Open Lands and Trails Statistics

Statistics

The 2016 Broomfield Comprehensive Plan and 2024 Open Space, Parks, Recreation and Trails Plan have the goal of providing approximately 40% of Broomfield's planning area as public and private open lands. The term "open lands" is an umbrella concept that refers to public and private open space, parks and other open lands. The following definitions describe the unique attributes and purposes of these three types of land:

• Open Space: Open Space means a parcel of land intentionally protected from development and/or set aside for unstructured, passive recreation and the appreciation of natural surroundings. Open Space may contain but is not limited to trailheads and trails, water bodies, wetlands, wildlife viewing areas, agricultural lands, fishing facilities, and other facilities that support uses compatible with site resources and conditions. Open Space is deemed to be in use for a public purpose.
• Parks and Recreation Areas: Parks and Recreation areas are the most intensely developed and used types of Open Lands. They may contain open turf areas that may or may not be irrigated for passive recreation, active recreation playing fields, hard courts, picnic areas, restroom facilities, and other improvements.
• Other Open Lands: Other Open Lands may exhibit qualities of Open Space or Parks. Other Open Lands do not fit precisely into either the definition of Parks or Open Space. Examples of Other Open Lands include areas such as golf courses, cemeteries, landscaped trail corridors, or landscaped areas that are not necessarily a formal Park or Open Space.

At this time, Broomfield has a total of 8,607 acres of open lands, within a planning area of 23,887 total acres, which equals 36% +/-. The strategy is to meet the remaining balance of 948 acres (4%) through the purchase of land, joint acquisitions with other communities, the public land dedication, grants, and other innovative efforts to meet the 40% open lands goal of 9,555 acres. When pending and future public land dedication areas are removed from the balance of 948 acres, the remaining final acres needed to meet the 40% objective is 759 acres. The current breakdown of open lands and trails, as of January 2024, is shown below.

View the Existing Open Space, Park and Other Open Lands Map