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What's next for Let's Talk?
The program has now completed neighborhood blitzes in all ten Let’s Talk neighborhoods. City staff will continue to advance the Let’s Talk work plan items in the coming years and communicate with residents as projects progress.
Moving forward, city staff will build off the Let’s Talk brand to organize the many engagement efforts planned in the next few years. Let’s Talk Wheat Ridge will serve as an umbrella brand for engagement for several current and recently completed projects, including:
The Comprehensive Plan update
The Parks and Recreation Master Plan
The Stormwater Master Plan
The Economic Development Strategy
The Sustainability Action Plan
The Residential Waste Engagement Strategy
As these projects progress, you'll be able to return to this What's Up Wheat Ridge page to track with all of these initiatives and learn how to participate.
Let's Talk Neighborhood Engagement
From October 2020 until September 2023, the Let's Talk program focused on hyper-local neighborhood engagement. We know every Wheat Ridge neighborhood is unique. Our Let’s Talk program was designed to learn more about what's important where you live.
The program broke the city down into 10 neighborhoods. Each neighborhood saw a 4-5 month blitz of engagement opportunities. During these blitzes, we first asked residents what they love about their neighborhood and where improvement is needed. After discussing their responses with city staff members across all departments, we created a list of responsive actions the city could take to address resident feedback. Residents were then given an opportunity to weigh in on those actions. Finally, we took all the info to city council, created a blitz report for each neighborhood, and updated the program work plan (see below).
Past Blitzes
Let's Talk Program Work Plan (Updated September 2023)
The Let's Talk Resident Engagement Program Work Plan reflects the hot topics we heard from residents across neighborhoods and aligns with citywide work plans including current city council priorities. The Work Plan is updated continuously and after each engagement blitz. The table below contains a snapshot from the Work Plan. To explore the full Work Plan, click here. For more details on this work plan, contact us at lets-talk@ci.wheatridge.co.us. The snapshot below contains work plan items in no particular order.
Let's Talk Program Work Plan Item
Description
Status (September 2023)
Improve 38th Avenue between Kipling and Youngfield Streets for Walking and Biking
Evaluate preferred concepts followed by developing cost estimates and funding options with a community process.
Advance in 2023/2024, Will Require City Council Policy Direction City staff is working with a consultant to engage the public on community desires for this corridor. In fall 2023, round two of public engagement will focus on evaluating alternative street configurations. The design portion of this project is slated to wrap up in spring 2024. It will then require funding for construction
Implement Targeted 44th Avenue Improvements
Evaluate targeted and cost-effective strategies to improve 44th Avenue east of Wadsworth Boulevard within the city’s public right-of-way. “Targeted” and “cost-effective” would mean working within the existing street configuration, without changing lanes or impacting traffic flow, and without any reconstruction of the street.
Advance in 2023/2024 City council adopted the 44th Avenue Subarea Plan in spring 2023. The plan provides guidance for any such improvements in the area between Youngfield Street and Clear Creek. City staff is already exploring both short- and long-term opportunities for targeted improvements on 44th Avenue starting with a new corridor branding effort and budgeting for recommended improvements.
Improve Youngfield Corridor
Improve the Youngfield Street corridor (for segments within Wheat Ridge) by addressing a range of topics including vehicular traffic flow, walking and biking access and safety, signage, landscaping, and other enhancements.
Advance in 2023/2024 The city’s Urban Renewal Authority (URA) issued bonds in November 2021 to fund improvements. The URA has initiated the design phase and city staff worked with a consultant to engage the public on the design. The design concepts will focus on corridor beautification. Construction will be covered by bond funds and will follow completion of CDOT’s I-70 over 32nd Avenue bridge replacement.
Increase funding and/or staffing for this program that includes a community and technical process to evaluate streets for various traffic calming strategies.
Completed in 2023
City staff recently made improvements to the program and created a more efficient, clear process for resident-initiated requests.
Build a Fence between Kipling and Paramount Park
Evaluate building a fence (or other safety features) to separate people from cars between Paramount Park and Kipling.
Advance in 2024 A perimeter fence is in the design phase with construction planned for 2024 as budget allows.
Build a Bicycle and Pedestrian Connection from the Ward Road RTD Station to Clear Creek
Build a bicycle and pedestrian path that starts with a bridge over the RTD tracks, a path the parallels Tabor Street, and crosses over I-70 and 44th Avenue all the way to the Clear Creek greenbelt.
Advance in 2025 The city pursued and was awarded a $3.6 million grant to complete the environmental and design work to provide bike and pedestrian facilities along Tabor Street from Clear Creek to north of I-70. The design work will start in October 2025 with construction to follow.
Expand Dumpster and Cleanup Days to Address Property Maintenance and Code Enforcement Issues
Expand these programs in recognition that they promote both community building and improved property maintenance. More information can be found on this partnership between the city and Localworkshere.
Advance in 2024 In 2022, a budget increase from 2021 approved by city council for this program allowed each event to be extended to accommodate more demand (in years past, people have been turned away when dumpsters fill). City staff and Localworks continue to use Let’s Talk feedback to tailor the program to meet the needs of residents.
The program has now completed neighborhood blitzes in all ten Let’s Talk neighborhoods. City staff will continue to advance the Let’s Talk work plan items in the coming years and communicate with residents as projects progress.
Moving forward, city staff will build off the Let’s Talk brand to organize the many engagement efforts planned in the next few years. Let’s Talk Wheat Ridge will serve as an umbrella brand for engagement for several current and recently completed projects, including:
The Comprehensive Plan update
The Parks and Recreation Master Plan
The Stormwater Master Plan
The Economic Development Strategy
The Sustainability Action Plan
The Residential Waste Engagement Strategy
As these projects progress, you'll be able to return to this What's Up Wheat Ridge page to track with all of these initiatives and learn how to participate.
Let's Talk Neighborhood Engagement
From October 2020 until September 2023, the Let's Talk program focused on hyper-local neighborhood engagement. We know every Wheat Ridge neighborhood is unique. Our Let’s Talk program was designed to learn more about what's important where you live.
The program broke the city down into 10 neighborhoods. Each neighborhood saw a 4-5 month blitz of engagement opportunities. During these blitzes, we first asked residents what they love about their neighborhood and where improvement is needed. After discussing their responses with city staff members across all departments, we created a list of responsive actions the city could take to address resident feedback. Residents were then given an opportunity to weigh in on those actions. Finally, we took all the info to city council, created a blitz report for each neighborhood, and updated the program work plan (see below).
Past Blitzes
Let's Talk Program Work Plan (Updated September 2023)
The Let's Talk Resident Engagement Program Work Plan reflects the hot topics we heard from residents across neighborhoods and aligns with citywide work plans including current city council priorities. The Work Plan is updated continuously and after each engagement blitz. The table below contains a snapshot from the Work Plan. To explore the full Work Plan, click here. For more details on this work plan, contact us at lets-talk@ci.wheatridge.co.us. The snapshot below contains work plan items in no particular order.
Let's Talk Program Work Plan Item
Description
Status (September 2023)
Improve 38th Avenue between Kipling and Youngfield Streets for Walking and Biking
Evaluate preferred concepts followed by developing cost estimates and funding options with a community process.
Advance in 2023/2024, Will Require City Council Policy Direction City staff is working with a consultant to engage the public on community desires for this corridor. In fall 2023, round two of public engagement will focus on evaluating alternative street configurations. The design portion of this project is slated to wrap up in spring 2024. It will then require funding for construction
Implement Targeted 44th Avenue Improvements
Evaluate targeted and cost-effective strategies to improve 44th Avenue east of Wadsworth Boulevard within the city’s public right-of-way. “Targeted” and “cost-effective” would mean working within the existing street configuration, without changing lanes or impacting traffic flow, and without any reconstruction of the street.
Advance in 2023/2024 City council adopted the 44th Avenue Subarea Plan in spring 2023. The plan provides guidance for any such improvements in the area between Youngfield Street and Clear Creek. City staff is already exploring both short- and long-term opportunities for targeted improvements on 44th Avenue starting with a new corridor branding effort and budgeting for recommended improvements.
Improve Youngfield Corridor
Improve the Youngfield Street corridor (for segments within Wheat Ridge) by addressing a range of topics including vehicular traffic flow, walking and biking access and safety, signage, landscaping, and other enhancements.
Advance in 2023/2024 The city’s Urban Renewal Authority (URA) issued bonds in November 2021 to fund improvements. The URA has initiated the design phase and city staff worked with a consultant to engage the public on the design. The design concepts will focus on corridor beautification. Construction will be covered by bond funds and will follow completion of CDOT’s I-70 over 32nd Avenue bridge replacement.
Increase funding and/or staffing for this program that includes a community and technical process to evaluate streets for various traffic calming strategies.
Completed in 2023
City staff recently made improvements to the program and created a more efficient, clear process for resident-initiated requests.
Build a Fence between Kipling and Paramount Park
Evaluate building a fence (or other safety features) to separate people from cars between Paramount Park and Kipling.
Advance in 2024 A perimeter fence is in the design phase with construction planned for 2024 as budget allows.
Build a Bicycle and Pedestrian Connection from the Ward Road RTD Station to Clear Creek
Build a bicycle and pedestrian path that starts with a bridge over the RTD tracks, a path the parallels Tabor Street, and crosses over I-70 and 44th Avenue all the way to the Clear Creek greenbelt.
Advance in 2025 The city pursued and was awarded a $3.6 million grant to complete the environmental and design work to provide bike and pedestrian facilities along Tabor Street from Clear Creek to north of I-70. The design work will start in October 2025 with construction to follow.
Expand Dumpster and Cleanup Days to Address Property Maintenance and Code Enforcement Issues
Expand these programs in recognition that they promote both community building and improved property maintenance. More information can be found on this partnership between the city and Localworkshere.
Advance in 2024 In 2022, a budget increase from 2021 approved by city council for this program allowed each event to be extended to accommodate more demand (in years past, people have been turned away when dumpsters fill). City staff and Localworks continue to use Let’s Talk feedback to tailor the program to meet the needs of residents.
Anderson Park Blitz Report (4.2 MB) (pdf)