Photo Credits Megan Buzan
In the 1890s, everybody who was anybody had been to Leadville, or so the story goes. The discovery of gold brought the first miners to this two-mile high city, but it was the discovery of silver that made Leadville the nation's wealthiest city at the time. When Oscar Wilde entertained his audience at the Tabor Opera House, more than 40,000 people lived in Leadville! Our population is a lot less now. But those of us who live life elevated think there is no better or more legendary place on earth to be.
The legends of the West in the late nineteenth century were no strangers to Leadville: Horace and Baby Doe Tabor, the Unsinkable Molly Brown, Doc Holliday, Billy the Kid and even a John W. Booth whose headstone graces Evergreen Cemetery.
Then there are the modern-day legends, the Leadville Trail 100 Race Across the Sky for example and some equally legendary characters not everybody’s heard of, although everybody in Leadville knows who they are. If you want to know more about these folks, you’ll have to come up to Leadville, strike up a conversation with one of the locals and they will tell you some of the most legendary stories you may have ever heard. We‘ll keep the lights on!
Announcements:
The We Love Leadville Tribute and Tritz Park Design is underway. Have you seen the newly placed sign this fall? Check out the next steps and plans scheduled for spring 2020.
Intersection upgrades at US 24 & Mountian View Drive
PROJECT UPDATE
Work suspended for winter - intersection upgrades at
US 24 & Mountain View Drive
LEADVILLE - Contractor Technology Constructors, Inc., is suspending the US 24 at Mountain View Drive intersection-improvement project for the winter. Work to complete signal wiring, concrete sidewalks/curbs and asphalt road surface requires warmer temperatures, thus the project will resume in the spring of 2020 as weather permits.
This project, which began on August 12, is a partnership between the City of Leadville, High Country Developer, LLC, and the Colorado Department of Transportation to improve safety and mobility at the intersection. The work is replacing existing signals and making additional improvements that will support all modes of travel, as well as providing new accesses for a new development east of the intersection.
To date, the project has removed and installed new sidewalk, curb and gutter on the west side; made drainage improvements; constructed curb ramps on the west side; and installed conduit. As the existing signals and poles have been removed, safety at the intersection will be maintained through the winter with a continued three-way stop - signs have been installed and will be removed next spring once the new signal is activated.
About one more month of work is left to complete this project in the spring. Work items will include: signal pole installation; signal wiring and installation; remaining curb, gutter and sidewalk on the east side (following an Excel gas line installation, a separate project); and ramp adjustment on the west side.
The project is making the following improvements:
Replacement of existing span wire signals with mast arm signals
Upgraded push buttons and signals for pedestrians
Sidewalk upgrades to meet ADA* requirements at all four corners of each intersection, including ADA-compliant curb ramps
Drainage improvements (storm drain inlets)
New/upgraded pavement markings
Minor widening on westbound (runs northbound at this location) US 24 to provide a new deceleration/acceleration lane into and out of the new development
*Americans with Disabilities Act
The contract cost of the project is $1,199,742; $592,255 of that is funded by CDOT and $607,487 by the developer. The project is scheduled for completion after about one month of work in the spring of 2020.
PROJECT INFORMATION: Those with questions or comments, or those wanting to receive weekly project updates via email, may call the project information line at (719) 427-0950 or email the project team at us24mountainviewintersection@gmail.com. The project web site is https://www.codot.gov/projects/us-24-mountain-view-leadville.
Sign up for CDOT project or travel alerts: bit.ly/COalerts
See CDOT’s scheduled lane closures: codot.gov/travel/scheduled-lane-closures.html
Connect with CDOT on Twitter (@coloradodot) and Facebook (facebook.com/coloradodot)
The City of Leadville and Lake County have been working with Build A Generation and spring semester master planning students from the University of Colorado Denver on analysis of property opportunities for a potential housing development that incorporates affordable housing units for our community. The final report and executive summary are located below. this summer a new group of students will that this report recommendations to create a designed development proposal. Please look for more information regarding upcoming community work sessions and open houses relative to this project.
Students this summer expanded upon the spring student capstone project which includes a report on potential infill policy and design considerations, a bike and pedestrian plan, a policy to elevate Leadville plan proposal, and finally the master housing design concept on the Climax parcel site. The following reports are the four final group projects presented to the Housing Coalition, members of the public, and key elected officials on 8/1/2019. For more infomration please contact Sarah Dallas 719-486-2092 or email questions to adminservices@leadville-co.gov
Leadville City Council passed the 2019 budget on 12/4/18. City staff has created a budget brief for the public that is located below as a PDF. To learn more about this budget and prior budgets, as well as the last four years of audited financial statements check out the Finance Department webpage on this website. For questions or concerns please call 719-486-2092 for more information.
The City of Leadville is now accepting online payments for all permits, forms, and donations. Liquor licenses, Marijuana licenses, and fines will not be available for online payment. Please click on the following link to access the online payment portal. PLEASE NOTE there will not be a confirmation of payment. Do not enter a payment card information more than one time. If you need to confirm receipt of payment please contact the City of Leadville 719-486-2092.
