Agenda Date: 08/20/2024
Subject:
Title
Resolution 93-2024: Authorizing an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between the City of Littleton and Arapahoe County Open Spaces for the 2024 Grant Award regarding the Santa Fe Drive Regional Trail Connection Plan
Body
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From: |
James L. Becklenberg, City Manager |
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Prepared by: |
Brent Soderlin, Public Works Director |
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Heather Ferrari, Executive Assistant, Public Works |
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Presentations: |
N/A |
PURPOSE:
To consider a resolution authorizing an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between the City of Littleton and Arapahoe County Open Spaces for the 2024 Grant Award regarding the Santa Fe Drive Regional Trail Connection Plan.
LONG-TERM OUTCOME(S) SERVED:
Sustainable Community with Natural Beauty; Safe Community
DISCUSSION:
The Santa Fe Drive Regional Trail Connection project would design a regional trail connection along the west side of Santa Fe Drive between County Line Road and the proposed redevelopment of the existing Littleton Equine Medical Center. This would create a connection between the trail improvements south of County Line Road as part of the Douglas County Santa Fe Drive Widening Project and the South Platte River Parkway extension cycle track and sidewalks within the Santa Fe Park development that connect further north to the Mary Carter Greenway and South Platte Park.
When constructed, this trail segment would connect these new development projects (approximately 1,500 planned residential units), Wolhurst Mobile Home Community, residents who live east of Santa Fe Drive along County Line Road, and Douglas County residents to the south to the Mary Carter Greenway, Mineral Light Rail Transit (LRT) Station, and Aspen Grove Shopping Center.
BACKGROUND:
The Santa Fe Drive Action Plan identified the need for more multimodal connections along Santa Fe Drive. Phase 2 of the Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study identified the best routes within the area for multimodal connections to the developments and the Mary Carter Greenway. This proposed Santa Fe Drive Regional Trail Connection is one piece of larger regional development and infrastructure improvements:
• Connect to the southern end of continuous multimodal infrastructure being installed cooperatively by three mixed-use developments occurring in southwest corner of the Santa Fe Drive and Mineral Avenue intersection. This South Platte River Parkway extension will have a two-way cycletrack and sidewalks and will act as the main north-south connection to these amenities.
• Zocalo Development is proposing to design and build a trail connection between this project and South Platte River Parkway (southern terminus).
• The Douglas County Santa Fe Drive Widening Project is building a trail along Santa Fe Drive to connect to the C-470 Trail and High Line Canal Trail south of County Line Road.
• The Mineral Station West Mobility Project (TIP funded) is currently designing and constructing a cycle track extension north of Mineral Avenue along South Platte River Parkway to connect to Carson Drive, the Mary Carter Greenway, South Platte Park, and the Aspen Grove Mall.
• The Mineral Mobility East improvements east of Santa Fe Drive includes intersection, trail, and bicycle facility improvements to start construction in 2024.
• The Santa Fe Drive and Mineral Avenue Improvement project will add mobility improvements west of and through the intersection.
Prior Actions or Discussions
Resolution 52-2024: Authorizing two applications for funding from the Arapahoe County Open Spaces Grant Program for 1) Santa Fe Drive Regional Trail Connection, and 2) Community Trail Connection was approved by Council on April 2, 2024.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
The total estimated cost of the Santa Fe Drive Regional Trail Connection project is $150,000. The grant award is $135,000, and the city’s local match amount is $15,000 from the Open Space Fund.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the resolution.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should council not approve this agreement, then this potential source of funding is lost, which may affect the city’s ability to get further grant funding from Arapahoe County, and the project will not proceed until another funding source is identified.
PROPOSED MOTION:
Proposed Motion
I move to approve Resolution 93-2024 authorizing an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between the City of Littleton and Arapahoe County Open Spaces for the 2024 Grant Award regarding the Santa Fe Drive Regional Trail Connection Plan.