Thursday, October 27, 2016

2534 from page 8

ings and street improvements.
And its just starting.
Bottom line is when thats
built out, James said, (there
will be) 1.2 million square-feet
of retail when Johnstown Plaza
is completely built out.
Jamess number is nearly identical to what the plaza introduction video states.
Plaza representatives did
not return emails or phone calls
for interviews.
With a hefty number of people and retail on the way, traffic
on Highway 34 and I-25 is on
the forefront of councilmembers minds.
Last year, I-25 averaged
81,000 vehicles per day south
of U.S. Hwy. 34, 77,000 north
of it. The highways numbers
were 66,000 east of I-25 and
50,000 to the west, averaging
out to 79,000 for I-25 and
58,000 for U.S. Hwy. 34, according to Jared Fiel, Colorado
Department of Transportation
Region Four Communications
Manager.
Obviously, some part of it
is going to hinge on the expansion of I-25, said Mellon on
the growth of the area. CDOT
announced a $237 million project this summer to widen I-25
from Hwy. 402, just south of
Hwy. 34, to Ft. Collins. Johnstown and surrounding municipalities collectively raised $25
million towards the project,
getting assistance through a
TIGER grant. Johnstown will
commit $1 million to it over the
next four years.
This stretch of I-25 will be
widened at least 14 years earlier than originally expected,
Fiel stated in an email. As for
U.S. 34, there are no plans for
widening in this area yet. However, there is a Planning and
Environmental Linkages (PEL)
study going on right now for
the whole U.S. 34 corridor to

The Johnstown Breeze 9

develop long-term plans for

what this whole corridor will
look like.
The widening of I-25 is
scheduled to begin in February
of 2018, ending December of
2020. Work on I-25 has already
begun as construction of a
climbing lane got underway
this summer near the Berthoud
exit, with completion expected
next spring.
When it comes to expanding Highway 34, Fiel wrote it
would take another collaborative effort from communities
and businesses to get the asphalt rolling.
Call it a sign that Loveland
and Johnstown are at peace that
James and Loveland Mayor
Cecil Gutierrez have spoken
multiple times about how the
towns can team up on funding
for highway work.
Its time for Loveland and
Johnstown to start cooperating,
because Loveland and Johnstown needs to cooperate with
the business up there, James
said. We have to look at some
sort of, and here we go again,
taxation entity that will help us
with the roadways up there.
James said talks with not
only Loveland and businesses,
b u t C D O T, n e e d t o h a p p e n
soon.
Traffic, funding for schools,
taxes, are all issues facing all of
Johnstown, old and new, south
and north. Residents in the historic part have the luxury of
making a relativity short drive
to town hall every other Monday for council meetings to address issues. For residents like
Diaz and Lemasters, the Oct. 8
event was a bridge for them to
meet the faces of the council.
Lemasters was selected by
his neighbors to speak at a
council meeting a while back to
address concerns he and his
neighbors sought resolutions
for.
We just want to be a part of
the community we live in,

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Lemasters said. With the location of where were at, its easy
to get lost in between Loveland
and Johnstown. We understand
that ourselves.
As President and General
Manager of EnviroPest,
Lemasters said he attempts to
do as much business as possible in Johnstown, even including being involved with the
Chamber of Commerce. His relationship with the chamber
and Soricelli led to collaboration to get the Oct. 8 event going.
A major issue Diaz pointed
out residents to the north are interested in is that the developer,
Oakwood Homes, has yet to
fulfill its promise of a recreation center and a pool in the
area. She questioned why
building was still being allowed to take place.
People here are very frustrated about that, Diaz said.
Lemasters expressed concerns about language and rates
pertaining to the metropolitan
district he and residents in the
area pay into. The districts, a
major cog into getting the area
off the ground a decade ago,
are an autonomous entity thats
privately funded by a developer. Johnstown permits land
owners to sell these bonds that
are fueled by mill levies.
James and two representatives from Oakwood Homes
met on Oct. 7 to discuss what
the towns tolerance might be
for re-platting the subdivision
out here. The Thompson River
Crossing plan, James said, is

over a decade old and remains

tailored to the then market. The
idea is for Oakwood Homes officials to potentially replat the
area.
We are renegotiating with
the people at Oakwood, James
said. We will ensure that that
recreation center gets built.
James quickly corrected the
recreation center label when
asked if there would be two of
them in town. Earlier this year,
James and council stated a fullfledged rec center would be
opened in town in 2018, debt
free. The one in 2534, however,
looks to be more of a community center, he said.
When it comes to whos on
the Town Council, many in
South Johnstown know what
James looks like (or sounds
like when hearing him on the
radio). Diaz said she didnt
even know what he looked like
or his name until Oct. 8.
Mellon is about as rooted in
Johnstown as Parish Avenue or
Roosevelt High School, serving for decades as a councilmember and mayor.
Councilmember Chad
Young, who along with Mellon,
led the board through trying
times internally nearly 20 years
ago to get 2534 to where it is
today.
Point being, the board is
rooted deep within historic
Johnstown. In a few years, if
population trends keep upward,
that will change. Mellon and
James said once Johnstowns
population reaches 20,000, the
town will be broken up into

districts/wards, resulting in residents to the north having representation on council.

I think so, responded
Lemasters about if a resident
from their area was on the
board would it enhance relationships between the south
and north. That person would
make more of an effort to build
relationships here in the community. And make sure to hear
the concerns and be able to take
those things specifically to
council.
The population in 2010 was
9,887 per the U.S. Census. It
climbed to 12,093 in 2013.
Perhaps residents in the
north getting on the council, either by simply running or waiting for a few years for an apportioned seat, will serve as the
catalyst to get both identities to
see each other as Johnstown.
Maybe itll come in the
form of businesses in the south
venturing into the new waters
in 2534, because the council
and chamber can only do so
much to promote.
But at the end of the day, the
town reaps the financial benefits.
Whatever the case, or however much signage is placed
there, one thing is clear: There
will be residents and councilmembers at the ready to
show newcomers they are in
Johnstown, and no place else.
People will understand
theyre in the better community, Mellon said.