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Castle Rock moves to acquire property for Front Street work
The Castle Rock Town Council voted unanimously Thursday to exercise its power of eminent domain on property on Seventh Street for the Front Street project.
By By: Susan Dage-Ruby
The Castle Rock Town Council voted unanimously Thursday to exercise its power of eminent domain on property on Seventh Street for the Front Street project.
The residence at 317 Seventh St. needs to be acquired because it abuts land that will be used for the proposed flyover the railroad tracks, a memo to the mayor and town council from Becky Davidson, the town's consulting engineer, said.
"Originally we thought we wouldn't need the property," said Stan Brown, director of public works. "But the property impacts the slope of the overpass."
"I think the property is vacant right now," Brown said. "The town's land-acquisition people now are in the process of developing an appraisal and sending out letters of intent."
Brown said the approval of the power of eminent domain kicks off the land acquisition process and the property only would be condemned if negotiations between the land owner and the town broke down.
Construction of the overpass is phase two of a two-part project that begins with the widening of Front Street from Founders Parkway to Canyon Drive. It also includes a re-alignment of Liggett Road and access to the south annex of the Douglas County High School and a stoplight at the intersection.
Also approved by the council in a unanimous vote was the conveyance of town property to the Colorado Department of Transportation dedicated to the rights-of-way and easements for the widening and to redesignate Meadows Parkway to Interstate 25 as U.S. 85.
CDOT's plans for U.S. 85 include the removal of the Interstate 25 on-ramps to U.S. 85 south of the Meadows/Founders on- and off-ramps and a flyover I-25 which is to connect U.S. 85 to Black Feather Trail and Front Street.
However, this project is facing delays because of the passage of Amendment 23 which allots money from transportation projects to education, Brown said.
"The two projects Castle Rock was working with CDOT on are facing delays," Brown said.
Both the U.S. 85 project and continued work on Wolfensberger Road could be delayed more than a year, Brown said.
"We hope to know something by the end of December," Brown said. "We also have to send a check for more than $400,000 to CDOT for our portion of the cost of the $10 million U.S. 85 project."
Brown said CDOT's plans for a couple years down the road also include a redesignation of Founder's Parkway to U.S. 86.
The residence at 317 Seventh St. needs to be acquired because it abuts land that will be used for the proposed flyover the railroad tracks, a memo to the mayor and town council from Becky Davidson, the town's consulting engineer, said.
"Originally we thought we wouldn't need the property," said Stan Brown, director of public works. "But the property impacts the slope of the overpass."
"I think the property is vacant right now," Brown said. "The town's land-acquisition people now are in the process of developing an appraisal and sending out letters of intent."
Brown said the approval of the power of eminent domain kicks off the land acquisition process and the property only would be condemned if negotiations between the land owner and the town broke down.
Construction of the overpass is phase two of a two-part project that begins with the widening of Front Street from Founders Parkway to Canyon Drive. It also includes a re-alignment of Liggett Road and access to the south annex of the Douglas County High School and a stoplight at the intersection.
Also approved by the council in a unanimous vote was the conveyance of town property to the Colorado Department of Transportation dedicated to the rights-of-way and easements for the widening and to redesignate Meadows Parkway to Interstate 25 as U.S. 85.
CDOT's plans for U.S. 85 include the removal of the Interstate 25 on-ramps to U.S. 85 south of the Meadows/Founders on- and off-ramps and a flyover I-25 which is to connect U.S. 85 to Black Feather Trail and Front Street.
However, this project is facing delays because of the passage of Amendment 23 which allots money from transportation projects to education, Brown said.
"The two projects Castle Rock was working with CDOT on are facing delays," Brown said.
Both the U.S. 85 project and continued work on Wolfensberger Road could be delayed more than a year, Brown said.
"We hope to know something by the end of December," Brown said. "We also have to send a check for more than $400,000 to CDOT for our portion of the cost of the $10 million U.S. 85 project."
Brown said CDOT's plans for a couple years down the road also include a redesignation of Founder's Parkway to U.S. 86.
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