Montrose, CO — City Councilors met for a work session Tuesday morning, February 14, to review some proposed Municipal Code revisions and contract awards for upcoming city projects and hear updates about the Woodgate Road realignment and Townsend Avenue utility replacement projects.
Councilors Barbara Bynum, Doug Glaspell, Dave Frank, and David Reed met in City Council Chambers along with city staff. Councilor Anthony Russo was absent. Members of the public were also able to attend in person or via Zoom.
The following is a summary of the primary topics discussed during the meeting.
Watch the meeting here:
MUNICIPAL CODE REVISIONS FOR SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
City Councilors reviewed a proposal to update a section of the city's Municipal Code to add a definition for supportive housing and define where these uses are allowed.
Community Engagement Specialist Ross Valdez said this code amendment would increase solutions available to help individuals and families experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness and address barriers to employment and housing stability by allowing supportive housing as a conditional use in the following zoning districts: “OR” Office-Residential District, “B-3” General Commercial District, “I-1” Light Industrial District, and “I-2” General Commercial District.
The existing code does not allow for facilities that have ongoing, on-site supportive services and housing for those experiencing or at-risk of homelessness. The proposed definition of supportive housing specifies that this use is not on an emergency or nightly basis, and therefore does not include facilities that are commonly referred to as homeless shelters. Occupancy of supportive housing is intended to be long-term with stays of thirty (30) consecutive days or more.
The proposed code modification provides additional definitions for barriers to employment and housing stability, on-site supportive services, skilled nursing facility, and assisted living facility to further distinguish supportive housing as a use separate from existing uses in the City of Montrose. Nursing care facilities and assisted-living residences are licensed by the State of Colorado and are separate from supportive housing. The proposed amendment clarifies the code in order for supportive housing developers to understand the allowed locations for this type of use.
Recommended Definition for Supportive Housing:
Supportive housing refers to housing that is designed to provide ongoing and on-site supportive services to help individuals and families experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, and which persons have barrier(s) to employment and housing stability. Occupancy of supportive housing shall be designed and operated for stays of 30 consecutive days or more and not on a nightly or emergency basis.
City Councilors will formally vote to approve or deny the proposed changes at an upcoming regular meeting.
PAVEMENT MARKING CONTRACT EXTENSION
City Councilors were presented with a contract extension for pavement striping on city roadways.
Public Works Manager Jim Scheid said the city’s Streets Division contracts for the striping of city streets. The contractor will stripe all streets that require striping at least once per year and all crosswalks, stop bars, arrows, etc., as needed. The contractor will also apply a preformed plastic coating at all roundabouts and high-traffic areas. This type of application will be completed at least once per year but will be applied as needed.
Stripe a Lot has performed very well over the past few years for the City of Montrose and surrounding communities.
City staff is recommending an extension to a contract that was issued to Stripe a Lot in 2021 following an RFP process. The scope for 2022 has remained very similar to 2021, except that some of the material types have been adjusted to utilize a higher performing epoxy in areas with higher traffic loads. Stripe a Lot has submitted a letter from their supplier documenting an increase in raw material cost from 2021 and is proposing a 10 % increase to their 2021 rates.
NIAGARA-HILLCREST ROUNDABOUT DESIGN CONTRACT AWARD
City Councilors were presented with a contract for completion of design studies and civil design associated with the Niagara-Hillcrest Roundabout Project.
City Engineer Scott Murphy said the city performed a traffic study of the Hillcrest Drive corridor between Miami and Niagara Roads in early 2016. Based on the results of this study and in response to citizen requests, the city has elected to install roundabouts along this corridor to address capacity and safety issues at each of its minor arterial intersections (Miami, Sunnyside, and Niagara). Since completion of this study, roundabouts have been constructed at Hillcrest’s intersections with Sunnyside and Miami Roads.
The Niagara and Hillcrest intersection is currently controlled as a four-way stop. A traffic study performed in 2021 indicated that the intersection is approaching capacity and could experience unacceptable levels of service in the foreseeable future due to continued and accelerating traffic growth in the area. In response to this, the city is looking to design and perform property acquisitions for a roundabout at this intersection in 2022.
Request for Proposals and Design Team Recommendation:
On January 7, the city issued a request for proposals to procure a design team for the project. This design team would be responsible for performing the following key tasks:
• Perform all property and basemap surveys for the project area
• Perform an updated traffic study to evaluate traffic growth and long-term performance of the intersection. These studies work to ensure a roundabout will function as desired into the future and help to guide design of the roundabout’s geometry.
• Perform geotechnical, hydrologic, and hydraulic design studies to aid in design of project elements (pavement thickness, pipe sizes, etc).
• Design roundabout geometry and grading.
• Design utility replacements for aged city-owned infrastructure within the intersection.
• Prepare plans for relocation of conflicting utilities and undergrounding of electrical infrastructure.
• Prepare project plans, specifications, and cost estimates.
Proposals were publicly received on January 27, from just two Colorado consultants.
Murphy said the city selected Felsburg, Holt, and Ullevig (FHU) as the preferred consultant for design of the Niagara-Hillcrest Roundabout. The negotiated price for completion of this design is $183,423 on a time-and-materials, not-to-exceed basis and this price is within expectations of the city. It should also be noted that FHU was the successful design consultant for the Miami-Hillcrest Roundabout Project.
Project Schedule:
Project design is expected to be completed in 2022. As soon as the project footprint is finalized, the city will begin working on partial property purchases needed to support the project. Detailed construction cost estimates will also be prepared as early as possible for use in capital planning and budgeting efforts. Construction of the project is not scheduled at this time pending the outcome of required property acquisitions and other capital priorities within the city.
1628 EAST OAK GROVE RIGHT-OF-WAY DEDICATION
City Councilors were presented with an update to a subdivision plat to accommodate a new right-of-way on city-owned property located off East Oak Grove road.
City Engineer Scott Murphy said the property is located in the area of road work currently underway on Woodgate Road. A small portion of the property will need to be re-platted to make way for a future right-of-way at the new intersection of Woodgate Road and East Oak Grove Road.
TOWNSEND UTILITY REPLACEMENTS AND WOODGATE REALIGNMENT PROJECT UPDATES
City Councilors were updated on continued work on Woodgate Road to realign the roadway to improve safety and traffic flow.
City Engineer Scott Murphy said the Woodgate Road Realignment Project is progressing well following major utility work.
In related work, Murphy said all new main water lines have been installed in the Woodgate work area, and city crews are working to replace and connect old city water and sewer lines that run under Townsend Avenue to the newly installed lines.
Murphy said a lot of water and sewer lines under south Townsend Avenue are unmapped and include connections of unknown water and sewer lines.
Murphy said the ongoing project will undo decades of patch jobs and poor documentation to improve the city’s infrastructure under Townsend Avenue. He said the work will make the city’s system better in the long run, despite short-term traffic delays.
“We are very excited to fix this system,” Murphy said.
The Woodgate Road Realignment project began in 2021 and was designed to alleviate safety and capacity issues at the Woodgate Road and Townsend Avenue intersection and accommodate continued traffic growth in the area.
Background information on the project drivers and design can be found on the city’s capital projects webpage at www.movemo.co.
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