Pine River Library and the Town of Bayfield are pleased to announce that they have received two grants for a new park on the one-acre lot to the west of the Library. The lot will be transformed into a community park including a nature-themed playground, a picnic area, a multi-purpose court for sports, an outdoor classroom, two shade structures, pedestrian bridges, and additional green space. The new facility will be accessible for people with disabilities.

The park will be funded by grants from the Colorado Health Foundation (CHF) and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), as well as funds from the Town of Bayfield and the Pine River Library. The play structures will be financed by $101,000 from CHF through their Physical Activity Infrastructure program for underserved children from kindergarten through the fifth grade. The Town of Bayfield, with the library as a partner, received $255,000 from GOCO to cover additional costs of the project.

In mid-May the library will host a final planning meeting, and all community members are invited to help with the last touches in the design of the park. A kick off event is scheduled for May 20 with La Plata County Commissioner Julie Westendorff breaking ground, and kids and adults of all ages are invited to come create a "pop-up playground" for the day.

Work on the park will continue through the summer, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony expected for early fall.

"The town and library are so grateful for this opportunity to provide additional recreational resources for our community," library staff said in a press release on Tuesday.

For more information on the park, call the library at 884-2222, ext. 510.