[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6264660,"mediaKeyId","3095992-c83e43aa41184c1c1bfe5b54d7214e40","parentId",3095992,"title","Littleton debates fate of historic City Ditch flumes as Englewood moves to pipe ditch","audioSeconds",3107,"startMs",3281000,"endMs",6388000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3095992-c83e43aa41184c1c1bfe5b54d7214e40&start=3281&end=6388","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3095992-c83e43aa41184c1c1bfe5b54d7214e40/thumbnail_3281000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6264660/Littleton-City/Arapahoe-County/Colorado/Littleton-debates-fate-of-historic-City-Ditch-flumes-as-Englewood-moves-to-pipe-ditch","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6264660-f91b92b26e3749b680156f92713c5a08/orig.mp4?Expires=1771192702&Signature=S6iCHAbp3m1dNCAZgH9PC0rL9Sonm6NWnVIXdMlB7USvBJ3U-~kzt3872DcUCvEo04aoRJTbDnhlkRcALk2jcqBnI71Hzqn3~RJgAx1lwQNo4dNC7D~lt5tzH1Ode7xw~NUjBB2LKUxT9hViLQpgJ8hfEyIvv8EJ7e91~cTaqiIFHAeh-MC3lCRNunv1ZTVjrYmyQBlGX1IjCICVpuQBws~jcvcGTboEauljF62zeN1rtylWEDZgA6uwSLcMMgL4wWFT9otOJsmMBXrfyYvKV9PIhkJ3cZrhI0tdWE3UuVlN--3zAWSJm~nqw2wD6l2YN8-2OPZhuY9jPbYacFM~Aw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Littleton City, CO","date","2025-04-23T16:40:50.69Z","article","Littleton City Council on April 22 discussed options for two deteriorating steel flume structures that carried the Englewood City Ditch across Slaughterhouse Gulch and a Legal‑area gulch, after a structural assessment found heavy corrosion, missing anchors and undermined foundations.

The council session considered costs and liability as Englewood prepares to pipe sections of the city ditch downstream. \"Both decks were corroded and leaking,\" said Ryan Germer Roth, deputy director of Public Works, summarizing the consultant’s findings and the safety concerns identified in the assessment.

Why it matters. The flumes are visible remnants of the city ditch infrastructure that once supplied irrigation; their fate raises competing priorities for Littleton: preserve a piece of local history, avoid long‑term maintenance liabilities and limit the city’s capital exposure. Staff presented cost estimates ranging from a modest cost if Englewood removes the structures as part of its project to about $300,000 to repair a single structure in place, roughly $20,000–$30,000 per year in maintenance, and up to $1.4 million to relocate all spans of the Slaughterhouse Gulch structure.

Assessment and ownership. City staff told council the City Ditch was constructed in the mid‑1860s by the Capitol Hydraulic Company and that the existing steel flumes were likely installed in the mid‑1940s. Consultant Benish’s inspection found corroded decking and steel supports, missing anchor bolts on abutments, heavy vegetation growth and in one case an undermined foundation estimated to retain about 10% of its original bearing capacity.

Options and staff recommendation. Staff presented three broad options: (1) direct Englewood to remove the flumes as part of its piping work (Englewood’s planned removal would impose no direct cost on Littleton), (2) repair and maintain the structures in place (staff estimate: roughly $640,000 over 10 years for one structure including repairs and maintenance), or (3) relocate and restore parts of the flumes for display (relocation costs depend on how much of the truss/spans are moved; relocating all nine spans of the Slaughterhouse Gulch structure was estimated at about $1.4 million). Staff recommended asking Englewood to remove the flumes as part of its project, and offered options for Littleton to preserve a moderate‑sized span if possible.

Council discussion and direction. Council members pressed staff on ownership, liability and precedent. Several members urged an assertive request that Englewood preserve a segment rather than allowing in‑place abandonment; others said preserving a full bridge length would be costly and preferred extracting a smaller representative span or salvaging components for display in the museum or on a history walk. Council asked staff to return with detailed legal and cost information before the council considers a quick‑claim deed or other property transfer tied to the Englewood project. The council’s working direction at the end of the session was to ask Englewood to remove the flumes with its project and to attempt to preserve a moderate‑sized span for display, with staff to pursue options for abatement, transportation and storage or curation.

Funding and grants. Staff noted limited historic‑preservation grant opportunities: Colorado’s State Historic Fund awards can range from $50,000 to $250,000 but typically require a historic designation and a municipal match (staff said a 25% local match would be required under typical criteria). Council members said they would not assume grant funding is guaranteed and emphasized exploring lower‑cost preservation options such as salvaging components or creating replicas and interpretive signage.

Next steps. The council was scheduled to consider a set of June items tied to the Englewood City Ditch work: an intergovernmental agreement covering the Slaughterhouse Gulch area, temporary and permanent construction easements, and quick‑claim deeds or conveyances to tidy property interests. Staff will return with more detailed estimates, legal analysis of property and easement status, and options for preserving a span or salvaging components if Englewood removes the structures.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Study Session - 04/22/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council reviewed an engineer’s assessment showing severe corrosion and undermined foundations on two steel flume structures, and directed staff to seek removal by Englewood while trying to preserve a moderate‑sized span for display.","taxTitle","Littleton City, Arapahoe County, Colorado","taxId",52180,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6264665,"Littleton council endorses Powers Park site plan; playground, trails and accessibility upgrades approved",2925,321000,3246000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3095992-c83e43aa41184c1c1bfe5b54d7214e40&start=321&end=3246","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3095992-c83e43aa41184c1c1bfe5b54d7214e40/thumbnail_321000.jpg","/articles/6264665/Littleton-City/Arapahoe-County/Colorado/Littleton-council-endorses-Powers-Park-site-plan-playground-trails-and-accessibility-upgrades-approved","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6264665-48c492a5d1b7a8518a2ababe0c210457/orig.mp4?Expires=1771192702&Signature=dxD8Xpk796WCIw7oBCzOzvge3vSZh6O7Qcey2j2MzT2spuDce1wtw80Wkm-Jw4IwbmzRpbLyey79uO5~3WOJJN-lRKacX7zol1FcB9rV0OaXN~OGQdlsG0dnpTIPkGeNctKf3PxwER9gE7jJNwdJ8MO2bTH8iuVEAKaRAKKFRVyFX1mZvMNVHfJPNZbXvuIT3ICC4vrwwJUQ3peQhW0~dWvyI1vOQ7z4RbbIZwlsb3kmx1~2GBVZFyq~0Q-YVfDKMFqITURQHhjIWUOi44MYTZsEnfIcepH2p0CsnofmRMsDZj6mdhjm7vgf2xJv4R-zlnSnl9ZT7NVS0Um~ACcHXg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Littleton City Council on April 22 endorsed a final site plan for Powers Park that replaces the neighborhood playground, adds a loop trail and improves accessible connections, while deferring substantial changes to the park’s detention pond pending separate flood‑control work, city staff said.

The plan matters because Powers Park sits on a 25‑year stormwater detention facility for Slaughterhouse Gulch; the pond’s operation constrains what can be built inside the park. \"It is a 4.75 Acre neighborhood park owned by the City of Littleton, managed by South Suburban,\" said Melissa Lisonbee Backer, senior planner, summarizing the site and the limits the flood facility imposes.

City staff and project partners said the site plan responds to aging park infrastructure and neighborhood requests for more inclusive play and gathering space. The plan enlarges the main plaza and shade pavilion, replaces the 24‑year‑old playground with equipment built to current accessibility guidance, adds a loop trail around the detention pond, introduces boulder features and native planting pockets, and adds an accessible route from the southeast corner of the park.

Melissa Lisonbee Backer told the council the playground lacks an accessible route and that the existing play equipment had reached the end of its useful life; South Metro Land Conservancy produced a 2023 vision plan that informed the design. Pat Cronin Burger of South Metro Land Conservancy said her organization was \"very supportive of the final site plan\" even though the vision plan’s more extensive regrading of the pond cannot proceed until separate floodplain work is completed by the Mile High Flood District and the city.

Public engagement. South Suburban reported a series of outreach steps: the South Metro Land Conservancy vision process funded in part by Arapahoe County Open Space; an online survey in October that produced 18 responses; an Oct. 17 open house with three attendees; and a North Littleton Promise bilingual presentation and meetings with seniors at Bradley House. The South Suburban board approved the final site plan at its April 9 business meeting after allowing public comment.

Access, restrooms and costs. Council members pressed staff about parking, restroom access and drinking fountains. Staff said neighborhood parks generally do not include formal parking lots and that flush restrooms are typically provided only at parks with multiuse fields. Staff gave cost examples: a pre‑fabricated flush restroom recently cost between $500,000 and $600,000 at another site; a single vault toilet (a satellite unit) has an enclosure cost of roughly $40,000; and a new water tap to serve a drinking fountain can cost in the neighborhood of $30,000 because of current Denver Water rules. Project staff gave a planning‑level project budget of about $1,200,000 and estimated playground equipment alone at roughly $130,000 (equipment plus installation and surfacing).

Accessibility and play. Staff said the design follows 2010 ADA recreation guidance where feasible and aims to include at least one fully inclusive play element while recognizing space constraints at small neighborhood playgrounds. The plan proposes an accessible route from the park’s southeast corner and staff said they would explore accessible parking or an accessible parking space on Powers Avenue in coordination with Public Works.

Council action and next steps. Council verbally recorded support for the final site plan; council discussion ended with members indicating approval and the mayor announcing five yeses. City staff said construction drawings will be completed in June 2025, the city applied for an Arapahoe County Open Space grant on April 11, 2025, and if the grant is awarded (staff expect notification in late July 2025) the construction contract could be awarded in November 2025 with construction starting January 2026 and continuing through June 2026.

The council’s endorsement directs staff and the South Suburban Parks and Recreation District to proceed with the approved site plan and follow the city’s abbreviated site plan and development permit review.","On April 22 the Littleton City Council endorsed a final site plan for Powers Park that replaces a 24‑year‑old playground, adds a loop trail and improves accessibility while leaving major pond changes to future flood‑control work, staff said.","actionData","errors"]

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Littleton debates fate of historic City Ditch flumes as Englewood moves to pipe ditch

Littleton council endorses Powers Park site plan; playground, trails and accessibility upgrades approved