How we approach this work

Master Plan

Guided by the Clear Creek Greenway Master Plan created in 2005, we divide the trail into sections and create priorities.

Partnerships

We work with public entities in Clear Creek County to advise and assist them in securing funding for the Planning, Design and Construction of the trail. By partnering with entities like GOCO, we work to improve access to outdoor recreation and bring community and economic benefits to Clear Creek County. By working with CDOT, to combine trail building with highway or road improvements, we leverage those public funds and strive to increase the power of every dollar awarded to the fullest benefit of our community.

Design & Planning

Design and Planning is not just sketching lines on a map.  To create a viable design for the location of a trail, significant research and legwork needs to take place.

Research

Property Status - Every section of land considered for the trail is likely to have multiple ownership scenarios to address. From being part of the right-of-way for a federal, county, municipal or state roadway, to private ownership or Open Space, Forest Service or other public land, there are always varied concerns and ownership statuses. Exploring whether those statuses may or may not preclude trail building is complex and time consuming.

Environmental Concerns - Issues like drainage, hydrology, watersheds, floodplains, wildlife migration, plant life, traffic patterns and other roadway alignments must be researched and reported on as well.

Walk the terrain

Each section of the trail must be physically visited by a team of designers, project managers, engineers and other experts.

Propose an alignment

Once that work is done, we have enough information to say, "Ok, we think this location could work". But that is only part of determining where the trail will go.

Community Meetings

Once we have a reasonably well informed proposed trail location, the local community weighs in.

Finalize trail alignment

With support from the community we can finalize the trail location.  Without community support we we typically go back to the drawing board and explore other locations.  There may or may not be viable options and ultimately it will be up to the county or municipality to decide how to balance community preference, with the overall costs and potential benefits to the community and the commitments already in place. 

Construction

The CCGA helps coordinate the pursuit of such funds to better leverage our requests by making sure they are coordinated and transparent.

Communication

Once trails are under construction, the CCGA plays a critical role in keeping the community informed of any issues that affect access or driving.