OPEN SPACE BOARD TO REVIEW DESIGNS ON DEC. 7 Pitkin County Open Space and Trails has secured a lease from the Colorado Department of Transportation for a defined portion of the Hwy. 82 right of way adjacent to North Star Nature Preserve. The lease gives OST the ability to manage public uses and related facilities within the ingress/egress to the Preserve, improve vehicle and pedestrian safety, and enhance the North Star user experience.
OST has been working with an engineer to redesign four parking and pullout areas along the highway with the goal of constructing the improvements in 2022. Public input related to parking improvements, generated during the 2020 North Star Management Plan process, has been reviewed and integrated.
On Dec. 7, the Open Space and Trails Board will review the proposed designs and be asked to confirm final direction on the project. A link to the board's materials and agenda will provided here when it is available. The improvements will require realignment of the East of Aspen Trail in some areas, paving, fence installation, a concrete barrier/buffer separating parking from the highway and, where necessary, limited removal of trees to manage parking or trimming trees to improve sight lines for motorists.
Following the Open Space Board's review, the final design plans and a construction timeline will be provided here to keep residents and visitors informed. Formal public notice will occur during a county Planning and Zoning Commission review of the project in early 2022.
For more information contact: Carly Klein Senior Planner 970-920-5224 or carly.klein@pitkincounty.com