For Immediate Release | April 27, 2016
 

Town of Avon Continues Implementation of Five-Year Capital Improvements Plan in 2016

Avon, CO – The summer construction season is quickly approaching and the Town of Avon will be investing in a variety of projects, which are funded from its Capital Projects Fund.  Capital projects are programmed in the adopted Five Year Capital Improvements Plan, and then specifically funded in each year’s budget. The five year outlook is important to the long-term planning of infrastructure development and maintenance.  Projects are selected based on the Town Council’s two-year Strategic Plan, annual street condition assessment, Comprehensive Plan, H.A. Nottingham Park Master Plan, Recreational Trails Master Plan, which is currently being updated, and other adopted plans.
 
Major projects scheduled in 2016 are as follows: 
 
TRAIL AND BIKE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS
Metcalf Road Bike Climbing Lane and Asphalt Overlay – Budget $1,260,000: This project includes constructing a 4 to 6-foot wide bicycle climbing lane from Nottingham Road to Wildwood Road to improve safety for bicyclists.  A downhill lane is not required because the bicyclists can ride fast enough down-hill with vehicle traffic.  A full asphalt overlay is included for the project.  Construction will likely occur in June and July.
 
Eagle Valley Trails Phase 3 – Avon Road to Stonebridge – Budget $2,480,000:
This project represents the last phase in completing the Eagle Valley Trail through Avon and will greatly improve safety by providing a route for pedestrians and cyclists removed from Highway 6. CDOT grant funds will provide $1,355,000 of the project costs and ECO Trails will provide $453,534. The Town of Avon is responsible for $672,000 of the project costs. Construction of this project will be completed this summer.
 
Trail Improvement Program – Budget $150,000: The Recreational Trails Master Plan is currently being updated for planned public meetings and adoption by late May.  The plan will recommend priority trail project(s) for construction, if approved by the Town Council, in late summer. 

TRANSIT IMPROVEMENTS
Bus Shelters – Budget $140,618: Bus shelters will be installed at the Stonebridge Drive, City Market, and Buffalo Ridge and Avon Elementary bus stops.  The shelters are currently being fabricated and will be delivered and installed by the end of June.
 
Traer Creek Bus Shelter – Budget $55,510: The Town of Avon is partnering with ECO Transit on the installation of a bus shelter at the Traer Creek Plaza/Wal-Mart bus stop.  The Town is currently negotiating with the fabricator of the shelter and the plan is to have the shelter installed by the end of June.

PARK AND RECREATION IMPROVEMENTS
Harry A. Nottingham Park Restrooms – Budget $240,000: The existing restrooms, constructed in 1983, are in poor condition and in need of a remodel. The remodel will include refacing the exterior, adding a picnic shelter to the west side, replacing existing fixtures and stalls, and upgrading the facility to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.  An architecture firm is currently being retained with the goal of remodeling the facility this summer.

Harry A. Nottingham Park Irrigation System Pump Replacement – Budget $150,000: Several improvements to the Nottingham Park Irrigation system that will help improve efficiency and extend pump life are planned. The addition of new monitoring equipment (i.e., low flow alarms, high flow or break alarms, and a flow meter) will help to conserve water by allowing the irrigation system to monitor water usage and adjust flow based on local weather data and the type of landscaping.    This project will occur after the irrigation season ends in late September.
 
Recreation Center Slide Refurbishment and New Playground Features – Budget $35,270: The slide in the pool area is due to be refurbished due to excessive rust from the chlorine-treated pool water.  Several of the play features in the leisure pool will also be replaced. This work will occur during the spring shutdown scheduled from May 2^nd through May 6^th.
 
Whitewater Park Repairs – Budget $10,000: Several boulders have moved during the 2014 and 2015 spring runoffs, impacting the effectiveness of the features.  This project will adjust the boulders in the park to operate as originally intended.  This work will occur in the late summer after the spring runoff.
 
H.A. Nottingham Park Playground Design – Budget $75,000:  A new playground is proposed between the restrooms and the existing playground that will include natural and interactive play features. A proposed design is currently scheduled to be presented at the May 17^th Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. The goal is to have the new playground design completed and priced by the General Contractor in order to apply for a Great Outdoors Colorado Grant in November.

STREET IMPROVEMENTS:  PEDESTRIANS AND BIKE RIDERS A PRIORITY
Avon Road/I-70 Interchange Pedestrian Improvements – Budget $88,000: The pedestrian experience along Avon Road underneath I-70 is important because it connects the Nottingham Road trail, Swift Gulch Road trail and the Nottingham Road neighborhood with the Town Core.  It has poor connectivity, poorly placed light poles, and winter icing issues.  This project is in the scoping phase and the design will be developed in the next couple of months for construction in the fall.

Beaver Creek Blvd, Beaver Creek Place to Lake Street Walkability Improvements – Budget $203,746:  This project will improve Beaver Creek Boulevard from Lake Street to Beaver Creek Place to improve walkability and safety. Improvements will include road narrowing, on-street diagonal parking, enhanced pedestrian and bicyclist facilities, and intersection improvements at Sun Road and Beaver Creek Place, and Lake Street.  A test case of the plan will be implemented in early June.

Town Core Wayfinding – Budget $45,000: New wayfinding is proposed throughout the Town Core to enhance the experience for the Town’s guests. The directional signs will be placed at major intersections and attached to existing streetlights when appropriate.  Design Workshop, the firm designing the Beaver Creek Blvd Walkability project, will develop the design standards that can then be bid out to a sign manufacturer.  The signs are planned to be installed by the end of July.
 
Post Blvd Settlement Repair – Budget $75,000: There has been some settlement along a 100 ft. long stretch of Post Blvd between Fawcett Road and the I-70 interchange.  The project will rebuild the road in the area, improving the drainage and drivability of the road and preventing further damage.
 
Wildwood Road Repair – Budget $75,000: There has been some movement of the roadway along a 200-ft. long stretch of Wildwood Road above the Wildwood neighborhood.  This project will rebuild the road in the area and prevent further sloughing of the road edge.
 
West Beaver Creek Blvd, Lake Street to US 6 Slurry Seal – Budget $150,000: This project will apply a slurry seal treatment from Lake Street to US6. The striping will be modified to match the proposed striping for the Beaver Creek Blvd Walkability project. 
 
Roundabout 4 Town Center West Art Element – Budget $15,000: This central roundabout requires a distinctive monument to identify the Avon core.  A specialized piece will be designed and constructed in June 2017 and replace the 2015 World Cup Element.  The 2016 budget is to complete the design of the art element.
 
The Capital Projects Fund is primarily funded with a 2% real estate transfer tax (RETT). In addition to RETT monies, grant funds are part of project funding, and General Fund revenues are transferred to the Capital Projects Fund, after achieving a balanced budget, with all reserves fully funded.  Over the past 14 years, since inception of the Capital Projects Fund, $70,000,000 in capital investments have been made in the Town of Avon.
 
For more information contact Justin Hildreth, Town Engineer, at 970-748-4045 or jhildreth@avon.org.