Lamar Businesses Investing with City on Camino de Santa Fe Construction

Construction on Camino Closer to Completion

Construction work continues on Camino de Santa Fe to East Highway 50, or at least as close as the City of Lamar crews can without actually connecting. The street has always been 200 feet short of Highway 50 ever since it was built.  It lies between Dollar General and Walmart and the city has wanted to make it a working road for several years.

City Administrator, John Sutherland, told the city council during their last meeting, September 8, the dirt has been graded, curbs are laid in and City Public Works Director, Pat Mason’s work crew, plans to asphalt the roadway.   Sutherland said adjacent business owners have indicated a willingness to help finance the construction costs as they believe the completed street will help their businesses grow.  In light of their verbal agreement, Sutherland has had a development agreement drawn up.  “We’ve had a verbal willingness expressed by some property owners willing to do this if the city could build the street,” he explained.  A property owner can contribute $15,000 now and another $15,000 once the city has successfully completed the project and the road becomes usable.

Part of the contract includes Wal-Mart’s agreement to grant the city access to its property to complege the project, the city’s ability to secure an access permit from CDOT for Camino de Santa Fe to US Highway 50, the city will maintain street construction specifications as well with CDOT’s requirements for a Transportation Access Permit.

Vacant Store South of General Dollar

Sutherland expressed some discontent with CDOT’s reluctance to help the project go forward, “We’re tired of going through with the 62 pre-conditions CDOT has set up before the city gets the access permit and we intend to force the issue.”  He said both Wal-Mart and Dollar General have expressed their intent to help fund the project, as well as the empty store attached to the southern side of the Dollar General Building.  Sutherland said, “That hasn’t been leased out yet, but we would have a separate agreement for them at the same price.”  He added that Wal-Mart will probably move ahead as he believes the store may have plans for developing the empty stretch of land on the north edge of the parking lot.  Several years ago, that stretch of property had a Wal-Mart gas station.

Open Lot North of Wal-Mart

Sutherland said the city is essentially going solo on the project which will end just short of the highway. Mayor Roger Stagner wrote a letter to Governor Hickenlooper recently, asking for some form of intervention or assistance with CDOT, but the city hasn’t had a reply.  Sutherland added that the city’s price tag would be half the estimated price provided by CDOT for the project.

By Russ Baldwin