With other highway interchanges being built elsewhere in Colorado, the developers who will benefit from these projects kicked in millions of dollars towards their completion, or paid the total cost of construction up front and will get reimbursed from the future taxes generated on the retail development it stimulates on the rest of their property.
That’s not the case with the proposed I-70 interchange at 29 Road. The owners of the land the interchange would be built on haven’t pledged a dime towards its construction, even though their land around it would likely skyrocket in value after it is built, and generate income for them far into the future.
The above chart compares the funding of the proposed 29 Road interchange onto I-70 to similar projects currently under construction on other Colorado highways. The Mesa County Commissioners and Grand Junction City Council voted to put the project on the ballot for voter approval, where it appears on the November 5 ballot as Mesa County Ballot Issue 1A.
So far, no funding for the 29 Road project has been pledged by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), the federal government or the developers.
The Crystal Valley Interchange Project in Castle Rock
CDOT did approve funding for the Crystal Valley interchange at Castle Rock, but has not approved any funding for the 29 Road project in Grand Junction. Douglas County, the town of Castle Rock and CDOT all partnered in the Crystal Valley project. The town of Castle Rock says the entire project will cost about $143.5 million. The Crystal Valley project also got a $5.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, an $8.5 million grant from the Denver Regional Council of Governments, plus funding from electric credits and the BNSF Railway. The developer who will benefit from the project is shouldering $54 million of the total project cost.
The Powers Blvd. Extension to I-25 in Colorado Springs
The Powers Blvd. extension to I-25 in Colorado Springs was fully funded up front by the developer, the Copper Ridge Metropolitan District, to speed up construction of the project. The Copper Ridge Metro District will turn the road extension over to the City of Colorado Springs after its completion. The Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority (PPPRTA) will reimburse Copper Ridge for its funding through a sales tax. The city of Colorado Springs raised its sales tax .75% to pay for the extension. CDOT is involved in the Powers Blvd. Extension project. The new roadway will ultimately be financed with district bonds that will be repaid using a combination of the sales and property tax generated by a retail center on the developed land. (Copper Ridge has since changed its name to Polaris Pointe.)
So far the owners of the land that surrounds the proposed I-70 interchange have not pledged any funds toward the cost of developing the interchange. Instead, the land owners who would profit from the interchange, the Grand Junction City Council and Mesa County Commissioners are all proposing local taxpayers pay the entire cost of the project.
Where does Acker stand on the 29 rd interchange?
I cant find anything but he certainly should have weighed in by now.
The Davis campaign has sent us at least ten flyers by mail and I’m not registered republican. Nothing from Acker.
Well the easiest way to identity a complete idiot, is by their compulsion to first indulge whatabout-ism rather than do any actual research. Which seems the central and tired tenant of all your strawman political rhetoric built on bad-faith observations. So here a link, for all the other inept and lazy morons out there only watching the mailbox, that fully articulates his position on this issue from the previous debate and newspaper coverage thereof:
https://www.gjsentinel.com/news/western_colorado/commissioner-candidates-differ-over-tabor-29-road/article_a6c9f4d2-79ee-11ef-9e02-7f8af33c569b.html
Such a lovely person you are! I’m not sure why questioning what Acker’s position is is “whataboutism” but I’m sure in the dark recesses of your mind there lurks a reason.
I don’t read the GJ Sentinel because 1) it’s paywalled and 2) Charles Ashby is a hack.
However, I have done a search and haven’t found another source that spells out his position.
At this point it doesn’t matter because I’ve already voted for him and this thing is going down.
Coming from an old one-trick pony, always thinking himself the high horse among a laughable authority on love and tolerance…I guess its sadder still you’ve truly nothing better to do than lurk here waiting for the last word or comment on your own nonsense rants. As for those “dark recesses”, well, perhaps you’ve confused me again as a fellow fuddy-duddy and obstinate internet illiterate. C’mon though, if really don’t read the Sentinel then why bother keep submitting those Op-Eds…for the same sick sense of self-satisfaction you get from trolling here perhaps? Oh, Tad…lie to us and yourself even, but maybe outta search instead that bible which appear so fond of about bearing false witness.
“you’ve truly nothing better to do than lurk here waiting for the last word or comment on your own nonsense rants.”
I see that projection is part of your pathology.
I’m sure you could find help for this, should you want it.
You seem to have an irrational dislike of me. I guess you have identified me as an enemy but your comments are so incoherent, I can’t make out what your problem is.
But the weirdest thing of all is that you think you have uncovered my true identity as “Tad”…someone, I assume, who has the temerity to write things you don’t like.
Although I do get a laugh out of reading your stuff, I have decided to forgo the entertainment value and not read any more of it.
Cheers!
It’s completely hysterical how far these points sail right over your head, only to try peddling more of that broken-record mental health advise based on merely grade-school grasp of psychology. So please, let’s not pretend rationale is something you’re remotely qualified to determine. It’s not much threat to me either with such flimsy promises to henceforth only post here with eyes closed like a child. Besides, I make my reasons for not liking your rhetoric here quite clear, among the expressed opinions of many others…you’re a troll, an obvious Faux Newz hypocrit, among a deeply dishonest info broker to boot…therefore destined to earn a banning from these all compulsive last-word posting. Ohh lord, where then will you share these inane ramblings? Maybe another preachy Op-Ed in the Daily Sentinel the timorous Mr. Hatter also claims not to read? Riiiight
Wait just a darn minute, now. Does this mean County Commissioner Crony Davis is not the devout spending hawk and fiscal conservative he claims to be? Because by the basic maths here, one might think he’s both budget illiterate and taking trinkets/bribes from fellow Developers to help push this project.
As it sure seems this isn’t about an infrastructure improvement at all; but rather birds of a feather, flocking together, and straight-up saddling the taxpayers of Mesa County with a huge debt to corruptly feather their own nests.
Meanwhile, Jena Griswold’s “gold standard” election office published the BIOS passwords of election machines for 64 out of 65 counties last August. Those rascally Republicans just found this out.
Don’t worry. Griswold is doing an investigation and has sent her people “out to the field” to change the passwords.
Nothing to see here. The same people who screwed up will be sure to fix everything.
Are you still talking? Again about something completely irrelevant to this post? Boy howdy…since Tina went away your posts by the day get more deranged and desperate to push election propaganda. But go on, wack-job, chime in with some more of this last-word nonsense…