The Parker Town Council approved an Intergovernmental Agreement, or IGA, with Douglas County to share construction costs related to the ongoing Dransfeldt Road Extension Project. 

While still needing final approval from the Douglas County Commission, the IGA calls for the county to contribute $8 million to the estimated $20 million project.

The extension involves Dransfeldt Road south of Twenty Mile Road, over Cherry Creek, connecting to Motsenbocker Road. Part of the expansion is located in unincorporated Douglas County, requiring the coordinated effort.

The original agreement for the design was amended in 2019, again in 2021 and 2022 for funding to complete the project design. 

The extension includes improvements to Motsenbocker Road from the Todd Drive intersection to the proposed new Dransfeldt and Motsenbocker intersection as well as improvements from the new Dransfeldt and Motsenbocker intersection to the Longland Parkway intersection. 

Douglas County requested a new IGA for construction funding rather than continuously re-amending the existing agreement. 

“Both the town, staff and county staff thought that it was better if we just started a new IGA to fund the construction effort of this project,” said Director of Public Works and Engineering Tom Williams. 

According to a document provided to the town, this construction IGA acknowledges the town’s other agreement with the Mile High Flood District and the Cherry Creek Basin Water Quality Authority for the floodway improvements. 

As part of the expansion, crews plan to build the bridge as a three lane section. 

“We have designed and will construct the superstructure - which is the foundation of the bridge,” said Williams. “If it ever does need to be widened in the future, we can accommodate that for future expansion.”

As the Cherry Creek trail will be going underneath the bridge, the underside of the bridge will provide lights in addition to the trail connections and roadways. 

Douglas County will commit $8 million toward the project, with Parker agreeing to maintain the roadway in the future.

Councilmember John Diak thanked Douglas County for their support in the project. 

Funding has also been appropriated in the town’s Streets Capital Projects Fund. 

The construction is estimated to exceed $20 million, said Williams. 

Construction of the roadway improvements is anticipated to start in the fourth quarter of 2023 or the first quarter of 2024 following the floodway improvements. 

The roadway IGA has a flexible construction award date of July 31, 2024 and a substantial completion date set for May 1, 2026. 

With Parker’s approval, the agreement will still need final approval from Douglas County Commissioners. Commissioners are slated to discuss the agreement at a later date.

In other business

The council approved two contracts, the first being the Bradbury Ranch Drive Emergency Repair contract modification for a total of $600,000. 

Following the collapse of a corrugated metal culvert pipe under Bradbury Ranch Drive in June, town council ratified an emergency repair contract for $300,000 with Naranjo Civil Constructors. 

Bradbury Ranch Drive was reopened to the public on July 21.  

The town’s design consultant recommended the addition of an energy dissipation structure at the downstream end of the proposed culvert plus adjustment of the culvert grades and an extension of the culvert to reduce the potential of downstream erosion. 

Williams said they decided to replace the entire pipe all at once so they did not have to inconvenience the public again at a later date. 

Funding for this emergency repair will be paid for by the Stormwater Utility Fund and the Roadway Capital Fund. 

The council also approved a contract in the amount of $651,547 with Anderson Mason Dale Architects for the Town Hall Expansion Project. 

Bob Exstrom with the engineering and public works department said the total four amendments for this project were planned when they executed the contract. 

The next round of design services includes advancing the preliminary design, preparing the required Site Plan Amendment Submittal and conducting workshops with directors and deputies to review the proposed design development progress, among other things.

Services covered in this contract amendment are anticipated to take about five months to complete. 

The renovations for the project will include relocating staff from Old Town Hall to the expansion space as the condition of Old Town Hall is deteriorating, requiring continuous repairs. 

The demolition date of Old Town Hall - a separate project - is yet to be determined, said Exstrom. 

Construction is anticipated to start in the second quarter of 2024 and is tentatively scheduled to be completed in 2025. 

Funding has been appropriated for this second amendment in the 2023 Town Hall Expansion fund. 

Councilmembers Joshua Rivero and Laura Hefta said this project is not growth in government.

Rivero said by consolidating everyone into one building, the expansion will allow a more efficient use of government.

“This is allowing our government to do its job into the future, in a safe environment, " said Hefta.