Horticulture and Forestry Advisory Board 2003

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• 2. Proposed Tree Ordinance — Chris•Lichty Chris hopes to get it to the city attorney by October. C. New Business 1. Preview of the McCaslin Interchange Project Jerry Shapins gave an overview of the planning work which has been done to date for the Hwy 36/McCaslin exchange and shared the initial conceptual plan and the thoughts and process behind it. Emphasis has been placed on the multi -modal aspects: riding, walking, driving, in the proposed changes. This exchange serves as a gateway for two towns and the desire is to make the entries memorable. There's about 350,000SF involved in the area. • • Off Ramps Initial improvements are focused in the western area for on and off ramp improvements. The eastern ramps require an initial environmental assessment so CDOT wouldn't approve any $$ investments in that area. CDOT's initial investment is on the order of $7 million dollars. Water, drainage systems, and habitat management are three areas being researched. Landscaping within the ramp areas may be native - looking groupings of trees and shrubs rather than the current more formal planning. The budget is currently planned at $2 /SF — CDOT landscaping. Mowing would be 4 times /year with a short-grass prairie. Additionally walls are planned as a safety mechanism where car lights in the loop meet those cars on either an entry ramp or cars on Hwy 36. Betty recommended use of vines to dress and soften the walls — Jerry liked the idea. There are many tough vines requiring minimal maintenance, if any. Pedestrian Walkways Attempts are being made to make walking a pleasant experience rather than the life - threatening strolls of today. Additionally, biking lanes need to be added and be safe. The pedestrian bridge will be a "signature" item. The proposed new transit stop would have an attractive sidewalk and landscaping from the existing Louisville sidewalks. A suspension bridge, as was done at San Diego State, is being researched for the pedestrian walkway across Hwy 36 to connect both RTD transit stops. This eliminates any pillars and the EIS assessments it would require in the roadway. Jerry's desire is to build walls and use colors to have it blend with surroundings. May be a glass - enclosed structure (tube) where pedestrians travel. This makes maintenance simpler for RTD. However HFAB members questioned temperature control, graffiti attraction, and appearance after years of sandblasting. We would prefer an open bridge. Much discussion went into color and materials used for the footbridge. Galvanized metal may be best over time. The bridge will also be lit. RTD will own and maintain the foot bridge. Expansion of the current bridge cannot be considered until the EIS is completed and approved. The design may include adding planters on each side of the overpass.