Evergreen Park and Recreation District’s recent financial report reveals that while Evergreen Lake House traffic picked up this summer, the 2013-14 winter season financially was not so hot.
Outgoing executive director Scott Robson said the winter shortfall was the result of warm weather that closed the lake to ice skating nearly a third of the days of a normal season.
That, and the failure to open an anticipated winter sports center with sledding and nordic skiing at Evergreen Golf Course, came between the district and its goal to bring balance to seasonal attendance at the lake.
The center was held up by insurance and liability discussions with the city of Denver, which owns and manages the golf course, Robson said.
“We’ll continue to struggle with that shortfall in the budget until the end of this season,” he said. “You just can’t make up $150,000 in ice skating in a district of our size.”
The district has moved some events from Evergreen Lake to Buchanan Park to help alleviate parking issues.
This weekend’s Big Chili Cook-Off will be at the park for the first time. OktoberFest, hosted by the nonprofit Evergreen Park Foundation, will take place there Sept. 21.
OktoberFest organizer Kenny Fuller said the fields offer more space for more vendors, closer shuttle parking at Bergen Meadow Elementary School and, this year, new electrical hookups.
“We’re happy as we can be to be there,” he said.
Robson said the new executive director — whom the district board hopes to hire in late October — will face the continued challenges of competing with local fitness businesses, bringing in more winter traffic and, to that end, getting the winter sports complex off the ground.
Lake House supervisor Brad Bednar, who will act as interim co-executive director along with recreation manager Ellen O’Connor, said that if the complex goes through, the winter sports complex will start simple with tubing in order to help stay within the projected budget.
“We’re getting into our 2015 budget season,” he said. “And a big focus for us is to make sure that’s really implemented and ready for the new director.”
Josie Klemaier: 303-954-2465, jklemaier@denverpost.com
Evergreen big chili cook-offWhen: 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Sept. 7
Where: Buchanan Fields, 32003 Ellingwood Trail, Evergreen
Cost: $12 in advance, $15 day of the event
Details: Go to bigchili.org
