Railroad Crossing - Quiet Zone Project (SH 85 - Castle Pines Village to Sedalia)

Updated December 6, 2011

Douglas County, Castle Pines Village Homeowners Association (HOA), and the Castle Pines Metro District (District) entered into a funding agreement for a partial quiet zone between the sewer treatment plant and Cherokee Ranch. Douglas County agreed to pay $100,000 towards design, permitting and construction management of the partial quiet zone. The District agreed to pay $100,000 and the HOA agreed to pay $200,000 towards construction of the partial quiet zone. The partial quiet zone would have eliminated the horns between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and only cover five crossings between the sewer treatment plant and Cherokee Ranch.

However, during the initial design of the partial quiet zone, Douglas County discovered that the Public Utility Commission would not support the critical step of turning the field access at Cherokee Ranch into public access. This complication would not allow Douglas County to move forward with the partial quiet zone.

Douglas County staff looked at one final option of extending the partial quiet zone to the north of the north bound track public crossing of Highway 67. Moving this northern limit would increase construction cost, but would allow Douglas County to apply for a full time quiet zone between the sewer treatment plant and the town of Sedalia on the north bound track. The Douglas County Board of County Commissioners has directed staff to move forward with an application for this full time quiet zone.

As more information becomes available this web page will be updated.

Table of Time Elements - dated August 31, 2011»

Board of County Commissioners Quiet Zone Staff Memorandum - dated July 26, 2011»

Douglas County Noise Study - May 2010 »

Douglas County Noise Study Analysis - May 2010 »

Douglas County Quiet Zone Assessment - May 2010 »

Petition Cost Estimate - May 2010 »

Public Improvement District Schedule for the Quiet Zone Project »

Highway 85 Train Noise Study »

For questions regarding the Quiet Zone Project please contact Sean Owens, Douglas County Engineering at 303.660-7490.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will it take to complete the Study?

The initial "Study" will take two months. The Study will establish the Public Improvement District (PID) boundary, identify proposed improvements and estimated maximum costs to be used to create the PID.

What are the next steps after the Study is completed and submitted?

Upon completion of the initial Study a petition question will be finalized, including boundary, proposed improvements and estimated maximum costs. Representatives from the community will then be tasked to obtain signatures from 30% or 200 of the qualified PID voters, whichever is less, within the proposed PID. The PID will be created by the County and an election of the property owners will be held in November 2010. If the election passes then the County will proceed with design and submittals to the railroads, Federal Railroad Agency (FRA) and the Public Utility Commission (PUC).

How will the PID be set up and who will be the interested parties?

Property owners within the PID boundary will be the interested parties. These property owners will pay for the cost of the initial Study, the election and design cost.

Will the PID be limited to recovering only the cost of the Study (ie., $100,000.00)?

No, the PID, if approved by the property owners within the PID, will pay for the cost of the Study, the election, and the design and construction of the improvements required to create the Quite Zone.

Will the PID expire when the $100,000.00 has been collected?

Bond sale proceeds will most likely be the mechanism to finance the project. The bonds will be paid-back by a property tax assessment to property-owners within the PID boundary; tentatively over a ten-year period. The PID will expire when the debt is retired, including the cost of the Study, election and the design and construction of the improvements.

If the Quiet zone is approved, how will the cost for the required railroad crossing improvements be funded?

The property owners within the PID boundary will fund the cost of the improvements with PID mill levy or a special assessment on their property taxes. Usually PIDs are funded over a ten-year period.

What is the overall time frame - from approving the PID, completing the Study and submitting it for review, receiving approval to making the required construction changes to the railroad crossings?

If the PID is approved at the November 2010 election, it could take one to two years to complete the improvements and crate the Quite Zone. This time frame would also include the design, construction and finalization of the Quiet Zone.

If you have any questions or want to learn more about Railroad Quiet Zones, please contact Sean Owens in Engineering at 303.660.7490.