.

Its base bid plus both add-alternates comes to $5,545,954.85.

The remaining $404,045.15 is set aside for contingencies. According to the staff report, the county must approve any contingency spending before it happens.

The contract puts other limits on spending. Timberline cannot change the scope of work without the county’s written authorization, and any unauthorized work is done at the contractor’s own expense. Work that exceeds the money the county has appropriated is also at Timberline’s risk.

Timberline posted performance and payment bonds for the full $5.95 million through The Ohio Casualty Insurance Company. The bonds are dated Nov. 3.

Timberline must warrant its work for one year after substantial completion. The contract sets no liquidated damages.

The contract gives Timberline until Dec. 31, 2028, to substantially complete the work. That’s later than the county’s June 2028 target opening.

At least 80% of each class of labor on the project must be Colorado workers under the contract, which cites state law.

From planning to construction

The county has been planning the park since at least its 2024 budget. In a memo for a July 1, 2025, meeting, staff asked commissioners for direction on whether to move forward with developing Macanta Regional Park.

Construction can begin once the county issues a notice to proceed. Timberline then has 10 days to start work.