We will be meeting Forest Service personnel at the Shirley Site, a parking area on the dirt road that goes to O’Haver Lake. Drive south on Hwy 285 out of Poncha Springs, going up Poncha Pass, and take the right turn to O’Haver Lake. The Shirley Site is approximately 1.5 miles down the road, on the left where you would turn right to go to the lake. We can park in the Shirley Site lot, and Forest Service personnel will ferry us up to the work site on Silver Creek. Since more travel than usual is involved, the volunteer lunch after work will be moved back to 2:00pm behind the Salida Cafe and Roastery.

As usual, come prepared with water, gloves, long pants and sturdy boots. You might want to bring a snack if you get hungry before 2. Tools will be provided.

The RPC has conducted to two previous public workshops where input and direction was given by the public for future roads, intersection improvements, trails and possible transit locations.  These ideas have been compiled into the Regional Transportation Draft Plan that will be available for the public to review at the Wednesday workshop.  Participants will also have the opportunity to help the RPC begin to prioritize the region’s future transportation improvements.

The creation of a Regional Transportation Plan is an important tool that will be used to help guide future growth to prevent traffic congestion, provide opportunities for pedestrians and bicycles, create better connections for faster emergency response times, and increase the safety of the road network around Salida. This plan will also allow City and County staff to apply for State and Federal funding for future Capital improvement projects.

Public input will continue to be collected for the Regional Transportation Plan during the scheduled public hearings before the RPC, Chaffee County Planning Commission and the Salida Planning Commission before its adoption by the Board of County Commissioners and Salida City Council. 

The Overall Future Transportation Map that has generated by the public over the last two public workshops is available at www.cityofsailda.com.  It is important to note that there are currently no immediate plans to begin construction of any new roads or other transportation improvements, rather these improvements will be made with new development and as the community prioritizes the need for creating a safer transportation network. 

By taking a proactive planning approach, we can facilitate future development that provides needed transportation connections not only for new development but also for current residents and visitors.  Landowners and developers will know how their project fits into the plan for the area if they choose to develop their property. Perhaps most importantly we can avoid making bad or short sighted decisions that could create public safety hazards for our future generations.

We appreciate the input that we have received from the community so far and hope that you will be able to join us for this final workshop in development of the Regional Transportation Plan.  All interested members of the public are encouraged to attend.

To see an example of what this project will look like visit the new shopping center across from “F” Street where the developer has installed sidewalk, parkway and lighting that demonstrates the design that is intended for the length of Highway 50 in Salida.

The city comprehensive plan that was created in 2000 indicated a need for improvements to the highway corridor. The city was awarded grant funding to hire a designer who created a draft plan for streetscape improvements. That plan was rejected by the business and property owners along the corridor and by the City Council.

Subsequently a citizen group consisting of business and property owners and two members of City Council was formed to try and create an acceptable plan. They became known as the Highway 50/291 Corridor Group.

The Corridor Group conducted two surveys to gauge the type of improvements that impacted business and property owners along the corridors would like to see installed.  These surveys had high participant response rates.  The information from the surveys was used by the group, with the help of a volunteer landscape architect and volunteer graphic artist, proceeded to put together a plan to present to City Council.  In October of 2005 the City Council, through resolution adopted a conceptual plan for the Highway 50 corridor.  The proposed streetscape improvements include sidewalks, stamped colored concrete parkways and streetlights.

After several attempts, the City has received over $781,000 in funding through the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) for a project total of $977,000. The scope of the project now extends on both sides of the highway from the intersection with CR 107 to the intersection with Holman Ave.

Before any ground breaking the entire project area must be surveyed and engineered, which means every access point along the highway will be scrutinized.  The highway corridor group has stated from the beginning of this process that as a result of this project that no harm should come to any business. As part of the installation of the streetscape improvements, curb cuts may stay as they are, be adjusted in size, have the location adjusted or possibly be eliminated. 

The city’s engineering firm, Schmuser, Gordon, Meyer, are very close to completing their preliminary design following which the plans will be reviewed by CDOT.  As the design is developed, affected property owners will be contacted personally to keep them informed of any proposed changes as the design is finalized.  Every property owner will receive from CDOT an access application describing any changes. 

The Federal stimulus plan has channeled dollars to CDOT and those dollars can be used on projects that are ready to go, such as our highway improvements. Salida was just awarded $466,666 in stimulus funding.  The stimulus dollars spent on our project will reduce the city obligation on grant matching dollars from $195,000 to $83,000. 

If you have questions about this project please plan to attend the informational meeting on March 19^th or contact Greg Amidon or Dara MacDonald.  Download the Highway Corridor Improvement Plan [PDF].

Highway 50 Streetscape Project Chronology

2000 – Comprehensive Plan identifies need for improvements to the highway corridor

July 2004 – Contentious streetscape design plan presented to Council

October 2004 – City Administrator offers plan creation to business & property owners

December 2004 – Formation of Highway 50/291 Corridor Group

January – September 2005 – Corridor Group conducts two surveys and creates concept plan

October 2005 – Highway streetscape concept plan accepted by Council

November 2005 – City applies for grant funding to create demonstration project. Grant is not funded.

May 2006 – City submits successful application for funding of streetscape improvements

September 2006 – City holds design competition for wayfinding signs

November 2006 – Work begins to elaborate on previously adopted conceptual plan

June 18, 2007 – City Council adopts the Highway Corridor Improvement Plan

February 2008 – City goes under contract with CDOT for grant funding and a public meeting with highway business and property owners

May 2008 – City submits successful CDOT grant application for expanded project scope. CR 107 – Holman Ave.

December 2008 – City and CDOT entered into an amended contract for pull project scope

December 2008 – May 2009 – Project design and engineering

March 19, 2009 – Public meeting at the SteamPlant to provide information about the project

June 1, 2009 – Project will be put out to bid for construction

July 15, 2009 – Tentative start date for construction

As you may know, in September 2008 we received a $442,000 grant from the Department of Local Affairs to remedy the hot water transmission line. We have been working with engineers from Schmuesser Gordon Meyer and local surveyor Bob Biglow to design a transmission line that will deliver water to the Aquatic Center between 110 and 120 degrees. Work is progressing and we anticipate being able to bid this project out later this spring.

Restoring hot water to the Aquatic Center will reestablish the facility as the icon it once was, drawing tourists and locals to swim and soak in our unparalleled water.

The second project involves reopening the locker rooms in the east wing. Structural issues with the east-wing roof forced us to close the locker rooms two years ago. These structural issues prevent us from simply putting a new roof on or even from replacing the roof entirely.

We have created a plan that allows us to reopen the locker rooms in the short term, and, in the long term, provide the community with a usable pavilion for community gatherings.

The solution entails building a post and beam structure over the east wing that will protect the existing roof thereby allowing us to safely reopen the locker rooms.

Ultimately, our plans call for new locker rooms on the west side of the building. When funding is available, we will tear down the west wing and build new locker rooms, new hot baths, a new lobby and a multi-purpose room for classes and meetings. Once this is completed and we no longer need the locker rooms on the east side, they will be torn down, leaving our post and beam structure for community events such as family and high school reunions, annual company parties and birthday parties.

The post and beam project is going out to bid next week, with bids due on Wednesday, February 25. To obtain a bid package, contractors can contact Schmuesser Gordon Meyer at 970-349-5355. Work will commence this spring and we plan to have the locker rooms reopened before summer.

I want to be clear that we are not planning to spend tremendous amounts of capital on renovating the existing locker rooms. Again, plans call for these locker rooms to ultimately be torn down. While we’d love shiny, new locker rooms, spending a lot of money to upgrade something that will be torn down is not a sound use of tax-payer dollars. Our goal is to reopen the locker rooms as they are more user friendly than our current changing rooms, and continue to work towards funding appropriate, new locker rooms and hot baths to the west as part of our master plan.

Trish Bews, Director of the Salida Recreation Department