William Mead, Nederland.  The Nederland Board of Trustees gathered last Tuesday for a regular meeting at the Nederland Community Center on Tuesday, February 6. The closure of Third Street was a priority topic for the Board and many residents spoke on the issue.

In the spring of 2013, the Town Marshal recommended that Third Street be closed in order to prevent its use as a shortcut. Road work in the area heightened the amount of traffic and increased pressure for a closure, which was ultimately implemented.

“It was a behavioral modification experiment,” said Town Administrator Karen Gerrity. The Colorado Department of Transportation approved the closure as an “experiment,” but asked that the Board have a permanent solution by the spring of 2018.

Informal surveys released by town representatives indicate that a number of residents hope to, at the very least, replace the concrete barrier with something more visually appealing.

The current proposal, discussed in-depth by the Board on Tuesday, calls for opening Third Street as a one-way that only allows eastbound traffic. The westbound lane would be closed at the entrance, and the barrier would be replaced. Public Works Director Chris Pelletier said the barrier will be visually appealing.

The folks who live on Third Street that attended on Tuesday seemed to have few objections to the one-way proposal, but they have some concerns about keeping driving speeds regulated. Overall, residents at the meeting favored the one-way idea over complete closure of the street.

Board members expressed their agreement that the proposal on the table is a solid one. They also hope to collect more input from citizens during the coming weeks to accommodate all considerations. More action is expected on this issue before April.

(Originally published in the February 15, 2018, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)