Wheat Ridge council advances $10 million "refresh" of 38th Avenue, staff to begin targeted business outreach

Wheat Ridge City officials on June 15 advanced preliminary concepts for a $10 million 38th Avenue streetscape "refresh," directing staff to begin targeted outreach with businesses and property owners before returning with a narrowed 30% design.

Director Lauren McQualk told the council the project is a deliberately scoped refresh — "not a reconstruction" — funded by the November 2023 2J sales tax extension and intended to improve placemaking, safety and connectivity along the corridor between Wadsworth and Sheridan. McQualk said staff retained RVI Planning and Landscape Architecture to produce concept drawings and emphasized the visuals are "conversation starters," not final designs.

Public Works Director Kent Kissel summarized two alternatives. Alternative A would keep the existing flow line and on-street bike lanes, with lower construction complexity, smaller planting islands and incremental streetscape changes. Alternative B would shift the flow line, create an 8-foot multimodal path in key segments, increase tree canopy and streetscape, and provide stronger placemaking at higher construction complexity. Kissel said the consultant’s counts show bicycle activity is concentrated in the corridor middle while pedestrian activity is higher at the corridor ends, and that the multimodal path would better connect schools, parks and retail.

Staff noted some school-safety work — including a Hawk pedestrian signal at a school crossing and enhanced crosswalks and refuge islands — has already been funded by grant and would occur regardless of the A/B choice. McQualk and engagement coordinator Ashley Holland described a phased outreach plan that targets property owners and businesses facing higher impacts for one-on-one or small-group conversations, with online materials and general public opportunities as a complement.

A number of council members raised concerns about construction fatigue for businesses that endured recent major work on Wadsworth. Resident Guy Namyash, who spoke during public comment, urged caution: "They're elated that ... they're starting to see business coming back," he said, and warned that more long-term construction could reduce support for future ballot measures. Councilors also pressed staff on details: whether both alternatives fit the roughly $10 million 2J allocation (staff: yes), ADA continuity, where bike facilities could be routed near constrained intersections, implications of moving the flow line (council approval by ordinance; potential for referendum), subsurface drainage and the feasibility of building medians.

Staff said the project will first be carried to a 30% concept level this year; engagement would begin in late summer or early fall to avoid competing with July activities. The expected path, according to staff, is 30% concept and engagement in 2026, full design work and advertisement for bids in 2027, and potential phased construction beginning in 2028. Staff emphasized phasing to avoid working the entire corridor simultaneously.

The council signaled consensus to move the concept materials into the staff-led engagement plan focused on the businesses and property owners along 38th Avenue and return with a refined recommended concept and the 30% design.

Next steps: staff will initiate targeted outreach, post materials on the city engagement site, and return to council with a proposed preferred design and schedule after the public feedback and 30% design work.