Town of Monument 2023 Parks & Open Space Survey

Magellan Strategies is pleased to present the topline results of an online survey of 651 registered voters in Monument, Colorado. The interviews were conducted from November 9th to 27th, 2023.

The survey gauged Monument residents’ opinions on the Town’s Parks and Open Space Department across several areas. Overall, residents expressed strong approval of the department’s work maintaining both parks and open spaces as well as landscaped medians, rights-of-ways, and other public areas. Views on the department’s fiscal responsibility were more mixed, with a notable share of residents unsure or holding no opinion on whether taxpayer money was being spent wisely.

When asked about the availability of various amenities, residents broadly felt the Town needed more recreational activities, open space, parks, and trails, with strong majorities expressing a desire for expansion in each category. Residents reported visiting parks, playgrounds, or open space areas quite frequently, with a majority doing so at least a few times per week. Among specific facilities, Limbach Park and the 3rd Street Santa Fe Trailhead were the most visited, while the Monument Cemetery and Skate Park saw the least use.

A majority of residents expressed support for a modest sales tax increase to fund new parks, open spaces, trails, and recreational opportunities, as well as the redevelopment of existing facilities, though a significant minority opposed it.

When presented with a list of potential projects, residents were asked to rank them by priority. Acquiring and developing new parks, trails, and open space, along with building a swimming pool, ranked highly. Multi-use sports fields and courts and improving existing parks through a master plan also garnered strong interest. A recreation or active adult community center, while appealing to some, was viewed with more ambivalence given its significantly higher cost.

When asked to identify a single top priority project, a swimming pool and acquiring or developing new parks and open space came out ahead, followed by improving existing parks and building multi-use sports fields and courts.

Regarding potential recreational leagues, adult pickleball drew the most interest among residents, followed closely by youth soccer and youth little league. Adult softball, adult tennis, and adult soccer generated comparatively less enthusiasm.

Finally, the vast majority of respondents owned their homes, and household incomes skewed toward higher income brackets, with nearly a quarter reporting incomes above $200,000. Most residents were employed full-time, and among those who worked, the majority did so in-person, with many commuting outside of Monument — primarily to the Colorado Springs area.