The Steamboat Springs City Council has officially approved the city’s purchase of the Whistler Park parcel owned by the Steamboat Springs School District, seeking to maintain the park as a vital community space amid increasing demands for parkland, and competing priorities such as housing and infrastructure.

Council’s unanimous approval of the second ordinance reading on Tuesday night marks a significant milestone in an often contentious back-and-forth since last year between city leaders, district stakeholders and local residents over the parcel’s fate.

Parks and Recreation Director Angela Cosby gave a brief presentation on the property purchase during the first ordinance reading at council’s Nov. 18 meeting, explaining to councilors that the Whistler neighborhood, along with West Steamboat, is critically underserved in terms of parkland — even after accounting for the 9.2-acre Whistler Park. 

“Staff has received a lot of questions throughout this process of, ‘What’s the intent with the city buying this land?'” said Cosby. “It’s to keep this land as a community park the way it’s being utilized right now …We’re essentially going from renting the property to owning the property.” 

Cosby emphasized that the purchase will allow for ongoing maintenance, incremental improvements — such as turf upgrades — and certainty that the land remains dedicated to public recreation. 

“The acquisition of Whistler Park is in alignment with your strategic plan,” said Cosby. “It’s also in alignment with one of the ongoing city council efforts to expand parks and recreation services to meet current and future demands of the community.”

Both the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Parkland Acquisition Committee, she added, have given unanimous approval in recommending that the city move forward with the purchase.

The contract appraises the parcel at $3.6 million, sets a closing for July 2027 and includes an “earnest money” deposit of $100,000 in January 2026, as well as a buyer’s financing clause. 

If city funding falls short, Cosby explained, the earnest money would be forfeited.​

Funding for the acquisition draws from multiple sources. The city has already earmarked $500,000 in its 2026 budget for Whistler Park, with plans to apply for $1.3 million in grants and raise $1.8 million from community and neighborhood donations. 

“We are reaching on the $1.3 million in grant funding,” Cosby admitted. “Where we had examples of Copper Ridge or Slate Creek in the past, we had a stronger inclination of us being able to receive those grants.”

“It’s a community park — it doesn’t have open space,” she continued. “We’re not buying property that has lakes, streams on it, that’s on the Mt. Werner side. So our funding pool for grants and our eligibility, it’s just a smaller pool, and that’s part of the reason of asking the community to split the cost with us as well.”

If fundraising gaps persist, the city could reallocate funds from its 1% accommodations tax or consider redirecting dollars from its general fund or capital improvements fund. 

“If this was not turned into a park, if it was sold as real estate property — what would that look like in terms of the Whistler Park area and the mountain area in terms of park availability?” asked Councilor John Agosta. 

“That would not be good,” Cosby answered. “The calculations of park acreage per capita already includes this 9.2 acres, so we’d be further behind.”

Agosta also asked what other opportunities would be available in the mountain area for a future park if the city did not acquire the Whistler parcel.

“There’s not a lot of opportunities,” said Cosby. “In neighborhoods that are already developed, you’d be looking for a home that’s past its useful life, and buying a lot and scraping it. It’s a very expensive park.”

Public comment at both the first and second ordinance reading comprised remarks of both support of the city’s acquisition of Whistler Park and gratitude to councilors, parks and recreation staff and the school board for their collaborative efforts and prioritization of maintaining the park as community space.

Community member Leila Kruelskie, who lives in the Whistler neighborhood, painted a vivid picture to council of daily life. 

“I sit on my deck, I watch hundreds of neighbors walk their dogs and kids by my house daily on a quiet road,” she said. “There’s a park just a five-minute walk away, very short bike ride — it’s Whistler Park.”

“Whistler Park brings community members along our neighborhood roads to this common space. This adds to an interactive neighborhood,” she added, urging council to follow through with the purchase. “It’s where I live, I love it, and this park is part of that. Thank you for the time you spent on this … please consider this park.”

“I think the local residents realize there’s going to be a fundraising effort that’s going to be needed, so I envision a long series of car washes and bake sales,” said local resident Brad Kruelskie, husband to Leila. “This looks like the last, best opportunity to acquire this property.”

Council approved both the first and second ordinance readings unanimously, with the latter sparking applause from attendees.

“This agreement is a win-win for both the district and the city — preserving the land as a public park while generating funding that will directly support staff housing initiatives,” wrote the school district in a statement on Nov. 18 following the first ordinance approval.

To donate to the acquisition of Whistler Park, visit tinyurl.com/3r3m75f2.