Design Concepts worked with GreenPlay and other team members to engage more than 500 county residents in updating the master plan for El Paso County, Colo. Trail space connectivity and open space conservation were among the objectives.

The El Paso County Parks master plan has received two Colorado awards: a 2013 Merit Award for "outstanding planning project" from the American Planning Association's Colorado Chapter, and a 2013 Starburst Community Award from the Colorado Lottery.

Lafayette, Colo.-based Design Concepts CLA, Inc. was part of the consulting team to update the El Paso County Parks master plan, a project led by GreenPlay LLC of Lafayette. The master plan had not been updated since 2005.

The scope of the project was to develop a robust set of recommendations for open space conservation, new parks and trails for the county, which encompasses 2,158 square miles.

Located in a transition zone where the Rockies meet the plains, El Paso County contains some of Colorado's most significant landscapes, such as the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. El Paso County also has extensive pinyon‐juniper forests and grasslands, with candelabra cacti and other southern species.

Urbanization and population growth in the county has prompted conservation efforts and additional recreational opportunities. Design Concepts worked with GreenPlay and other team members to engage the community in the planning. The work involved population and community needs assessments, geospatial analysis, production of a series of maps and a master plan document. Design Concepts helped determine areas for future planning efforts, and conducted an analysis to map new open space and trails.

"Better connectivity in the regional trail network was an important goal, and the trailshed analysis that Design Concepts designed helped us identify needs and communicate clearly to the public and other participants in the planning," said Elaine Kleckner, planning manager for El Paso County Parks.

The APA Colorado selection committee chose the master plan project for a Merit Award because it addressed specific rural and county planning issues, and for its public engagement, which it deemed a model for other rural communities. The committee also noted the plan provided information needed for the capital budget, and was adopted with considerable support.

The Colorado Lottery Starburst Community Awards recognize excellence in the use of Lottery proceeds in community projects implemented to enhance a community's environment. El Paso County Parks used a lottery-funded Great Outdoors Colorado grant of $35,000 for the planning project.

Design Concepts, founded in 1981, has won more than 40 awards in the past 20 years for its work on master plans and planning and design for parks, schools and public facilities.