Logan commissioners approve up to $12,400 for recreation plan if grant fails

Logan County commissioners approved up to $12,400 on July 21 for a recreation master plan covering the county fairgrounds complex and Heritage Center. The county would use the money only if the Northeast Colorado Recreation Revitalization Initiative’s El Pomar Foundation grant application is unsuccessful, the commissioners’ meeting record shows.

The separate motion authorized the commitment from the county’s Conservation Trust Fund to NCRRI. The amount was reduced from the $13,400 described in an earlier proposal, but the record does not explain the $1,000 difference. It also does not show that the county has spent the money or that El Pomar has denied the grant.

NCRRI planned to submit a second-round El Pomar application by July 24, commissioners’ July 7 minutes say. Logan County, Northeast Junior College and RE-1 Valley School District were each being asked for $13,400. The minutes say NJC and RE-1 indicated they would pay their shares if the grant was not awarded. The July 21 vote establishes the county’s fallback commitment; it does not establish that the grant failed.

The master plan would combine recreation-center and Heritage Center planning, the commissioners’ April 28 minutes say. It would examine the fairgrounds recreation center, the corridor connecting it with the SBO and softball fields, and the Heritage Center, including possible parking, walking paths, county-fair access and recreational-vehicle hookups. The effort also would incorporate work from an earlier University of Colorado and Department of Local Affairs-funded project.

The county’s Heritage Center serves people age 55 and older and offers meals, exercise classes, outings, newsletters and rental space. The July 21 action concerns planning support, not construction approval; public documents do not provide a final design, construction list or individual improvement costs.