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HomeMy WebLinkAboutC08-209OFFICE OFTHE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS (970) 328 -8605 FAX: (970) 328 -8629 TDD (970) 328 -8797 Email: eagleadmin @eaglecounty.us www.eaglecountyus June 24, 2008 The State Board of Great Outdoors Colorado 1600 Broadway, Suite 1650 Denver, CO 80202 Subject: Edwards to Wolcott Trail Project Dear Board Members: PETER F. RUNYON SARA J. FISHER ARN M. MENCONI Please accept the attached application as our request for state grant funds for the five -mile long Edwards to Wolcott Trail Project. We consider this trail project very exciting as it bridges a major gap in our system, allows users to travel alongside the Eagle River, improves access to two river recreation sites, and provides a separated trail as an option to the highway shoulder and therefore appeals to users that are not comfortable riding on the road. The attached application describes the need, alignment and project implementation in detail. The Edwards to Wolcott Trail Project is an important point for us in the ten year history of our ECO Trails partnership program that includes all of our towns and the county, as it will close a large gap in the middle of the proposed trail system between Dotsero and Vail Pass. The planned trail segment is also an important part of the larger vision to create a trail corridor through the heart of the State of Colorado in the 1 -70 corridor from Denver to Grand Junction. This trail will be owned, managed and maintained by Eagle County. The route will be primarily located in right -of -way owned by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and a letter of intent to issue a license for the project, following final approval of the engineering drawings, is attached. This will be our eighth trail project in cooperation with CDOT. Our partnership with their local and regional staff has been very successful. The remainder of the route is located on two private properties and an Eagle County very low traffic volume road. The private property owners have submitted letters of intent to enter into easement agreements with Eagle County and are attached to this application. We expect these easement documents to be executed by September 1, 2008 or sooner. Eagle County, through its ECO Trails department, has completed ten trail projects since program funding became available through passage of a mass - transportation tax. The ballot issue stipulated that ten percent of revenues be allocated to trails system development. Eagle County Building, 500 Broadway, P.O. Box 850, Eagle, Colorado 81631-0850 We have a proven track record of project completion, grant condition compliance, and excellent agency, business and land owner relationships throughout the Eagle and Vail Valleys. We do have an outstanding grant from the State Trails Program that is allocated for a project at Dowd Junction and scheduled for construction in 2009. That project is also a partnership project with CDOT and relatively small at 3,500 feet long. It's estimated it will cost up to $15 million to complete the vision for the Eagle Valley Regional Trail System. If we rely solely on our revenues from the transportation tax, it will take over 20 years to complete the system, so it is important that we leverage the tax revenues to the fullest extent possible through general funds, grants, donations and development contributions. We will commit significant public funds to construct this project but we remain in need of additional funding to meet the estimated cost. Your funding contribution would allow us to commence construction in 2009 and complete the project in 2010. Thank you for very seriously considering the merits of our project and the value of contributing to its completion. We sincerely hope that the State Board of Great Outdoors Colorado will provide financial assistance for this exciting and important trail project. Respectfully yours, Eagle County Board of Commissioners Peter F. Runyon Sara J. Fisher Arri M. Menconi Chairman Commissioner Commissioner