Victor is a place where Western mining history has been preserved in the architecture and in the landscape. Because of the riches of the boom times many significant buildings, industrial structures, and parks were built. With the exodus of the bust, these public amenities needed attention so they can be preserved, maintained, and revitalized. The gold mine is again active; the city is in the midst of a resurgence and there is a very positive attitude of cooperation. The planning effort became about adaptive reuse and accentuating the natural features and historic infrastructure that makes Victor unique.
As consultants with the town for over a decade, our goal has been to provide planning and design solutions that tell the story of the people of Victor and their needs and desires for parks, trails, and public open space. A master plan was created in 2012 which has largely come to fruition through grant seeking, capital raising and the sheer tenacity of the townspeople to get the projects built. The goal: to establish Victor as an accessible and well known outdoor recreation destination.
The parks and recreation master plan prioritized improvements that can be accomplished in the short-term with available resources while setting the stage for longer-term more ambitious projects. The City wanted to reinforce their unique parks and recreation niches in Victor, such as the Brian’s Park Outdoor Ice Rink and the Rocky Mountain Soccer Camp. The improvements to the Town include improving pedestrian connectivity and linking public amenities, and ADA access within the extremely steep grades on which the City exists. Wayfinding will be enhanced through use of artifacts and structures with cultural significance beyond a conventional signage and streetscape solution. Additionally, our process enhanced Victor’s livability and attractiveness for families and children. Parks and recreation improvements and trail connections now provide opportunities for trails ranging from challenging, adventurous routes to shorter, easier routes close to town.
Small mountain towns don’t fit into any mold. To build a successful plan for Victor, it took a design team that was both flexible and innovative. This plan is about the individuals of Victor and their collective dreams for the City. Our role as landscape architects was to facilitate the communication and realization of their dreams into a workable and sustainable plan that authentically represents the people of Victor. Victor is a mix of history and nostalgia that is on the cusp of carving a path toward sustainable recreation, tourism and growth. With carefully crafted guidelines that both identify and prioritize the needs of an aging recreational infrastructure, the City confidently moves forward with individual projects while achieving the greater goal to elevate the experience of the people who live there.
