Public debates Sweetwater Park overhaul, parking plan in Lone Tree

South Suburban Parks and Recreation is weighing a redesign of Sweetwater Park in Lone Tree that could bring better playgrounds, more shade, new trails and added parking, while also changing the feel of a 32-acre park many residents want to stay quiet and natural.

The public comment window on the concept design closed Friday, April 24, after months of outreach that included two meetings at the Lone Tree Hub, 8827 Lone Tree Pkwy, on Feb. 18 and March 18. Families who use the park now had until that deadline to weigh in on a plan that could shape how Sweetwater serves daily recreation for years to come.

Parking has become the most contested piece of the proposal. Some residents worry that extra lots would bring more traffic and erode the peaceful character of the park, which has been part of the community since 1987 and sits along the Willow Creek Regional Trail. A local commenter publicly argued that Sweetwater should remain a natural space rather than become a higher-traffic destination.

Melissa Reese-Thacker, a South Suburban planner, said the district views Sweetwater as a community park, not just a neighborhood park, meaning it draws people from Lone Tree, other parts of Douglas County and beyond. She said the district is not trying to turn the site into a sports complex or flatten the landscape into something overdeveloped. Instead, the final design is expected to blend pieces of three concepts: Community Core, Expanded Play and Nature Exploration.

South Suburban says the final plan will also have to fit budget, maintenance, constructability, habitat protection and community needs. That matters at Sweetwater because the park includes wildlife corridors and vegetation that may need restoration, even as residents ask for more usable amenities.

The park’s footprint itself has changed in recent years. In 2022, Douglas County acquired the northern parcel, which had been set aside for a future school site, and deeded it to South Suburban. That land was annexed into the City of Lone Tree in June 2023 and re-platted as part of the unified Sweetwater Park.

The city lists Sweetwater at 13170 Mercury Drive and describes it as a family-friendly space with fields, playgrounds and community gatherings. South Suburban’s 2026 budget sets aside more than $21 million for maintenance of local and regional parks and trails, including Sweetwater, as Douglas County continues broader open-space investments tied to Lone Tree projects such as High Note Regional Park.