Artist renderings courtesy of City of Monte Vista The City of Monte Vista is working on the design of a new playground at Sanchez Park. Designs were posted online, and people could vote on the one they liked and provide additional feedback.

MONTE VISTA — The revival of Sanchez Park in Monte is currently in the works, and Monte Vista City Recreation Department Director Jaime Hurtado is enthusiastic about the plans for this park.

"It's been a long time coming," Hurtado said. “The Park itself has really needed this for a long time."

Most parks are required to be redone about every 10 years, but Sanchez Park has been the same for about 25 years, Hurtado said.

"We are excited that this project is really coming together, and we are also excited about the community involvement here too,” Hurtado said.

Sanchez Park is located on Pennsylvania Avenue in Monte Vista and has been a play space for children who live in the community.

The City of Monte Vista has partnered with Kaboom, a national nonprofit organization that works to end play space inequity along with the Colorado Health Foundation to create a new kid-designed, play area so that children can have a place to run, and play. A Kaboom grant for between $20,000 and $25,000 is the primary funding for the project.

The City Recreation Department has been organizing fundraising events, such as the cornhole tournament on Saturday, Aug. 28. Proceeds from these events are going toward the Sanchez Park playground project.

The new playground equipment will replace an outdated play structure at Sanchez Park. 

Recently Monte Vista Recreation posted two design options on its Facebook page and a link to a survey, asking for community involvement in the design of the park.

In the survey, the community was asked to vote on their favorite and give feedback on the park designs. The results of the survey will be used in a third design.

The play space that is built will be 100-percent community-designed, Hurtado said. The project has been approved by the City Council.

"It's great that so many people have responded and are excited about the project,” Hurtado said.

The deadline for voting on the designs was Aug. 26, and the results will be announced.

The playground installation is set for the week of Oct. 18, Hurtado said, and people in the community are encouraged to sign up to help build the new playground, with shifts available in the morning and the afternoon.

For more information, visit the Monte Vista Recreation Department’s Facebook page.