A public meeting is scheduled for May 30 to hear public comments on improvements to Hawthorne Park in Grand Junction.

The meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. in the shelter at the park at 400 Gunnison Ave.

In addition to the meeting, community members are invited to engage by completing the survey at EngageGJ.org. This survey asks for insights as to what types of improvements are most important. The survey will remain open through May 23. The survey will also appear in the May Grand Junction Parks and Recreation enewsletter, and paper copies will be available at the meeting.

Following a decision by the Grand Junction City Council on April 19 regarding the proposed design contract to add a bike pump track to a portion of Hawthorne Park, city staff has been working on a revised plan.

The agenda for the meeting was revised to gather input on community ideas for use of the park and needed improvements, including potentially replacing the playground.

The results of comments gathered through the public process will be used to develop staff recommendations that will be presented to city council for consideration as the next steps in the process to update Hawthorne Park.

There is $340,000 budgeted for Hawthorne Park improvements in the 2024 budget. Funding sources to improve Hawthorne Park include $200,000 in conservation trust funds and $140,000 from the .75 percent sales tax fund.

The public process to gather input is planned to extend into June, and staff expects funding for Hawthorne improvements will be considered as a part of the 2025 budget process.