Figure 1: Little Dry Creek Trail Crossing

Transcription

1 Figure 1: Little Dry Creek Trail Crossing

2 Figure 2: Little Dry Creek Trail Crossing

3 Northwest Rail Environmental Evaluation Temporary Trail Detour Concurrence Form Adams County, Little Dry Creek Trail Request for Concurrence Please sign this document at your earliest convenience. It will serve as Adams County s concurrence that it finds that the requirements of a temporary occupancy, as outlined in the letter dated January 22, 2010 (Attached), are met. This signed acknowledgement is a coordination element which is part of the Northwest Rail Environmental Evaluation. Please return the letter by to chris.proud@ch2m.com or fax it to (720) Jeanne Shreve Adams County Date

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5 April 15, 2010 Jeanne Shreve Adams County Transportation Coordinator Pecos Street Westminster, CO Subject: Northwest Rail Environmental Evaluation, Consultation for Temporary Trail Detour Dear Ms. Shreve, The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), in coordination with the Regional Transportation District (RTD), is preparing an Environmental Evaluation (EE) for the proposed Northwest Rail commuter line (NWR). As part of our ongoing coordination, we are submitting this letter to you as our primary contact for the project to inform you of potential impacts to park resources under the jurisdiction of Adams County. In January 2010 we submitted a letter documenting the potential impacts and mitigation measures for the Little Dry Creek Trail. Additional impacts have been identified for the 64 th Avenue overcrossing, and this letter documents those potential impacts and mitigation measures. An overview of the anticipated impacts and proposed mitigation measures is provided below. As part of the Preferred Alternative, a second railroad track would be constructed to provide both freight and commuter rail service adjacent to the existing Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Company line between Denver Union Station and Longmont. The Little Dry Creek Trail currently passes under and adjacent to the BNSF railway where it intersects with the rail line and where it crosses under Federal Boulevard. The construction of the 64 th Avenue overcrossing would require the temporary closure of the 64 th Avenue trail undercrossing and the trails located west of the rail line, north and south of 64 th Avenue. While the track is being placed and the 64 th Avenue overcrossing is constructed, the existing crossings would need to be temporarily closed to all users for approximately 2 months. This temporary closure is necessary for the safety of the trail users and construction workers. The project is currently in the environmental clearance stage and a formal start date for construction has not been set. This letter serves to gain Adams County s concurrence on the proposed temporary trail detours. We appreciate your assistance in coordinating the appropriate approvals for the proposed temporary trail detours. This approval is requested for documentation in the EE document. As construction grows closer, additional coordination will be completed to confirm final details of the temporary closures.

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7 Figure 1: Little Dry Creek Trail Crossing

8 Northwest Rail Environmental Evaluation Temporary Trail Detour Concurrence Form Adams County, Little Dry Creek Trail Request for Concurrence Please sign this document at your earliest convenience. It will serve as Adams County s concurrence that it finds that the requirements of a temporary occupancy, as outlined in the letter dated April 15, 2010 (Attached), are met. This signed acknowledgement is a coordination element which is part of the Northwest Rail Environmental Evaluation. Please return the letter by to epstein@pinyonenv.com or fax it to (303) Jeanne Shreve Adams County Date

9 City and County of Denver Coordination

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17 City of Westminster Coordination

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23 City of Longmont Coordination

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25 DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS & NATURAL RESOURCES ENGINEERING SERVICES DIVISION 385 Kimbark Street, Longmont, CO (303) / Fax # (303) paula.fitzgerald@ci.longmont.co.us Web site: TO: Chris Proud, NW Rail Team FROM: Paula Fitzgerald, Project Manager DATE: February 5, 2010 RE: Environmental Evaluation, Temporary Trail Detour Construction The City of Longmont Engineering Services Division has reviewed the proposal for the future NW Rail commuter line and has concerns with the plan as currently proposed. Any temporary trail detour would need to be coordinated well in advance of construction with City Natural Resources, Recreation and Engineering Services Divisions. We hope to work out the details of the detour, and provide communications to the community regarding the closure, at least several months in advance to avoid impacts to maintenance as well as recreational programs that may be scheduled at that time. Duration of trail closure would also need to be limited to the greatest extent possible. The proposed detour route directs recreational traffic onto very busy roads with few or no bike lanes and few or no off-street walks appropriate for this use. The existing Sunset bridge is very narrow with no ability for bike lanes. Ken Pratt Blvd / Hwy 119, is a high use / higher speed roadway with difficult crossing opportunities, numerous drive cuts and other issues for recreational users. An alternative route is necessary. Ideally, the existing pedestrian bridge west of the railroad bridge could be utilized for the detour. Trail users could then travel south on Price Road, east to Sherman and then northeast on Colorado Avenue. The detour could rejoin the St. Vrain trail on Pratt Parkway, on the east side of this road. This route, may need modifications in terms of temporary signage, bike lanes etc. to accommodate this use. Lower travel speeds and traffic volumes make this route preferred to the recreational cyclists. We appreciate the opportunity to review this proposed detour and look forward to a revised detour proposal.

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27 February 8, 2010 Phil Greenwald Community Development, Transportation Planning Civic Center Complex 385 Kimbark Street Longmont, CO Subject: Northwest Rail Environmental Evaluation, Temporary Trail Detour Consultation Dear Mr. Greenwald, The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), in coordination with the Regional Transportation District (RTD), is preparing an Environmental Evaluation (EE) for the proposed Northwest Rail commuter line (NWR). As part of our ongoing coordination, we are submitting this letter to you as our primary contact for the project to inform you of potential impacts to park resources under the jurisdiction of the City of Longmont. Potential impacts and mitigation measures are proposed for the St. Vrain Greenway Trail. An overview of the anticipated impacts and proposed mitigation measures is provided below. As part of the Preferred Alternative, a second railroad track would be constructed to provide both freight and commuter rail service adjacent to the existing Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Company between Denver Union Station and Longmont. The St. Vrain Greenway Trail currently passes under the BNSF railway where the rail line intersects with the St. Vrain River in the City of Longmont. A new railroad bridge would be built over the St. Vrain Greenway Trail at the existing Burlington Northern Santa Fe river crossing. During the construction of bridge, the existing trail would be temporarily rerouted from its current location. The trail would be temporarily closed to all users for approximately 2 to 4 weeks, and during this time a temporary detour will be used. This temporary closure is necessary for the safety of trail users and construction workers. The project is currently in the environmental clearance stage and a formal start date for construction has not been set. This letter serves to gain the City of Longmont s concurrence on the proposed temporary trail detour. We appreciate your assistance in coordinating the appropriate approvals for the proposed temporary trail detours. This approval is requested for documentation in the EE document. As construction grows closer, additional coordination will be completed to confirm final details of the temporary closure. During the construction of the additional track, the above-mentioned trail would be temporarily rerouted from its current location, and a temporary detour would be used. The proposed detour is presented in the attached Figure 1:

28 St. Vrain Trail Crossing: Exit the trail at Price Road Cross the St. Vrain River using the pedestrian bridge Travel south to State Highway 119 At State Highway 119, travel east to Sherman Drive Travel northeast to Colorado Avenue Travel east to Pratt Parkway Cross Pratt Parkway and travel north two-hundred feet, where the trail ties back in. Although this project is sponsored by the USACE and therefore does not require Section 4(f) parkland analysis, it important to RTD to coordinate local jurisdictions with potentially affected park or trail resources. We seek concurrence from the City of Longmont on the proposed temporary trail detour. A concurrence form for your signature is attached. If you have any additional questions please feel free to contact me at or chris.proud@ch2m.com. We appreciate your assistance with this project. Sincerely, Chris Proud Northwest Rail Team CH2M HILL 1515 Wazee Street, Suite 380 Denver, CO CC: Chris Quinn, RTD FasTracks Liz Telford, RTD FasTracks Wendy Wallach, RTD FasTracks

29 Figure 1: St. Vrain Greenway Trail

30 February 8, 2010 Phil Greenwald Community Development, Transportation Planning Civic Center Complex 385 Kimbark Street Longmont, CO Subject: Northwest Rail Environmental Evaluation, Temporary Trail Detour Consultation Dear Mr. Greenwald, The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), in coordination with the Regional Transportation District (RTD), is preparing an Environmental Evaluation (EE) for the proposed Northwest Rail commuter line (NWR). As part of our ongoing coordination, we are submitting this letter to you as our primary contact for the project to inform you of potential impacts to park resources under the jurisdiction of the City of Longmont. Potential impacts and mitigation measures are proposed for the St. Vrain Greenway Trail. An overview of the anticipated impacts and proposed mitigation measures is provided below. As part of the Preferred Alternative, a second railroad track would be constructed to provide both freight and commuter rail service adjacent to the existing Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Company between Denver Union Station and Longmont. The St. Vrain Greenway Trail currently passes under the BNSF railway where the rail line intersects with the St. Vrain River in the City of Longmont. A new railroad bridge would be built over the St. Vrain Greenway Trail at the existing Burlington Northern Santa Fe river crossing. During the construction of bridge, the existing trail would be temporarily rerouted from its current location. The trail would be temporarily closed to all users for approximately 2 to 4 weeks, and during this time a temporary detour will be used. This temporary closure is necessary for the safety of trail users and construction workers. The project is currently in the environmental clearance stage and a formal start date for construction has not been set. This letter serves to gain the City of Longmont s concurrence on the proposed temporary trail detour. We appreciate your assistance in coordinating the appropriate approvals for the proposed temporary trail detours. This approval is requested for documentation in the EE document. As construction grows closer, additional coordination will be completed to confirm final details of the temporary closure. During the construction of the additional track, the above-mentioned trail would be temporarily rerouted from its current location, and a temporary detour would be used. The proposed detour is presented in the attached Figure 1:

31 St. Vrain Trail Crossing: Exit the trail at Price Road Cross the St. Vrain River using the pedestrian bridge Travel south to State Highway 119 At State Highway 119, travel east to Sherman Drive Travel northeast to Colorado Avenue Travel east to Pratt Parkway Cross Pratt Parkway and travel north two-hundred feet, where the trail ties back in. Although this project is sponsored by the USACE and therefore does not require Section 4(f) parkland analysis, it important to RTD to coordinate local jurisdictions with potentially affected park or trail resources. We seek concurrence from the City of Longmont on the proposed temporary trail detour. A concurrence form for your signature is attached. If you have any additional questions please feel free to contact me at or chris.proud@ch2m.com. We appreciate your assistance with this project. Sincerely, Chris Proud Northwest Rail Team CH2M HILL 1515 Wazee Street, Suite 380 Denver, CO CC: Chris Quinn, RTD FasTracks Liz Telford, RTD FasTracks Wendy Wallach, RTD FasTracks

32 Figure 1: St. Vrain Greenway Trail

33 February 8, 2010 Phil Greenwald Community Development, Transportation Planning Civic Center Complex 385 Kimbark Street Longmont, CO Subject: Northwest Rail Environmental Evaluation, Temporary Trail Detour Consultation Dear Mr. Greenwald, The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), in coordination with the Regional Transportation District (RTD), is preparing an Environmental Evaluation (EE) for the proposed Northwest Rail commuter line (NWR). As part of our ongoing coordination, we are submitting this letter to you as our primary contact for the project to inform you of potential impacts to park resources under the jurisdiction of the City of Longmont. Potential impacts and mitigation measures are proposed for the St. Vrain Greenway Trail. An overview of the anticipated impacts and proposed mitigation measures is provided below. As part of the Preferred Alternative, a second railroad track would be constructed to provide both freight and commuter rail service adjacent to the existing Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Company between Denver Union Station and Longmont. The St. Vrain Greenway Trail currently passes under the BNSF railway where the rail line intersects with the St. Vrain River in the City of Longmont. A new railroad bridge would be built over the St. Vrain Greenway Trail at the existing Burlington Northern Santa Fe river crossing. During the construction of bridge, the existing trail would be temporarily rerouted from its current location. The trail would be temporarily closed to all users for approximately 2 to 4 weeks, and during this time a temporary detour will be used. This temporary closure is necessary for the safety of trail users and construction workers. The project is currently in the environmental clearance stage and a formal start date for construction has not been set. This letter serves to gain the City of Longmont s concurrence on the proposed temporary trail detour. We appreciate your assistance in coordinating the appropriate approvals for the proposed temporary trail detours. This approval is requested for documentation in the EE document. As construction grows closer, additional coordination will be completed to confirm final details of the temporary closure. During the construction of the additional track, the above-mentioned trail would be temporarily rerouted from its current location, and a temporary detour would be used. The proposed detour is presented in the attached Figure 1:

34 St. Vrain Trail Crossing: Exit the trail at Price Road Cross the St. Vrain River using the pedestrian bridge Travel south to State Highway 119 At State Highway 119, travel east to Sherman Drive Travel northeast to Colorado Avenue Travel east to Pratt Parkway Cross Pratt Parkway and travel north two-hundred feet, where the trail ties back in. Although this project is sponsored by the USACE and therefore does not require Section 4(f) parkland analysis, it important to RTD to coordinate local jurisdictions with potentially affected park or trail resources. We seek concurrence from the City of Longmont on the proposed temporary trail detour. A concurrence form for your signature is attached. If you have any additional questions please feel free to contact me at or chris.proud@ch2m.com. We appreciate your assistance with this project. Sincerely, Chris Proud Northwest Rail Team CH2M HILL 1515 Wazee Street, Suite 380 Denver, CO CC: Chris Quinn, RTD FasTracks Liz Telford, RTD FasTracks Wendy Wallach, RTD FasTracks

35 Figure 1: St. Vrain Greenway Trail

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37 Adams County Coordination

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39 May 21, 2010 Marc Pedrucci Natural Resource Manager Adams County Parks & Community Resources Department 9755 Henderson Road Brighton, CO Subject: Northwest Rail Environmental Evaluation, Consultation for Temporary Trail Detour Dear Mr. Pedrucci, The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), in coordination with the Regional Transportation District (RTD), is preparing an Environmental Evaluation (EE) for the proposed Northwest Rail commuter line (NWR). As part of our ongoing coordination, we are submitting this letter to you as our primary contact for the project to inform you of potential impacts to park resources under the jurisdiction of Adams County. In January 2010 we submitted a letter documenting the potential impacts and mitigation measures for the Little Dry Creek Trail. Additional impacts have been identified for the 64 th Avenue overcrossing, and this letter documents those potential impacts and mitigation measures. In addition, mitigation measures recommended in your May 20, 2010 letter are included in this letter. An overview of the anticipated impacts and proposed mitigation measures is provided below. As part of the Preferred Alternative, a second railroad track would be constructed to provide both freight and commuter rail service adjacent to the existing Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Company line between Denver Union Station and Longmont. The Little Dry Creek Trail currently passes under and adjacent to the BNSF railway where it intersects with the rail line and where it crosses under Federal Boulevard. The construction of the 64 th Avenue overcrossing would require the temporary closure of the 64 th Avenue trail undercrossing and the trails located west of the rail line, north and south of 64 th Avenue. In this area, Clear Creek trail users also use the Little Dry Creek Trail; therefore a detour is also required for Clear Creek trail users. While the track is being placed and the 64 th Avenue overcrossing is constructed, the existing crossings would need to be temporarily closed to all users. This temporary closure is necessary for the safety of the trail users and construction workers. RTD and the Concessionaire will coordinate with Adams County to minimize the duration that the crossings will need to be closed. The project is currently in the environmental clearance stage and a formal start date for construction has not been set. This letter serves to gain Adams County s concurrence on the proposed temporary trail detours. We appreciate your assistance in coordinating the appropriate approvals for the proposed temporary trail detours. This approval is requested for documentation in the EE document. As construction grows closer, additional coordination will be completed to confirm final details of the temporary closures. During the construction of the additional track and 64 th Avenue overcrossing, the abovementioned trail would be temporarily rerouted from their current locations, and a temporary detour would be used. Since the construction of the 64 th Avenue overcrossing would limit the east-west connectivity for trail users in this area, the construction activities would be phased so that during construction of the 64 th Avenue overcrossing, the Little Dry Creek Trail Crossing and

40 the Little Dry Creek Trail Crossing of Federal Boulevard would remain open. The proposed detour is presented for the Little Dry Creek Trail Crossing #1 (Figure 1): Exit the trail at the Little Dry Creek Lake Parks and Open Space. Travel west on 64 th Avenue to Irving Street. Travel north on Irving Street until the trail ties back in. The proposed detour for the Clear Creek trail users would be (Figure 2): Follow the Little Dry Creek Detour, above. Head south on the Little Dry Creek Trail to the gravel trail that heads north to West 68 th Avenue. Follow West 68 th Avenue east to Jordan Drive Follow Jordan Drive north to Samuel Drive. Follow Samuel Drive/West 70 th Avenue southeast to Osage Street. Follow Osage Street south to West 68 th Avenue. Follow West 68 th Avenue east to Clear Creek Trail connection (just west of Santa Fe Drive). Some additional mitigation measures include: The construction/trail detours will be completed during low trail usage time periods, such as during the winter months, when possible. RTD will minimize the length of time of the trail detours to the greatest extent possible. Signage for trail detours (especially for the Clear Creek Trail detour) will be extensive and regularly maintained. RTD will work with Adams County to provide advance notifications and signing about the construction/trail detours. Although this project is sponsored by the USACE and therefore does not require 4(f) analysis, it is important to RTD to coordinate with jurisdictions with potentially affected park or trail resources. We seek concurrence from Adams County on the proposed temporary trail detours. A concurrence form for your signature is attached. If you have any additional questions please feel free to contact me at or Epstein@pinyon-env.com. We appreciate your assistance with this project. Sincerely, Scott Epstein Northwest Rail Team Pinyon Environmental, Inc West Jewell Avenue, Suite 1 Lakewood, CO CC: Chris Quinn, RTD FasTracks Liz Telford, RTD FasTracks Jeanne Shreve, Adams County

41 Figure 1: Little Dry Creek Trail Crossing

42 Figure 2: Clear Creek

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45 US Fish & Wildlife Coordination

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