Shepsfield Park is one of the last amenities to be built out as part of Arista Broomfield’s master plan. It is the largest dog-friendly park in the development and named after Shep, “the turnpike dog,” a legendary stray that became a companion to the area’s toll booth workers in the 1950s. The park’s unique shape is designed to look like a famous beagle when viewed from above. The three-acre park features playground equipment, natural play spaces, open green space, a gazebo for events and gatherings, lighted walkways and a dog park.  

Since the park was one of the last improvements made at Arista, undocumented grade changes from soil imported onto the site from earlier projects resulted in inaccurate topography. Crews surveyed the site to document actual elevations so the design team could provide a revised topographical plan. The site had to be regraded, with revisions to more than half of the sidewalk areas to make them ADA compliant. 

The team reduced the quantity of exported topsoil for the park, mitigating the cost of regrading and ensuring a proper layout for the concrete placement that creates the beagle-shaped outline. The superintendent worked with the site concrete subcontractor to layout and place concrete trails that created the outline. The ear of the beagle is the dog park with crusher fines, trees and pet waste stations. The head is the open lawn for passive recreation, and a cluster of trees forms Shep’s eye. The tongue area includes playground equipment. 

Shepsfield Park also addresses the preferences of the community’s environmentally conscious residents. Lights are on timers and have photocell sensors. The irrigation system is built to handle the use of reclaimed water, which often contains debris and chlorine, providing it with a longer life and less maintenance.

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