To: Honorable Mayor and Members of Town Council
Through: David L. Corliss, Town Manager
From: Kevin Tilson, Director, Downtown Alliance
Title
Downtown Development Authority Investment in Town Right of Way on 300 Block of Wilcox Street
Body
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Executive Summary
The Downtown Development Authority (DDA) would like to invest in Town Right of Way (ROW) strip on the west side of Wilcox Street on the 300 block of Wilcox and few small additional nearby areas. The DDA proposes to partner with the Town of Castle Rock to install streetscaping following the Downtown Streetscape Palette document approved in 2023. The estimated cost of the project is $80,000 and the DDA proposes to pay for this total, but have the project and contractor be managed by the Town Parks and Recreation Department. This project could also be completed in time to be included in the America’s 250th Anniversary and Colorado’s 150th Anniversary Celebrations.
Discussion
The DDA Board, Town Council and community have discussed the Town ROW strip on the west side of Wilcox Street on the 300 block of Wilcox for several years. This strip of ROW lies between the sidewalk and Wilcox Street and continues from 3rd Street to 4th Street on Wilcox Street, and west on 4th Street for half the block. This area has been a continual problem area for landscaping.
The Town has traditionally covered this area in mulch up to and around the trees. During weather events this mulch can get washed out into the street, and during community events, eventgoers moving between the street and county lawn displace the mulch out into the street and into the county lawn.
The DDA has discussed an improvement that would make this area match the paver and cobble streetscaping that is used consistently in other areas in Downtown.
The area proposed for improvements is detailed in a map on the following page.
The DDA proposes to install streetscape materials to make the area in blue, match the area shown below in green:
The Downtown Streetscape Palette document that was produced by the Town and DDA in 2023 recommended this area as a top priority and even detailed these improvements on page 12 of the Downtown Streetscape Palette document. This page excerpt has been included below:
The Town Parks and Recreation Department has received a quote from a vendor to complete this work for $80,000. DDA Staff is proposing that the DDA cover up to $80,000 of this work and the Town cover any additional contingency. DDA Staff proposes paying for $40,000 of this out of the DDA Operating Fund and $40,000 of this out of the Downtown Special fund.
Finally, from 7/1/2025 to 12/31/2026 there is a statewide group that is coordinating and encouraging communities to find ways to celebrate Americas 250th Anniversary and Colorado’s 150th Anniversary. This celebration has been named the Sesqui-semiquin-centennial. Uniquely, the County Lawn was planted in celebration of the Bicentennial in 1976. Staff hopes to have this project completed in time for this celebration and possibly work to get a paver with the America 250 Colorado 150 logo engraved on it.
DDA Staff presented this item to the DDA Board on December 12, 2024 and received unanimous approval to pay for these public improvements on Town ROW.
DDA Staff is seeking Town Council support to move forward with this partnership investment in Downtown Castle Rock.