FAQs – Northeast Longmont Capital Projects

Residents will be able to use Armstrong Drive to turn onto eastbound 17th Avenue where they can make a left turn to head north on County Line Road.

The new intersections at Sunshine and Rustic will both be 3/4 intersections. This means that:

• A vehicle traveling north on County Line Road can make a left turn into either Sunshine or Rustic (using a left-turn lane being installed as part of the project).
• A vehicle traveling south on County Line Road can turn right onto either Sunshine or Rustic
• Vehicles traveling on either Sunshine or Rustic can only turn right onto County Line Road

Intersection improvements are required to improve safety at both intersections.

Underground infrastructure required for a traffic signal system will be installed with the current roadway project. This is being done in anticipate of a future traffic signal at the intersection.

Currently, the intersection does not meet the requirements for a traffic signal.

A traffic signal can only be installed as determined by a traffic engineering study and when at least one traffic signal warrant condition has been met. Nine traffic signal warrant conditions are identified in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, and an intersection must meet at least one warrant. (See the list of conditions below.)

The nine warrant conditions are:

• Traffic Count Data: Eight Hour Vehicular Volume *
• Traffic Count Data: Four-Hour Vehicular Volume *
• Traffic Count Data: Peak Hour *
• Pedestrian Volume
• School Crossing
• Coordinated Signal System
• Crash Experience
• Roadway Network: Intersections of Major Routes
• Intersection Near a Grade Crossing: Railroad

* The intersection is a T intersection, which may be limiting the number of vehicles seen at the intersection when collecting traffic count data.

City staff will present this suggestion to the Traffic Engineering division.

Radar speed signs, also known as driver feedback signs, will be installed with the project. Additional speed limit signs will be installed with the driver feedback signs. 

Also, staff will present residents' concern about speeding on County Line Road to the Traffic Engineering division to determine if any further traffic calming methods can be incorporated to slow traffic along this road.

The effectiveness of landscaping for noise mitigation depends largely on the extent of plantings and a layered approach to installation. Individual homeowners associations (HOAs) can apply for Neighborhood Improvement Program grants and partner with the City to address specific areas of concern.

For example, the Shadow Grass Park HOA will be using such a grant to install landscaping measures along County Line Road from 17th to Sunshine Avenue.

The Weld County properties have been annexed and incorporated into City of Longmont jurisdiction.

Rezoning of the property would require a decision made by City Council. The property is currently owned by the Open Space Program which is governed by the Disposition of City Open Space Ordinance O-2011-10. This ordinance states that if property is decided to be removed from the open space program then it would require a recommendation for removal by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board as well as a decision by City Council.

There are no current plans to develop the property south of the Eastgate development. Currently, the Rider well site located on the property is being reclaimed. Once cleanup is complete, the City will have the ability to evaluate development potential in the area. However, any decision to allow development is one that would up to the City Council to make.

Why were cottonwoods selected for the landscaping along Spring Gulch #2?

Plains Cottonwoods are native to Colorado and are especially prevalent in floodplains and bordering streams similar to Spring Gulch #2. Cottonwoods trees make excellent nest platforms for a variety of predatory birds such as eagles, hawks and owls as well as birds like blue herons.

Don’t Cottonwoods produce a lot of “snow” when they flower? (Also, how can you tell whether a Cottonwood is male?)

The sex of a Cottonwood tree can be determined when the trees begin to flower in the spring. The male flowers are red while the female flowers are yellowish green pods that eventually produce cotton. Cultivars provided at nurseries in the Front Range of Colorado (where the City of Longmont acquires its plantings) were grafted from a single male tree creating saplings that are also male.

Don’t Cottonwoods consume a large volume of water?

A Cottonwood tree consumes approximately 30-130 gallons of water a day depending on its size and environment. For comparison, an average person uses approximately 80-100 gallons of water a day. These statistics were gathered from the Department of Rangeland Ecology and Management and the United States Geological Survey.

The project landscape architect selected plants that would be successful in restoring the natural areas around Spring Gulch #2 to pre-construction conditions. Evergreen species were not originally found along the length of this drainage. However, we will consider their inclusion.

Yes, the project upland seeding includes a Showy Milkweed variety for plantings in the areas near the the detention pond.

Staff will visit the site and determine if the fence removal can be incorporated with the project removals for Phase 2 of the Spring Gulch #2 project.

The project has been designed to function as a natural stream channel. This will include a low-flow channel that is narrow and deep to prevent excessive vegetation growth and sedimentation issues.