Council approves motion to acquire property needed for 30th-Colorado underpass project
“In a 7-0 vote Tuesday, Boulder City Council approved a motion to purchase or acquire through eminent domain the property needed for the planned underpass project at 30th Street and Colorado Avenue.
Although eminent domain likely won’t be necessary because the property owners in question have signaled a willingness to work with the city, staff said it should be preserved as a last resort to keep the project on the timeline necessary to retain its federal funding. The largest chunk of land needed is for temporary easements, rather than permanent easements or right-of-way acquisition needs, staff said.
The $12.5 million project will be funded through $4.75 million in federal money; $2.65 million and donated land worth $500,000 from CU; and $5.1 million from the city, staff told council Tuesday.
The project is aimed at making the busy intersection more accessible and safer, particularly for the more than 2,100 pedestrians and bicyclists who traverse it on a typical day. The project initially included one diagonal underpass for pedestrians and bicyclists but now calls for two — one underneath 30th and a second underneath Colorado — to accommodate more people.
Although the matter was open to public comment, no one spoke Tuesday, and council unanimously approved the motion. Councilman Aaron Brockett was absent.”
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Niedringhaus, Cassa. Boulder Daily Camera 5 March 2019.