Villa High Park Continues to Grow Through Community Support and City Investment
July 6, 2026
What began as a community-driven effort to build an inclusive playground has grown into an ongoing partnership between local volunteers and the City of Colby, with additional improvements continuing at Villa High Park as funding becomes available.
During a recent interview with The Sunflower Standard, Colby City Manager Ron Alexander reflected on the success of the project while explaining that, although the playground itself is complete, work at the park is far from finished.
"The community raised over a half a million dollars to put that playground in," Alexander said, crediting the tremendous fundraising effort that made the project possible. While residents often see the finished product, Alexander said they don't always realize the additional costs that fall to the city once construction begins.
Although the playground equipment was donated, the city still had to fund installation, using money from its Park’s capital improvement budget with plans to reimburse that fund over time. The city also paid approximately $15,000 to construct ADA-accessible parking spaces and another roughly $20,000 to widen the park entrance, both necessary improvements to accommodate the new playground.
"People don't realize that's fine, but now the city is out $40,000 between all the projects," Alexander explained while describing how multiple park improvements have required the city to stretch limited capital improvement funds.
Villa High Park has also benefited from several lower-cost improvements completed by city staff.
The road leading into the park was upgraded using recycled asphalt millings through a joint effort between the City of Colby and Thomas County road crews, significantly improving access while avoiding the estimated $100,000 cost of paving the roadway. Alexander said full asphalt remains a long-term goal if funding becomes available.
The park's restroom facilities also received an extensive facelift. City employees removed partitions, repainted floors and walls, installed a ceiling to help retain heat, upgraded lighting and completed other cosmetic improvements for only a few thousand dollars by performing the work in-house. The city is now exploring the possibility of adding a heating system, estimated at about $5,000, that would allow the restrooms to remain open year-round rather than closing during freezing weather.
Alexander noted that one of the biggest challenges facing every park project is balancing public expectations with available funding.
He said community groups often do an outstanding job raising money for new amenities, but long-term maintenance and future replacement costs are much harder to fund. Playground surfaces, equipment and other features eventually require repairs or replacement, making continued community support just as important after construction is complete.
Despite those financial realities, Alexander believes the partnership between residents, community organizations and city staff has transformed Villa High Park into one of Colby's premier recreational destinations, while providing a blueprint for how future park improvements can be accomplished through shared investment and local initiative.