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February 20, 2015 VOLU M E 1 4 | I SS UE 1 3
CentennialCitizen.net A R A P A H O E C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
A publication of
Schools: Assessing threat can be difficult Advisory committee continues work on safety, mental health Residents view a project schedule and the results of noise impact analyses related to the addition of toll lanes on C-470 between I-25 and Kipling Street. Some neighborhoods could get sound barriers, such as walls and berms. Photo by Chris Michlewicz
Widening to worsen C-470 noise Meetings aim to inform about sound levels By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz@colorado communitymedia.com With a growing population comes more traffic, and with that comes lane expansions and added noise. The Colorado Department of Transportation had two open houses at the Highlands Ranch Metro District headquarters Feb. 10 and 11 to present its analysis of traffic noise generated by C-470, which is being widened by two and, in some places, three toll lanes starting in 2016. CDOT researched noise levels during “worst-case scenario” travel hours and peak traffic times, and projected what those numbers will be when the entire widening is completed around 2018, said Jon Chesser, environmental project manager for CDOT. Officials presented the numbers to homeowners who live near the interstate, along with recommendations to mitigate the increased noise, during the open houses. The second night drew more than 60 people who had questions pertaining to everything from how the studies were conducted to what impacts the noise might have on home values. Any homeowners exposed to sound below 66 decibels are considered not impacted by traffic noise, Chesser said, citing state and federal standards. Those who are affected will have the opportunity to vote on whether they want a noise barrier, such as a wall or berm, and a vote of 50 percent in favor is required to build a barrier. The extent of mitigation measures will also be weighed against con-
struction costs. Some residents were upset that their homes were not within the zone that recommended noise abatement features. That included William Berg, who bought his home on Mallard Place, near Colorado Boulevard and Venneford Ranch Road, just six months ago. He was attending his first public meeting about the widening Feb. 11 after receiving a letter and postcard from the state. Berg, whose top concern is noise, was surprised to find there was no recommendation for a wall or berm behind his house on the poster boards at the meeting, despite his proximity to C-470. “Even though my house backs up directly to 470 and it’s going to expand closer to my house with more traffic, I’m not a candidate for noise mitiga-
C-470 WIDENING PROJECT BY THE NUMBERS $269
million — Cost for construction, which will be partially funded through the issuance of bonds that will be paid back by tolls
112,000
— Current number of vehicles per day on C-470 between Quebec and Yosemite streets
3
— Toll lanes to be built between Interstate 25 and Colorado Boulevard; two westbound and one eastbound
10
decibels — No homeowner is expected to experience an increase of 10 or more decibels as a result of the widening
NEIGHBORHOODS AFFECTED Columbine Hills, Villas at Verona, Meadowbrook, Wingate, Redstone Ranch, Chatfield Bluffs, Palomino Park, Canyon Ranch, Shadow Canyon, Province Center/Gleneagle and Township at Highlands Ranch
tion,” he said, before pointing out homes on an enlarged map that appeared to be an equal distance or farther from the lanes of traffic that will have the option. Berg was unaware of the plans to add the toll lanes to C-470 before purchasing his home and said he is considering selling before the project starts. Others who carefully eyed the maps at the open houses were glad to see noise barriers recommended for their area of the heavily used corridor. Ray and Mary Gutkowski, who moved into the Villas at Verona near C-470 and Santa Fe Drive more than a year ago, pointed at a wall that has been suggested as a buffer between the development and the highway. Ray Gutkowski pointed out that traffic noise will also be blocked by four-story buildings on the development’s south end. They are not concerned about a drop in property value because they believe the value is “based on the property itself,” not its proximity to C-470, Mary Gutkowski said. Numerous experts in fields from sound acoustics to civil engineering were on hand to answer questions from homeowners at the Feb. 11 open house. It was the latest meeting in what has thus far been a twoand-a-half-year outreach effort to include the public.
Noise continues on Page 9
By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@colorado communitymedia.com What would you do if your 5-year-old brought home an assignment that said he was going to “bloe” up his teacher and the school, when the child can’t even spell the word “blow” right? It’s an actual dilemma Littleton Public Schools has faced. Should administrators deem him a risk? Conduct a threat assessment? Alert parents? Recommend counseling? Call in law enforcement? “Threat assessment is difficult, because it can be very subjective,” Nate Thompson, director of social, emotional and behavior services for the district, told members of the Safety and Mental Health Advisory Committee on Feb. 11. After the Arapahoe High School shooting, Thompson said, the district called in a nationally recognized security professional, John Nicoletti, to review its processes. One change made as a result is that a district-level team now reviews every single incident report each week, trying to identify trends and monitor individual students, even if the student switches schools. “It’s really us trying to connect the dots across the district,” Thompson said. After Columbine, LPS implemented procedures modeled on those used by the FBI and Secret Service, as well as public-health agencies, he said. “But you will not be able to predict all the violence that’s out there, you just won’t,” he said. “That’s the nature of mental illness.” Thompson and Melissa Cooper, director of special education and student support services, outlined for the group the voluminous measures the district tries to take. Many are mandated by the state or federal government, such as data collection and reporting. Many go above and beyond, such as specific intervention tools like bully-proofing or suicideprevention programs like Yellow Ribbon. Threat continues on Page 9
Health alliance wins Hearts for Hope SMHA recognizes standouts By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com Hope, says Carol Jeanotilla, is all in your head, and that’s perfectly OK. “It really is all in our minds, but in the best possible way,” she told those who attended the South Metro Health Alliance’s Hearts for Hope luncheon on Feb. 12. “Our minds and bodies connect with each other via our emotions. It’s part of why outlook is such a critical part of healing.” Jeanotilla had been a registered nurse for 20 years when what she calls a “big ol’ midlife crisis” hit. She traded in her stethoscope for sculptor’s tools, and found her life’s calling. When a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis threatened to take it away, she fought back in, literally, a big way. “I had to see this as a chance,” she said during the luncheon, held at The Fran-
HEARTS FOR HOPE 2014 HONOREES Founder Awards Rita Beam, Tri-County Health Department Bebe Kleinman, Doctors Care Susan Thornton, Susan Thornton Associates Humanitarian Awards Amy Gensler, Parker Pediatrics and Adolescents Kathy Leslie, Home and Health Ministry of Mission Hills Church Robin Dickinson, Community Supported Family Medicine Randy Penn, Holy Cow Food Bank at Mosaic Church
ciscan Event Center in Centennial. “So I thought, by golly, if I did big, great work, none of that mattered.” She launched Big3D Productions, and now she’s known for her large-scale projects like the Hope Tree at the Parker Cancer Hope continues on Page 9
Artist Carol Jeanotilla discusses the power of hope during the South Metro Health Alliance annual awards luncheon at the Franciscan Event Center in Centennial on Feb. 12. Photo by Jennifer Smith