The Willow Bend Park and Natural Area property is located in east Loveland and was purchased in 2016 for Open Land and Park purposes. The site is adjacent to the Boys & Girls Club, New Vision Charter School, Simpson Ponds State Wildlife Area, and the Big Thompson River. The acquisition provides a buffer to nearby urban development and includes cultivated agricultural lands and a lower floodplain bench with natural areas along the river, including portions of several natural areas identified in the 2008 Natural Areas Sites report. The property also provides a key connection for the East Big Thompson River Trail planned from existing paved trail at King’s Crossing Natural Area and Old St Louis Natural Area to the trail underpass at I-25 connecting to Johnstown's trail system. 

Prior to acquisition by the City, the floodplain land was gravel-mined and reclaimed to wetlands, grassland, and a small pond. Wetland vegetation including plains cottonwood, coyote willow, and common cattail are scattered throughout the property, along with groves of poplar and elm. The combination of the pond, wetlands, and connection to the Big Thompson River provide a variety of habitats for songbirds, mammals, and reptiles/amphibians.  Wildlife found in the river corridor include white-tailed and mule deer, coyote, mink, wild turkeys, red-tailed hawks, western meadowlarks, killdeer, red-winged blackbirds, song sparrows, chorus frogs and numerous others. 

Willow Bend was the focal point for Project Outdoors Loveland, a Great Outdoors Colorado-funded Inspire Initiative that aims to connect more youth and families to the outdoors. The plan for public access to the natural area was developed with youth and community input on potential amenities such as trails, community gardens, outdoor classroom facilities, bike skills features, fishing and river access. The plan also includes ideas for activating these places through programs such as environmental education, clinics for fishing, biking, and outdoor skills, and gardening clubs.

Proposed names for the property were accepted in spring 2017, with more than 75 names submitted.  At the June 2017 Open Lands Advisory Commission meeting, commission members reviewed the submissions and selected the name Willow Bend Natural Area. Thank you to everyone who participated! 

Funding

The construction of Willow Bend was funded primarily from Capital Expansion Fees appropriated through the 2023 and 2024 city budget, with no construction impact to the city’s general fund. Construction costs were offset by $2.38 million in grant funding from Great Outdoors Colorado and the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

The grant from Great Outdoors Colorado was awarded as part of the Project Outdoors Loveland Campaign with the goal of connecting Loveland youth and families to the outdoors. While consideration for the grant award from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)  included increasing accessibility, it also highlighted the Willow Bend Natural Area. LWCF considered that the large wetlands being preserved will provide waterfowl and wildlife habitat. 

In the spirit of inclusivity, the planning team took a 'community first' approach to the design of this park, where the primary focus was placed on listening to community voices early and often throughout the design process. The planning team sought a project for all ages, all abilities, and all socio-economic status. The engagement campaign was titled “Willow Bend 4 Me!”

To kick off this campaign, a brief online survey was distributed to local community members and special interest groups on November 18, 2021, providing an open platform for community voices to be heard and acknowledged prior to the start of any design work. Over the course of the 6 weeks that followed, 350 individuals from a wide range of ages, abilities, and backgrounds responded to the survey. The thoughtful responses that were collected have been instrumental in introducing the project team to the local community and helping our team begin to identify the specific needs, desires, values, goals, and interests of the community members this park will ultimately serve.

The planning team engaged several city commissions including the Disability Advisory Commission, the Open Lands and Trail Commission, and the Parks and Recreation Commission. The vision was presented to the Loveland Planning Commission and City Council as the property went through the annexation and zoning process.

Planning staff held an ADA focus group where parents from the group of NoCo Mamas of Kids with Special Needs, local community representatives and the owner of Abundant Playscapes invited to attend. The group provided feedback and lived experiences that help inform accessibility needs, restroom design and selection of play equipment.

In early January 2022, the design team began developing conceptual designs for Willow Bend Park & Natural Area, relying on the community survey input as a driving force in how the park design concepts took shape. This conceptual design process culminated in two park design concepts that were shared and discussed with the community at the Concept Design Open House on March 24. Feedback was evaluated and a final design concept was completed.

A video of the meeting and information boards presented at the meeting are available below:    

View the meeting presentation - March 24, 2022 @ Boys & Girls Club

Site Context Map - This poster shows existing site conditions and the proposed location of the Park within the larger Willow Bend property. 

Concept Plans - These two posters are conceptual park layout alternatives. These do not include play equipment or details. Feedback was encouraged about parts of the two layouts that users like or not and why. Based on feedback, a third hybrid layout ("preferred alternative") that combines the favorite parts of A and B will be developed.

Public Outreach Summary - These three posters highlight some of the responses to the 2021 WillowBend4Me outreach campaign that guided the selection of a naturalized park theme and aesthetic. 

Precedent Images - These six posters provide images of features from other parks, playgrounds and natural areas to prompt feedback about features that users like or do not like and why. Comments were also welcomed on features that are not included in the posters. Feedback will help guide the selection of features for the park and natural area. 

Feedback is being evaluated and considered for inclusion into the preferred alternative being developed by DIG Studio, the planners contracted for the Willow Bend plan. Check back in summer 2022 for updates.  Input was invited from community members, stakeholders, and special interest groups.