1-Color
April 16, 2014
75 cents | Volume 49, Issue 13 Tri-Lakes Region, Monument, Gleneagle, Black Forest and Northern El Paso County A publication of
tri-lakestribune.net
CALMING CHAOS Elliott
Gingrich
Get to know the Monument board of trustees By Danny Summers
dsummers@ coloradocommunitymedia.com On April 7, Rafael Dominguez was sworn in as the new mayor of Monument. That same day, three board of trustee members for the town were also sworn in; Kelly Elliott, Jeffrey Kaiser and Stanley Gingrich. All three retained their seats. Here is a little information on each of the six Monument board of trustee members.
KELLY ELLIOTT
The El Paso County transportation department has big plans for the intersection of Gleneagle Drive and Struthers Road. A roundabout is planned in the next or third quarter of 2015. Photo by Danny Summers
Roundabout to be built in location of Gleneagle Drive, Struthers Road Roundabout won over traffic signals By Danny Summers
dsummers@coloradocommunitymedia.com Motorists that have approached the three-way stop at the corner of Gleneagle Drive and Struthers Road are all too aware of the chaos that can sometimes ensue. A bright morning sun can lead to a plethora of problems. That same blinding afternoon sun sometimes makes things even worse. But if all goes according to plan, a roundabout will be built in the location by the spring or summer of 2015. “We did a study and what the study recommended is a roundabout,” said El Paso County engineer Andre Brackin. “A signal would not make sense there. Plus it would be too costly.” Brackin and his team have been monitoring the intersection for years. In early 2011, the Board of County Commissioners voted to approve a professional service contract to Wilson and
Company for Civil and Traffic Engineer Planning and Design Services. The traffic study examined possible ways in which to make the intersection safer. “We did the study because we needed to figure out a way to make that intersection safer,” Brackin said. “Ultimately this is all about safety.” There is an all-way stop sign located at the intersection. Brackin said there have been several accidents over the years caused by motorists running the stop signs. The county added flashing beacons atop the stop signs in 2010. Brackin said that it is not uncommon for motorists to use Struthers as an arterial for Monument, and at times a frontage road for Interstate 25. Many times, when the interstate is closed between Northgate Boulevard and Baptist Road, motorists use Struthers, which creates heavy traffic. The traffic in the area is expected to get even heavier with the future interchange of Powers Boulevard and I-25 near North Gate. According to Brackin, an outside consultant group will design the roundabout. It will be two lanes on each side. “At some point the County Commis-
sioners will weigh in on the issue again,” Brackin said. “If they okay it we will go ahead and hopefully have this completed by the second or third quarter of next year.” Brackin added that funding for the project is the biggest factor slowing the completion of the roundabout. He estimated that it should cost under $200,000. That figure includes the design of the roundabout, a site survey, construction, and the purchase of some land west of Struthers. “There are some other things that would need to be done along the way; some grading issues and some drainage issues,” Brackin said. “The total cost of the project could be $125,000 on the low end and $200,000 on the high end.” The roundabout idea won out over a traffic signal for a couple of reasons. “The roundabout will keep traffic flowing at a steady pace,” Brackin said. “A traffic signal in that area would probably cost at least $250,000. “We just put one in at the Constitution and Powers and it cost $240,000 to $250,000.” Last fall, three roundabouts were constructed on North Gate, south of Struthers. Funding for that came from the I-25 expansion project.
Elliott moved to Monument with her husband and two daughters in 2005. She moved here after accepting a vice president position in a medical device company in Colorado Springs. Elliott received her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from San Jose State and Master of Science degree from the University of California at San Francisco. She is an ex-ICU and interventional cardiology (Cardiac Cath Lab) RN who has held executive positions for years in medical device companies. She is currently the president, CEO, and founder of a consulting firm that works with medical device companies in developing strategies and strategic implementation for bringing new medical devices to patients through research and new device approvals across global markets.
JEFF BORNSTEIN
Bornstein has been a resident of Monument for 12 years. He is originally from California. He attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and earned a BA in speech communications/business. He has two children; Jacob who is attending his second year at the University of Colorado, and a daughter Savannah, who is in her first year at Palmer Ridge High School. Bornstein works for Kluber Lubrication NA LP. Kluber specializes in specialty lubricants. He has been with the company for 15 years as a Project Manager/OEM Specialist. He feels very strongly about maintaining the beauty that Monument brings, while also preserving that “small town feeling.” He is very passionate about education, Monument schools, water resources, smart growth along with supporting local merchants.
BECKI TOOLEY
Tooley has been a resident of Monument for 10 years and has served as a commissioner for the town. She has worked in
Trustees continues on Page 3 POSTAL ADDRESS
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