Commercial Playground Installation Colorado Springs, CO
Aspen Meadows Park
Location
Cowpoke Rd & Marksheffel Rd
Colorado Springs, CO
Client
Woodmen Heights Metropolitan District
Completion Date
December 2024
Woodmen Heights set out to create something the neighborhood didn't have yet—a 13-acre, family-friendly outdoor destination that people of every age could enjoy.
Phase 1 of Aspen Meadows Park called for a space guided by a distinct Colorado aesthetic — inclusive play, community gathering, and natural beauty, all built to hold up under heavy public use.
Fisk Lawnscapes took on the landscape construction, working within a compressed four-month build window and around underground infrastructure that would test the team's ability to adapt on the fly.
The Transformation
Construction began with the relocation of over 6,000 cubic yards of earth, setting the stage for more than 1,500 linear feet of new sidewalks, along with flatwork, curbing, parking areas, water taps, and the electrical work needed to support irrigation. From there, the park's signature features took shape: three massive boulders totaling over 21 tons were arranged into a "Boulder Climber with Nets" feature, giving kids a dynamic, imaginative place to play. Multiple play structures followed, including a Little Tikes main structure with slides, double-bay basket swings, and a full-sized artificial turf soccer field.
Trees, shrubs, and native grass seed brought life and future shade to the grounds, complemented by a flagstone patio and aspen pole accents that tie the park back to its Colorado surroundings.
The build wasn't without obstacles. The originally planned parking lot was undersized and awkwardly placed, so the team reconfigured the layout to improve capacity, traffic flow, and pedestrian safety without the added cost of major grading or utility work. Mid-excavation, crews uncovered an unmarked electrical line that forced an on-the-fly redesign of the entrance approach — one that still had to preserve ADA accessibility, sightlines, and emergency access.
The most significant challenge ran directly through the site: three high-pressure gas lines, one of which supplies Denver International Airport. Every phase of work near those lines required advance coordination with the gas company and an on-site representative to monitor the work, adding scheduling complexity that had to be managed without slowing the project down. The irrigation system itself had to be re-engineered to route safely over the lines while still performing efficiently — a collaborative effort with the design team that balanced safety, function, and aesthetics.
Sustainability was built into the park from the ground up. Large areas were seeded with native grasses to cut long-term irrigation needs, support the local ecosystem, and control erosion. A smart-controller irrigation system paired with high-efficiency heads and zoning adjusts automatically to weather conditions, delivering water precisely where and when it's needed. And the planting plan leaned on drought-tolerant, regionally appropriate xeric species suited to Colorado's semi-arid climate — beautiful and resilient at once.
Aspen Meadows Park opened in December 2024 with a community ribbon-cutting ceremony.
What began as an ambitious vision for a 13-acre neighborhood destination is now a thriving hub of inclusive play and gathering — proof that careful planning, creative problem-solving, and close coordination with utility partners can turn even a site full of underground obstacles into a place a community is proud to call its own.
