Berthoud Weekly Surveyor | Covering all the angles in the Garden Spot

Waggener Farm Park development progressing nicely

By: Dan Karpiel | The Surveyor | August 25, 2021 | Local News

While the decision to build a large recreation facility at the Waggener Farm Park property in Berthoud was, and remains, a contentious decision, the facilities and amenities that are under construction and set to become available to the public late this fall are top-notch.

Town staff provided the Surveyor a tour of the totality of the development last week. While “around 30 laborers,” according to town officials guiding the tour, from various contractors worked on everything from flatwork to ceiling installation to assembling the two-story slide that will empty into its own basin in the aquatics center, one thing stood out – the facility will be a beneficial addition to Berthoud.

The property itself will house not only the recreation center itself – a sizable building that will house offices for town recreation staff, an aquatics center, fitness area, climbing wall and a large gymnasium – but a large surrounding area that will have an outdoor basketball court, skate park, multi-purpose fields, a large playground, walking trails and a sheltered pavilion with restrooms.

Progress on the facility remains on time and on budget, according to town officials, and the entirety of the park will open when everything inside and out is ready to full-scale public use. The design of the physical space inside the rec center itself has undergone a handful of alterations throughout the final design and construction process but the amenities promised to Berthoud taxpayers has remained intact.

Inside the rec center itself, the finishing process is on-going. During the tour provided, contractors were at work installing wood ceiling tiles in the entry way, an area that will house the check-in desk, a small lounge area with vending machines, a beautiful brick fireplace and mantle with space for a large flatscreen television. Behind the check-in desk sits is the door to the administrative officers and directly to the left is the door to the party room. Said room is spacious and has kitchen amenities as well as a private entrance to the aquatics center; making the space ideal for birthday parties or other events.

Down a long, high-ceilinged hallway one finds on their right the child watch room (for kids aged three-months to nine-years), a space where parents can let their children play under supervision and includes a spacious outdoor play area directly off the indoor space. To the left are the entrance to the locker rooms for men, women and a separate area for families.

Further down the breezeway to the right is the entrance to the large gymnasium. Fit and equipped to accommodate both basketball and volleyball, with associated hoops, nets, officials podiums and bleachers, entirely moveable using the latest in technology. The gymnasium will also be surrounded by a walking track.

The terminus of the breezeway finds the boulder wall, fit for short-distance climbing fitness on right and, on the left, the two-tiered fitness area that will feature free weights, weight machines as well as a whole host of cardio equipment. Adjacent to the open fitness area is the group fitness room that will be able to house both in-person and virtual classes for all types.

The aquatics center will feature multiple amenities. A three-lane lap pool with diving area (no springboards, due to space constraints) at the south end. A lazy river feature, lifestyle pool ideal for aqua-aerobics and other such classes and a zero-entry child pool that will have a host of child-centric features. The two-story slide has both it’s own stairway, which will be festooned with a large mural of the Front Range mountains, and slash down area for those using the slide.

Outdoors, the town made great use of the large amount of space available. In addition to the skate park, basketball and pickleball courts and expansive and multi-functional playground, a community pavilion area sits north of the playground, similar to that found at Pioneer Park and ideal for gatherings large and small. The outdoor space also incorporates a “food truck lane” where “a few” mobile caters can park and serve their various snacks and entrees to the assembled crowds.

The Surveyor will continue to follow developments of the Waggener Farm Park recreation center and associated facilities as the opening approaches. The town has recently launched a website that can be accessed at https://www.berthoud.org/residents/parks-and-recreation/waggener-farm-recreation-center that provides details and photos of the development.

 

 

 

 

 

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