John Scarffe
Nederland
Three businesses on Nederland’s Second Street celebrated the street’s opening on Sunday afternoon, October 23, 2016. Second Street was closed for several weeks this summer and fall because of construction resulting from the Nederland Downtown Development Authority’s NedPeds project.
The NedPeds project involves constructing a new Nederland pathway from the RTD lot to the Post Office, while improving Town storm water drainage along the way. Many of the residences impacted by the project live or work on Second Street.
The project ran into several delays, lengthening the time Second Street was closed. At the September 6th meeting of the Nederland Board of Trustees, the Board heard that work was well underway on Second Street west of Snyder Street but still isn’t completed due to the rerouting of gas lines with Xcel.
The Board also learned that the contractor, Consolidated Resource, anticipated having Second Street east of Snyder completed by the end of September. The project initially called for porous asphalt over the intersection of Snyder and Second streets to increase storm water drainage, but securing porous asphalt proved to be a challenge and the contractor was not able to procure porous asphalt this year.
As a result, the contractor put a regular asphalt, three-inch cap down, because going into winter without some kind of cap would cost more than not putting a cap down and would risk contaminating the rock layers that will help with drainage.
At the September 20th Board meeting, F&D International, which oversees the project, confirmed that the contractor couldn’t find a company to provide porous asphalt this season. Instead of asphalt, they put down a road base surface with magnesium chloride, and it hardens like rock. Then they will put down the porous asphalt next spring.
On September 30, 2016, the NedPeds contractors completed two-thirds of the temporary roadway on Second Street, between Snyder and East Streets, and the road opened between the Second and Snyder streets intersection and Prime Haven.
In mid-October, the contractor was installing asphalt on the intersection of Snyder and 2nd Streets. A final walk-through was scheduled for October 18th, to create a punch list of last-minute clean-up work on the project before it is buttoned up for next spring.
Second Street is now open, and to remind people about places on Second Street, including the newest business in town, The Art House, the NDDA and Second Street business owners organized a little festival Sunday to bring people to these businesses.
The event included wine tasting and a drawing for original art at The Art House, 171 East Second Street. Happy hour food and drink also was available at Salto, 112 East Second, and a sale on select items at Nederland Feed & Pet, 115 East Second Street.
Paula Farrell, owner of The Art House, said they wanted to have the festival to help people understand that the street is open again. “We are welcoming people to come on down and access the businesses on Second Street.
“It’s such a huge relief. We haven’t been able to do what we wanted to do here,” Farrell said. She wanted to support artists and provide local art for sale. “There was no access for part of that time, but we’re open for the holidays and ready to sell art.”
Adam Pause, owner of Nederland Feed and Pet, said he had a few people drop in so far that afternoon. “After 20 years of being closed on Sunday, it’s hard for people to know that we’re open. We don’t know what to expect.”
Business wasn’t slow while Second Street was closed, Pause said. They wouldn’t have had any access in or out but neighbors Tom and Sally Grahn allowed the business to use their vacant lot so they could drive through to Third Street.
Pause is anxious to see how the new asphalt holds up on the street with the moisture that winter brings. He has a lot of trucks coming and going and he regularly hauls off a couple of tons of feed.
