Invest in Wheat Ridge

The City of Wheat Ridge invites you to participate in an important survey about a potential extension of the current .5 cent sales tax to help fund infrastructure projects you identified as being a top priority.

This survey is entirely separate from the mailed invitation that you may receive from the city about the 2023 Resident Survey, and we encourage you to complete both surveys.

Your opinion matters! After years of gathering resident feedback on what capital improvement projects are important, the city wants to know which ones should be top priority and your willingness to vote to extend the .5 cent sales tax to fund them.

Make your voice heard by taking this survey by March 23, 2023

Some voters will receive a text message inviting them to participate in the survey. The text message will have the Wheat Ridge city logo at the top.

Your answers are completely anonymous and confidential, and the survey will take just 12 minutes to complete.

Let's get started!

The unfunded capital improvement projects outlined in the potential extension of the sales tax survey were developed as a direct result from resident feedback and deliberate planning.

Planning and outreach efforts included the following:

NRS Update (2019)

The Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy (NRS) began in the early 2000s with the goal of facilitating a healthy housing market, attracting commercial investment, and supporting a vibrant community. The 2019 NRS was a report card or checkup on that progress. The city looked at the data and took the temperature of residents.

The NRS raised the bar in terms of public engagement. Led by the steering committee, feedback relied on small group meeting, one-on-one conversations, open houses, and 1000 survey responses.

More details here: https://www.ci.wheatridge.co.us/276/NRS-Update

Resident Survey (2021)

Currently, the city is soliciting feedback from randomly selected residents for the 2023 Resident Survey. The 2021 survey, assessed resident satisfaction with community characteristics and amenities, evaluated Wheat Ridge local government and employees, and helped the city further understand resident’s priorities regarding city government services.

Learn more here: https://www.ci.wheatridge.co.us/258/Resident-Survey

Let’s Talk (2021-2023)

This program documents neighborhood-specific issues and opportunities by collecting resident feedback through community meetings, neighborhood pop-ups, and surveys. The process asks open-ended questions and builds trust with residents. So far over 1,500 residents have engaged.

Goals established at the onset:

• Develop a thorough, well documented understanding of the issues and opportunities at the neighborhood level

• Build trust between city staff and neighborhoods through demonstration that the city is listening and being responsive;

• Better empower neighborhoods to take initiative and work effectively with the city for positive outcomes that respond to neighborhood changes;

• Ensure that all neighborhoods in the city have an opportunity for focused listening and responsive actions from the city within approximately two year cycles; and

• Ensure that the feedback received during the engagement "blitz" is robust and represents a diversity of opinions in each neighborhood.

Learn more about the Let's Talk Program here: https://whatsupwheatridge.com/lets-talk

Lutheran Subarea Plan (2022)

The Lutheran Legacy Campus master plan document reflects the vision of the community and was created using a market study to ensure that the plan is realistic and has the best possible chance of coming to pass. The document outlines a framework for future development. It is not a site plan, it does not prescribe specific uses, nor is it a zoning document. It describes what the community likes and dislikes, it articulates goals and desires, and it creates guardrails for future development. Ultimately, it communicates to future owners the community’s expectations, without which the property could be developed in a way that runs counter to community wishes. To review the plan please visit: https://www.ci.wheatridge.co.us/1788/Lutheran-Campus

Affordable Housing Strategy (2023)

The Wheat Ridge City Council adopted the Affordable Housing Strategy and Action Plan on January 9, 2023, as a guiding document to address housing affordability in Wheat Ridge. The process started in early 2022 and included opportunities for public input, discussions with over 20 housing developers, and four City Council discussions in 2022. The plan can be viewed here: https://whatsupwheatridge.com/housing

44th Avenue Subarea Plan (2023)

This plan includes land use recommendations and identifies areas appropriate for commercial, mixed use, and residential development. Through public input it was identified there is a clear desire to protect the character of the existing lower density neighborhoods, a willingness for townhome and newer development on the corridor, and an understanding that attracting retail and dining options will require more rooftops.

The most well supported recommendations relate to mobility improvements including, wider, safer, shaded, continuous sidewalk, improved access within and into the corridor, improved tabor bridge, and improved access to the creek.

The full plan can be viewed here: https://www.ci.wheatridge.co.us/1821/44th-Avenue

Open Space Management Plan (2023)

The purpose of the Open Space Management Plan is to create a bold vision for the future of the Wheat Ridge Greenbelt, Clear Creek Trail, and open space assets. It balances recreation use with resource protection, while incorporating strategies for long-term sustainability and stewardship.

The plan incorporated community engagement, an evaluation of existing conditions and future opportunities, and the identification of alternatives and solutions to existing challenges.

For more information visit: https://whatsupwheatridge.com/open-space-management-plan-2022-update

Facilities Master Plan (2023)

(I'm not able to find this) Results from this internal document have found that city own facility needs have exceeded available space, many components are at or beyond expected service life, improvements will require significant financial investment, and there is opportunity to reimagine spaces.

Major Themes Developed As a Result of the Above

Corridors

The City of Wheat Ridge has repeatedly heard that corridors are an issue requiring attention. Specifically, there’s interest in giving attention to local streets—not state highways—to 44th and 38th and Youngfield, 32nd and 29th.

It’s interesting because in the NRS survey in early 2019 among these corridors, 38th Avenue east of Wadsworth received the highest marks among other primary corridor segments, but the neighborhoods east of Wadsworth certainly expressed through Let’s Talk a sense that the Main Street vision on 38th Avenue still feels incomplete.

The segment west of Wadsworth has long been a priority across a few of these efforts. The 38 West or 38 Walk project will come to Council for contract award and budget supplemental to kick off a conceptual design process.

The NRS survey ranked 44th Avenue as second to worst among the corridors. There are a range of improvements that have come up, both linear and targeted including, conditions east to west on 44th and even on the frontage road, improved crosswalks on 44th, improved crossing of i-70—the tabor street bridge as long been mentioned as a barrier with a lack of bike/ped facilities, and targeted medians near the truck stop.

Youngfield – not only aesthetic improvements for which design is underway, but sidewalk improvements along Yougnfield – a sense that it connects or could connect the neighborhood to Applewood Village, CCC, and the creek in a better way.

Mobility

We’re seeing interest city wide and through Let’s Talk feedback in pedestrian mobility access for localized projects. While there is certainly some disagreement at the local street or block level as to whether there should be sidewalks, we see significantly more consensus in public feedback when we take a broader view.

There is a common theme in a desire for improved sidewalk connections city wide --- particularly on collectors and arterials. This has been expressed through the bike ped master plan and in Let’s Talk.

During the Lutheran plan, that was a key conversation related to surrounding streets, including Dudley and 32nd Avenue – part of the recommendation for Transportation Demand Management in the Lutheran area is to invest in multimodal infrastructure.

Floodplain & Drainage

One of the highest priority areas for floodplain mitigation is near the Clearvale neighborhood. This area has many homes within the floodway and the 100-year floodplain which not only raises insurance rates, but also inhibits investment in properties.

With the current mapping, a project could remove 48 houses from the floodway and an additional 55 houses and seven multifamily buildings from the floodplain.

During the Anderson Park Let’s Talk Blitz the highest ranked action item was to Improve Clear Creek North of 44th Avenue to Reduce Flood Impacts on Property. The same project was raised as part of 44th planning.

Parks & Open Space

Results from parks and open space studies and resident impacts concluded that general access to Clear Creek Greenbelt be increased. This includes formalizing some social trails and installing a trail head at Otis St. A need for a crosswalk at Kipling to the Clear Creek Trail was identified. Resident feedback also stressed the need to balance amenities with access, habitat restoration.

Public Facilities

Identified projects include a Parks and Recreation Center expansion to support new fitness/gym facilities and a additional space for camps. This plan does not include an additional pool. It also identified a need for a reimagined City Hall, a cultural center, and a public works building to support materials and vehicle storage.

Improvements on 44^th Avenue, including new signals and pedestrian crossings between Kipling and Ward

The western end of W. 44th Avenue between Kipling and Ward provides critical connections between the eastern and western portions of the city, to the transit-oriented development (TOD) at Wheat Ridge · Ward Station, to Clear Creek Trail, to the Clear Creek Crossing development at the city’s far western edge, and to numerous adjacent residential neighborhoods. 

The project cost is approximately $2.5 million.

Learn more here: https://www.ci.wheatridge.co.us/1821/44th-Avenue

Drainage and floodplain infrastructure improvements throughout the city

Public Works’ operations staff has identified several locations where the existing metal storm sewer under several of the city’s major streets has corroded such that it is no longer structurally sound and could fail. So, initially drainage improvements would consist of performing repairs on the most corroded metal pipes that are in eminent danger of failure.

The Clearvale neighborhood on the north side of Clear Creek downstream of the 44^th Avenue bridge is several severely impacted by the Clear Creek floodplain. There are currently 110 houses and apartment buildings in the floodplain in the Clearvale neighborhood, with 48 of the houses being in the floodway. Improvements to houses in the floodplain are very difficult and more costly to do. For houses in the floodway, most improvements, beyond simple maintenance, are not allowed. In fact, if a house in the floodway is severely damaged, it can not be repaired, but it must be demolished. These limitations discourage homeowners from improving their homes and result in reduced property values and the need to have expensive flood insurance that could eventually cost as much annually as a mortgage payment. The floodplain improvements would excavate the north bank of Clear Creek and replace the pedestrian bridge downstream of the 44^th Avenue bridge. The primary goal of this project will be to remove houses from the floodplain and in particular the floodway.

The project cost is approximately $4 million. 

38^th Ave sidewalks and street improvements from Wadsworth to Harlan

West 38th Avenue, between Sheridan and Wadsworth Boulevards, is a priority redevelopment area in Wheat Ridge. The city’s comprehensive plan, Envision Wheat Ridge, identifies the corridor as one of five key redevelopment sites and designates 38th Avenue as the city’s main street. Although many residents view 38th Avenue as the heart of the community, today it lacks the physical environment that is commonly associated with a main street corridor.

A restriping project in 2014 helped to calm the traffic and make segments of the corridor between Wadsworth and Harlan more bicycle and pedestrian friendly, but much more can be done to truly make 38^th Avenue the city’s main street. A community engagement process, Cre8 Your 38, in 2016 produced a conceptual design with 8-foot-wide sidewalks with amenity zones to separate the sidewalks from the street with minimal impact to the private property outside of the right-of-way.

The project cost is approximately $11 million.

Youngfield sidewalk/trail & pedestrian bridge (east side) 38^th Ave to 44^th Ave

The city is actively working on a project to improve the aesthetics between Youngfield and I-70 but that scope of work does not address sidewalk gaps on the east side of Youngfield. The 2019 Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy and Let’s Talk Resident Engagement Program identify sidewalk gaps as a high priority.

Youngfield Street provides the only opportunity to cross Clear Creek between McIntyre Street and Kipling Street and connects to a trailhead for the Clear Creek Trail. Multimodal facilities are non-existent between Clear Creek and 41^st Avenue due to an irrigation ditch and Clear Creek.

This project will construct a shared use path on the east side of Youngfield between 38^th and 44^th Avenues and will explore the possibility of adding bike lanes between 38th and 44th Avenues, with a separate pedestrian bridge over Clear Creek and enhanced access to the Youngfield Trailhead.

Closing the gap between 38th and 44th Avenues along Youngfield will provide access from western Wheat Ridge and the Applewood area in JeffCo to the Clear Creek Trail. In addition, residents north of Clear Creek would also have access to the Applewood Shopping Center. Residents south of Clear Creek would have access to the new Intermountain Healthcare Lutheran Medical Campus and Clear Creek Crossing.

The project cost is approximately $6 million.

Learn more here: whatsupwheatridge.com/youngfield

Sidewalk gap improvements throughout the city with an emphasis on areas near transit lines and schools

The city’s sidewalk network continues to incrementally improve through private development projects and through city projects using federal, state, and local funds. That said, many gaps still exist in the city’s sidewalk network requiring non-vehicular users to utilize paved and unpaved shoulders and, in some cases, the street itself to walk and roll to key destinations. Where sidewalks do exist, the widths are often too narrow to meet modern standards to serve all users, in particular, for those with mobility challenges.

This project would start to close some of those gaps by providing modern width sidewalks around key destinations, such as schools and transit stops and stations.

The project cost is approximately $5 million.

Recreation Center expansion to expand space for additional sports and fitness activities

The City’s Recreation Center opened its doors to the community in February of 2000 and remains one of Wheat Ridge’s most successful community projects. The center offers numerous programs and amenities for residents. The facility continues to play an important role in improving our community’s quality of life, building community, and positively impacting the health of our city’s seniors, families, and youth. Many of the center’s programs and services are at capacity and can no longer meet the needs of the community. This project would include an expansion of the gymnasium, a new fitness room, expanded Sun Camp space (allowing for more participants), and additional space for weightlifting and cardio exercise equipment. This project will also include additional parking, including handicap spaces.

This project would not include an expansion to the existing pool areas

The project cost is approximately $15 million.

44th Avenue, wider sidewalks from Ward to Kipling 

The segment of W. 44th Avenue from Ward to Kipling provides critical connections to neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and parks. The existing streetscape on West 44th Avenue varies. In many locations the street has a four-foot-wide sidewalk with a narrow hardscape buffer zone (typically 2 to 3 feet wide) with no street trees or street furniture. The sidewalk and buffer were installed by the city in the early 1990s.

Community input gathered from several planning efforts—the updated Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy, Let’s Talk resident engagement program, and the 44^th Avenue Subarea Plan—call for improvements to the 44^th Avenue sidewalk. This project would provide a wider and more comfortable sidewalk along the length of 44^th Avenue from Ward to Kipling.

The project cost is approximately $10 million.

38^th Ave sidewalks and street improvements from Youngfield to Kipling

The city has received comments from residents for several years asking to better accommodate non-vehicular traffic on 38th Avenue between Youngfield and Kipling Streets. Recent community outreach via the city’s Let’s Talk neighborhood engagement program resulted in considerable feedback on the need for adequate facilities for users that walk and roll along this corridor. The street is a primary east-west corridor through western Wheat Ridge and provides local access to the city’s primary regional commercial districts: Applewood Village on the east side of I-70 and Clear Creek Crossing on the west side of I-70.

The current facilities along most of the street are inadequate from a walking, rolling, and biking standpoint. Non-vehicular users are forced to use the shoulders to walk, roll, and ride. Improved facilities would provide better and safer connections from the nearby residential subdivisions to the Kullerstrand Elementary School site and to Prospect Valley Elementary and Everitt Middle School, and to the Applewood and Kipling Ridge shopping centers at either end of the corridor.

In addition, most of 38th Avenue does not have adequate drainage facilities to handle even minor rain events. The existing roadside ditches do not have adequate capacity resulting in water often ponding on the side of the road and flooding the shoulders further degrading the use of that area to walk, bike, and roll. In addition, any future sidewalks will likely be built in the location of the roadside ditches, so a storm sewer system will be required to convey the runoff that is currently conveyed by the roadside ditches.

The project cost is approximately $17 million. 

32^nd Ave street improvements to include sidewalks and bike lanes from Kipling to Wadsworth

This segment of 32^nd Avenue was first identified as a high priority bicycle corridor in the 2010 Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. In 2015, in conjunction with an overlay maintenance project, bike lanes were added to 32^nd Avenue between Youngfield and Sheridan. Between Kipling Street and Wadsworth Boulevard, the added bike lanes are very narrow, about half the width in most places of what is the standard for comfortable cycling.

While a wide shared use path exists along the south side of 32^nd adjacent to the Crown Hill Cemetery and Open Space, Sidewalks on the north side of 32^nd are missing along most of the corridor causing non-vehicular users to cross 32^nd to reach the path or to walk in the dirt shoulders on the north side. There’s also only one protected crossing, at the high school, for users to safely cross 32^nd Avenue.

The project will reconstruct 32^nd Avenue to provide adequate capacity, including the addition of left turn lanes at appropriate locations. In addition, the bike lanes will be widened to provide a more comfortable cycling environment. Sidewalks will also be added or widened on the north side to allow walking and rolling users from the neighborhoods on the north side of 32^nd to access other destinations including the high school and the soon to be redeveloped Lutheran Campus. Lastly, protected crossings will be added at key locations to allow users to safely cross 32^nd Avenue to reach the recreational facilities in the Crown Hill Open Space.

The project cost is approximately $12 million.