Lone Tree regional park proposal advances toward City Council hearing

The first phase of High Note Regional Park would bring two multipurpose fields, a playground, a water feature, a dog park, a beer garden, a small stage, community seating, parking, lighting and landscaping to the Lyric neighborhood on Lone Tree’s east side. The project moved another step forward in April as the City of Lone Tree Planning Commission recommended it with conditions, putting the plan in front of City Council for a public hearing set for April 21.

The proposal is more than a concept sketch. City officials are reviewing it as a Use by Special Review and an associated Site Improvement Plan, a process that requires formal land-use and engineering approvals before the park can be built. The site sits at the northwest corner of High Note Avenue and Lyric Street, on the east side of Interstate 25, and the city describes it as the first and only regional park in Lone Tree.

That matters because High Note is being framed as both a neighborhood amenity and a regional draw. The park, previously known as Lone Tree Regional Park, has been part of the city’s long-term vision since the land was annexed in 2000. It covers 80 acres along Happy Canyon Creek near I-25 and RidgeGate Parkway, placing a major public project in the middle of a fast-growing district where homes, roads and open space are still taking shape.

Funding for phase one was secured in September 2025 at about $32 million. The package includes $13 million from South Suburban Parks and Recreation, $9 million from the City of Lone Tree, $7.5 million from Douglas County, $1 million from the Southeast Metropolitan Improvement District and $580,000 from Great Outdoors Colorado. Douglas County’s share was part of a broader parks investment package that county officials described as historic.

The beer garden has emerged as one of the more closely watched pieces of the plan. A January 20 project narrative says it is classified as an eating place and is intended to operate as an accessory amenity in a controlled, family-friendly outdoor setting with designated food-truck areas. That mix of uses suggests city leaders want the park to function as a place for family recreation, sports and community events, not just open lawn and trail space.

Community input has already shaped the process. The city and South Suburban Parks and Recreation held public site walks and a meeting on updated design concepts before the hearing, and Lone Tree’s public notice said comments received by the priority deadline would be included in the hearing packet. Still unresolved are familiar questions about traffic, parking and how a beer garden and performance space will affect nearby homes and streets.

Design materials from OJB Landscape Architecture describe High Note as an 80-acre recreational hub with athletic fields, playgrounds and a festival terrace, with the first phase estimated for completion in 2027. If it stays on schedule, Lone Tree will gain a central public space years in the making, one that could reshape the identity of the Lyric area as the city keeps building east of I-25.