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Road hazard
By Rhonda Moore
You can make some of the people happy some of the time, but you can’t make all of the people happy all of the time.
The adage has taken on new meaning in the effort to build an extension of Meadows Boulevard to Interstate 25, with negotiations for the alignment nearing the one-year anniversary.
Discussions about the road extension began in February, when residents of Castle Pines Village promised litigation if planners did not find an alternate route to relieve traffic on Happy Canyon Road.
Castle Pines Village residents objected to a Castle Rock effort to extend Meadows Boulevard to US 85, or Santa Fe Drive, with concerns the resulting road traffic would choose Happy Canyon Road as a route to I-25.
Douglas County and the state of Colorado agreed it made more sense to take the extension all the way to the interstate. Earlier this year, Castle Rock officials estimated the resulting increase in cost is about $60 million, with no concrete source of funding available.
The question remains where that extension should cross US 85. Castle Rock originally posed the option to have it extend from Castle Gate, which would put the road on the south border of Castle Pines Village.
Village residents objected to the impact of the resulting increase in traffic on its border.
“We felt that the noise and the unsightliness of the [elevated] intersection ... was just unacceptable to us,” said Jerry Raskin, Castle Pines Village Homes Association President.
Village residents proposed an alignment at Atrium, which officials earlier this year estimated will add $7 million to the project costs. At present, Colorado requires an elevated crossing at Atrium and its alignment would demand shifting a nearby rail road track, said Randy Reed, Castle Rock Mayor.
“Atrium is the preferred crossing,” Reed said. “My problem is there are a lot of ifs, ands, and butts to get this road at Atrium.”
While town council gave its staff until this month to reach a solution, Castle Rock awaits the findings of environmental assessments to recommend the preferred alignment. In December staff is expected to provide council with an update, said Maria Hagen, Castle Rock assistant public works director.
Meantime, village residents are keeping their options open.
While the homes association and the Castle Pines Metropolitan District have represented residents at the negotiation table, village residents recently asked Douglas County district court to extend its option to incorporate. Castle Pines Village filed its incorporation petition last year, at the same time Castle Pines North filed its petition, Raskin said.
“We’ve asked the court to keep the petition on hold pending our negotiations with all the parties with respect to the Meadows extension,” Raskin said. “If we can do that successfully, since that’s our major objective to get it built at Atrium, there may be no need to incorporate.”
For more information about the Meadows Extension, visit the town’s Web site at www.crgov.com. For more information about Castle Pines Village, visit www.castlepinesvillage.org or www.protectcastlepinesvillage.org.
The adage has taken on new meaning in the effort to build an extension of Meadows Boulevard to Interstate 25, with negotiations for the alignment nearing the one-year anniversary.
Discussions about the road extension began in February, when residents of Castle Pines Village promised litigation if planners did not find an alternate route to relieve traffic on Happy Canyon Road.
Castle Pines Village residents objected to a Castle Rock effort to extend Meadows Boulevard to US 85, or Santa Fe Drive, with concerns the resulting road traffic would choose Happy Canyon Road as a route to I-25.
Douglas County and the state of Colorado agreed it made more sense to take the extension all the way to the interstate. Earlier this year, Castle Rock officials estimated the resulting increase in cost is about $60 million, with no concrete source of funding available.
The question remains where that extension should cross US 85. Castle Rock originally posed the option to have it extend from Castle Gate, which would put the road on the south border of Castle Pines Village.
Village residents objected to the impact of the resulting increase in traffic on its border.
“We felt that the noise and the unsightliness of the [elevated] intersection ... was just unacceptable to us,” said Jerry Raskin, Castle Pines Village Homes Association President.
Village residents proposed an alignment at Atrium, which officials earlier this year estimated will add $7 million to the project costs. At present, Colorado requires an elevated crossing at Atrium and its alignment would demand shifting a nearby rail road track, said Randy Reed, Castle Rock Mayor.
“Atrium is the preferred crossing,” Reed said. “My problem is there are a lot of ifs, ands, and butts to get this road at Atrium.”
While town council gave its staff until this month to reach a solution, Castle Rock awaits the findings of environmental assessments to recommend the preferred alignment. In December staff is expected to provide council with an update, said Maria Hagen, Castle Rock assistant public works director.
Meantime, village residents are keeping their options open.
While the homes association and the Castle Pines Metropolitan District have represented residents at the negotiation table, village residents recently asked Douglas County district court to extend its option to incorporate. Castle Pines Village filed its incorporation petition last year, at the same time Castle Pines North filed its petition, Raskin said.
“We’ve asked the court to keep the petition on hold pending our negotiations with all the parties with respect to the Meadows extension,” Raskin said. “If we can do that successfully, since that’s our major objective to get it built at Atrium, there may be no need to incorporate.”
For more information about the Meadows Extension, visit the town’s Web site at www.crgov.com. For more information about Castle Pines Village, visit www.castlepinesvillage.org or www.protectcastlepinesvillage.org.
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