NEDERLAND - On Tuesday, July 15, 2025, before the start of their regular meeting, the Nederland Board of Trustees (BOT) met for a Work Session to address the two proposed routes for an emergency egress road for the Big Springs subdivision. 

Project Manager Nathan Skalak of JVA, the Town’s engineering consultants, and Chief Charlie Schmidtmann of the Nederland Fire Protection District (NFPD) were present for the work session and provided information regarding the criteria from which the two route options were chosen. 

JVA has been the principal consultant on this project since 2016; the project itself has been discussed periodically by several iterations of the BOT for more than 20 years.

Over the years more than nine different routes have been assessed, discussed, and reviewed, all of which were found insufficient, due either to geography and environmental factors, such as concerns over fire behavior, or to private property issues. 

On June 1, 2022, the BOT voted 4 - 1 to apply for Congressional Designated Spending made available through a Legislative Pre-Disaster Mitigation grant, which is overseen by the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

During that meeting the Board reviewed three routes, called the Wildewood, Doe Trail, and  Ridgeline routes, that would meet the 60% completion requirement in order to be eligible for FEMA funds towards the cost of constructing the chosen route. 

However, Trustees decided not to pursue construction of what was considered the most eligible route, the Wildewood Route, because of complications with a private homeowner.

The BOT voted instead to apply for $524,793 in grant funds to be used for more “scope of work.”

At that time, JVA and Town staff were tasked with locating new route options and investigating the potential of working with Boulder County and Homeland Security to construct an egress route across the Barker Dam. 

The Board agreed to the terms and conditions of the grant on October 18, 2022; it was reported last October during a budgetary discussion that the Town is expected to provide its $146,000 match for the FEMA grant in 2025.

It was stated during that discussion that the Big Springs Emergency Egress project would be a top priority for the upcoming year. 

Strides had already been made on the project: In August of 2024, members of the BOT, JVA, the NFPD, the Planning Commission, the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Advisory Board, and the Nederland Downtown Development Authority, as well as Town staff and rangers from Boulder County, walked through the woods of Big Springs to professionally assess three new routes. 

East Route 1, East Route 2, and the Boulder Canyon Route, were rated based on safety, feasibility, projected cost, and impact on the environment and the community. 

JVA also used guiding principles to assess each route. According to those principles, the route should be a 12-foot-wide gravel surface with a two-foot shoulder on either side and a maximum longitudinal slope of 12%. It should include pull-outs for fire engines every 400 feet, and provide a 30-foot minimum turning radius.

The principles also state that construction of the route should involve a minimal amount of earthwork, and should avoid impacting any wetland or riparian environments, as well as any wildlife and residents. 

During Tuesday’s meeting, Skalak detailed the two routes that were chosen for final review, which includes one route going uphill and connecting with Magnolia Road, and one route traveling downhill toward the other side of the Barker Dam, with the intention of leading any evacuation across Middle Boulder Creek and connecting to Boulder Canyon Drive.

Regarding the Boulder Canyon Route, Skalak noted that JVA can only design the egress up to the creek, as the land on the other side is owned by Boulder County. There is also an existing bridge across the creek that would need to be replaced. 

Town Manager Jonathan Cain stated that representatives for Boulder County were present for the walkthrough of the proposed Boulder Canyon Route and indicated that they were open to discussion regarding its viability. However, communications with the County and with the City of Boulder have yet to progress since then.  

Schmidtmann addressed the crowd next and began by thanking the Board for acknowledging the importance of this egress route, as it has been a priority of the district for a long time. 

Schmidtmann provided information as to what is required of the route where emergency vehicle ingress is concerned. He stated that the Boulder Canyon route has several advantages, including that it would lead evacuations downhill, which is less dangerous in a wildfire, and that it would lead into a well-maintained state highway. 

The Boulder Canyon route, due to its proximity to district fire stations, would also yield a faster emergency response time. 

Several members of the community, many of them residents of Big Springs, offered  public comments. There was a question as to whether a remote padlock or automated system can be added to the egress entrance, as the route is currently planned only to be opened by emergency personnel in person. 

JVA stated that remote or automated padlocks do exist and that they recommend them, though it would be up to the Town and the community to determine the best equipment for such emergency planning.  

Most questions were focused on the proposed Boulder Canyon Route, including whether there was private property on the other side of the creek that could prove problematic, and if planning egress directly across Barker Dam would be possible. 

Skalak answered that there is a County access road on the other side of the creek that seems to avoid private property and that the intention is to utilize that road for the final connection to Boulder Canyon Drive. 

As for traveling directly across the dam, Skalak said that “substantial reconstruction” of the dam would be needed that could cost “tens of millions of dollars,” and that strategically removing some of the structural rock encroachments could be dangerous and complicated. 

One commenter expressed concern about the potential impacts the construction of an egress route would have on the local ecology; hypothesizing that the emergency road would be used for logging purposes; and stated that people choose to live in these areas despite the dangers, and that the focus on connecting dead end roads in Colorado was arbitrary. 

An resident of unincorporated Boulder County with a view of the hill on the other side of Barker Dam expressed concern for the “visual scarring” that the Boulder Canyon egress route would cause on that hill. An online viewer responded, “I would sure hope that our safety in a wildfire matters more than someone’s view.”  

Jim Reis, Chair of the Nederland Planning Commission, commented that proper communication with Boulder County and the City of Boulder needs to be made before moving forward, as the most effective route requires their input and permission. Otherwise, it is a nonstarter. 

Cain added that there is enough funding to design both routes that the Town and JVA are considering. However, there currently is no funding available for the construction of the egress route, though Town staff is prepared to pursue funding opportunities once a route has been approved. 

 Visual representation of the routes will be made available for the next two weeks at the second floor lobby of the Nederland Community Center. JVA is to provide the Town with links to digital maps of the routes, which the Town will make available to the public.

The Town expects to gather public input on the routes over the next two weeks and will provide Trustees with a summary of that input during their meeting on August 5. 

“Any future construction of an egress route will depend on the Town’s ability to secure necessary property rights,” the official Agenda Information Memorandum (AIM) reads.

“This may include access agreements, easements, or voluntary property acquisition. Staff is committed to working collaboratively with all affected landowners and will not pursue any involuntary or adversarial actions.” 

As for the delivery of a final design once a route is chosen, Skalak explained that various approvals are required, including from Boulder County and the U.S. Forest Service, but was confident that a final design could be completed within six to nine months. 

Culverts

During the meeting proper, Trustees were tasked with voting whether to hire a third-party contractor for the installation, replacement, and repair of many culverts throughout town in order to address drainage issues in certain areas, and to prevent continual damage to the roads. 

Streets Manager Josh Davis sought bids from three different local companies and is recommending the Town contract with High Performance Earthworks due to their professionalism, track record, and prompt response. 

“Hiring them enables us to tackle urgent drainage problems now, while the Streets Department continues addressing the backlog of deferred maintenance,” Davis wrote in the official AIM. “This contractor allows us to deliver quick, visible improvements to the community, which means direct results for taxpayer investment.”

The estimate from High Performance Earthworks is for $21,414.75, and their detailed quote breaks down the cost by labor and use of heavy equipment for each individual culvert in need of repair. The Streets department currently has $60,000 allocated in its budget for infrastructure improvements. 

Trustee Kristopher Larsen expressed concern that only three local contractors were approached, which yielded only one result. Town Manager Cain admitted that the Town may need to “broaden its net” when reaching out for bids.

The Board voted to approve contracting with High Performance Earthworks for town-wide culvert installation, replacement, and repair.   

Legal services

The Board also approved several resolutions within their Consent Agenda, including a rate increase for the Town’s legal services provided by Widner Juran LLP. 

General legal services from a partner or counsel will cost $215 an hour, while associates will charge $200 an hour, starting August 1.

Effective January 1, 2026, the hourly fees for a partner increases to $230 an hour, $210 an hour for associates. Also in January, pass-through rates, including enterprise fund and third-party billings, get raised from $230 an hour to $290.  

An engagement agreement between the Town of Nederland and Dickinson Wright PLLC for “specialized legal services” related to water rights due diligence associated with the Town’s acquisition of Eldora Mountain Ski Resort was also approved, which set the fees of the two attorneys at $385 an hour each.

Eldora due diligence

According to Town officials, further due diligence work related to the Eldora acquisition is required to ensure “feasibility and long-term sustainability.” Therefore, the Board approved contracting with SE Group for $69,000 (plus any reimbursable expenses and pre-approved consultant fees) to complete a review of Eldora’s infrastructure, current operations, and financial performance. 

“SE Group will prepare a detailed report suitable for your use as well as sharing with investors/underwriters,” SE Group’s proposal to the Town reads.

“This will include substantial detail and explanation pertaining to each of the areas listed above, including presentation of the proforma model depicting projections for the five-year operating model. Subject to the terms of any confidentiality agreement between the Town and the Seller, the Town will use this report as a planning document for its operation and plan for Eldora Mountain.”

The proposal indicates that SE Group may need to acquire the expertise of a Lift System Engineer and a Snowmaking System Engineer for additional analysis of Eldora’s capabilities. The entire due diligence process is expected to take up to eight weeks to complete.

The Nederland Board of Trustees meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 5, 2025, at 7 p.m. and can be attended either online or in person at the Nederland Community Center. 

For more information go to: https://townofnederland.colorado.gov/board-of-trustees.