Northern Colorado open space to expand, feature historic structures

An open space in Northern Colorado will also be preserving a piece of history thanks to a recent 70-acre purchase.

On Friday, the Town of Windsor announced the $6.2 million purchase of land adjacent to the Windsor Wastewater Treatment Facility and Kodak Open Space. The land includes a historic farm and homestead the town says is the original home of Aaron Eaton.

The Eaton family was responsible for many of the initial efforts to settle the area. According to the National Park Service, Aaron Eaton later played an instrumental role in developing downtown Eaton. The home he built there is a local historic landmark and serves as a museum on the region's history and its pioneers.

The new land acquisition also includes green spaces, wildlife habitat and waterfront access to the Cache la Poudre River. Windsor also purchased the water rights associated with the property.

Town officials say they hope the open space will serve as a model for future projects supported by the Open Space Tax, which voters approved in Nov. 2022. The .25% sales tax goes towards the acquisition and upkeep of open spaces. The town's goal is to have 1,290 acres of open space in the community.

"This acquisition reflects the community's vision for preserving open space and investing in Windsor's future," said Windsor Open Space and Trails Manager Wade Willis. "With this property, we're protecting land that will support recreation, conservation and future trail connections while honoring the trust residents placed in us to make these long-term investments. It's a meaningful step toward creating lasting benefits for current and future generations."

They say the community will be involved in developing the final plans for the site.