Town of Erie Parks and Recreation 2024 Community Survey

Magellan Strategies is pleased to present the topline results of a survey of 2,031 residents in the Town of Erie, CO. The interviews were conducted from November 13th – 21st, 2024.

The survey assessed Erie residents’ familiarity with and usage of the Town’s parks and recreation facilities. Residents were overwhelmingly familiar with the parks, trails, and open spaces managed by the Department of Parks and Recreation, and the vast majority visited town parks, playgrounds, and open spaces at least a few times per month. Among specific facilities, the local neighborhood park and the Erie Community Center saw the highest usage, while the Coal Creek Disc Golf Course and Erie Ice Rink had the largest shares of residents who had never visited.

Residents expressed strong approval of the Parks and Recreation Department’s management across all areas. More than four in five approved of how parks and playgrounds were managed, and similarly high approval was recorded for open spaces and trails as well as the Community Center. A majority agreed the department was fiscally responsible, though a substantial portion had no opinion on that question. Satisfaction with open spaces and trails was also high, with 86% expressing satisfaction.

When asked about a potential new Performing Arts Center, a majority of residents expressed support, and 70% said they were likely to attend or use such a facility. After learning the proposed location at the Town Center near Erie Parkway and County Line Road, support increased further, with 57% saying they became more likely to back the project. The most desired amenities for the Performing Arts Center were a 300–500 seat auditorium, multi-community room space, and flexible exhibit space.

Residents prioritized orchestra concerts and musical performances, local youth theater productions, and traveling theater productions as the most important programming for a Performing Arts Center. Youth-focused programming ranked consistently high across event types, while gallery art shows and painting classes, though still viewed favorably, ranked lower in importance.

For the proposed 25-acre park near Erie High School, restrooms were the overwhelming top priority, with 79% saying they should definitely be included. Playgrounds and lighted multi-use turf fields also ranked highly. Residents’ open-ended responses reflected strong interest in outdoor pools, splash pads, shade structures, trails, and nature-based play areas, alongside calls for accessibility and inclusive design.

Youth sports, community events, and adult sports leagues were rated the most important programming for the new 25-acre park. Youth summer camps and teen programming also garnered strong support. When asked to prioritize among all proposed projects, residents were most closely divided between the 25-acre park and trail connectivity as their top choices, followed by the Performing Arts Center and a potential second recreation center.

On the question of funding, residents were narrowly supportive of a modest tax increase for the 25-acre park, with 50% in support and 44% opposed. Support dropped slightly for a tax increase to fund the Performing Arts Center, where opposition edged out support 50% to 44%. A second recreation center saw the least tax support, with 52% opposed and 43% in favor.