I'm the owner of a real estate brokerage in Northwest Denver, and am alarmed at the possibilities an expanded I-70 will bring to the Globeville, Elyria and Swansea neighborhoods.
These neighborhoods have already been compromised by a separation from the rest of Denver's revitalized Highlands and RiNo neighborhoods, and will be further ruined by this new plan. Home values in those neighborhoods have barely increased in the past 15-20 years. Every other neighborhood that's within four miles of the urban core is worth two, three or four times as much as it was in the same period. Demand for real estate development in the city makes these areas an opportunity to reclaim these neighborhoods - but will not continue to do so if I-70 is widened. This is our opportunity to make it right!
And what about west of I-25? How is it that CDOT expects to make a gigantic expansion to I-70 east of I-25 and no expansion west of I-25 without creating a horrible bottleneck at I-25 which defeats the desired benefits? CDOT suggests that 50% of the traffic on I-70 westbound gets off onto I-25 - which I find hard to believe.
In their calculations, CDOT fails to account for any I-25 traffic that gets onto I-70.As a resident of the area, I've experienced this bottleneck on a regular basis, when I-70 west of I-25 is often backed-up. So, is the expansion of I-70 west of I-25 next? How many homes will that one take? Don't ruin my neighborhood like what's happened east of I-25!
Instead, I would be supportive of the plan to re-route I-70 along the existing I-270 and I-76 route. Adams County has a tremendous economic development opportunity with a re-route onto I-270 and I-76. As of now, most of those areas are un-developed, under-developed or blighted.Light rail is being developed in the area and a rerouted I-70 would further create a smart transportation corridor.
Please CDOT, do an SEIS on the full re-route that includes both I-270 and I-76!
---
Do you live in one of the neighborhoods along I-70 in the city of Denver? I encourage you to do some research and LET CDOT KNOW that their proposed expansion plan is misguided, and that a rerouting of I-70 along the existing I-270 and I-76 corridor makes much more sense!
But time is running out! The public comment period ends October 31, 2014. Please visithttp://unitenorthmetrodenver.com/ andhttp://unitenorthmetrodenver.com/comment-effectively/ to understand the viable alternative being presented, and then make a comment athttp://www.i-70east.com/comment-form.html
Socials