Council moves Rocky Mountain Rail Park IGA to study session after staff outlines Peterson Road improvements

Haley Johansen, the city engineer in Aurora’s development services department, presented an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between Aurora and the Rocky Mountain Rail Park Metropolitan District on June 11 and said the Metro District agrees to appropriate funding this fiscal year for required public improvements on Peterson Road.

Johansen told the Transportation Advisory and Planning Subcommittee that the development is physically located in Adams County but requires use of Aurora’s public right-of-way on Peterson Road, including work across a railroad crossing. "The ultimate condition for Peterson Road is a three-lane collector, and Rocky Mountain Rail Park is required to construct half of that street section and include appropriate turn lanes at Colfax to support and manage their traffic," Johansen said.

She said the city agreed to a phased approach allowing some buildings in the industrial park to open before all ultimate improvements are complete, with the IGA documenting that the Metro District will fund and complete the improvements; the IGA as written requires completion by October 2030 and staff said the Metro District has agreed to appropriate funding this fiscal year.

Council members had brief questions but expressed general agreement to advance the item. One council member said the project appears remote from the city’s core and commented it is "out in the middle of nowhere," but the committee approved moving the item forward to a study session for more detailed review.

What comes next: The IGA will be reviewed at study session and returned to council for later consideration; staff said the phased approach and PUC permitting for the railroad crossing will shape design and construction timelines.