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OCN > 2604 > Triview Metropolitan District, March 19 – Northern Monument Creek Interceptor set to “ramp up”

Triview Metropolitan District, March 19 – Northern Monument Creek Interceptor set to “ramp up”

Highlights

  • The Northern Monument Creek Interceptor project move from design to construction is approved, with about $33 million in bonds for the northern entities portion to be presented at the May meeting and construction expected to begin in late May, aiming for completion in late 2027.
  • Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) will ramp up construction, with the first six months consuming 40% of total costs and starting from the south end of the pipeline in Colorado Springs.
  • Water operations report shows two years of storage to meet district demands despite low snowpack; the district treats and delivers via CSU from Twin Lakes and Otero Pump Station, with a total February production of about 14.947 million gallons and non-revenue water at roughly 4.15%.
  • Higby Road improvements may include an acceleration lane at Jackson Creek Parkway (JCP) north from Higby Road, requiring a cost recovery agreement and design changes coordinated by Felsburg Holt & Ullevig and Kimley-Horn, with on-site Kiewit work already in place and completion targeted for November 2026.
  • The Higby project northern portion will be prioritized for this fiscal year, with the southern portion to be tackled during the Fire Station 3 rebuild in 2027; a full widening across JCP in one year isn't funded yet.
  • Venison Creek Park's new ADA-compliant play area is installed and scheduled for additional surfacing, seating and landscaping, with the park remaining closed for two to three weeks and a ribbon-cutting event requested after completion.

By Natalie Barszcz

At the Triview Metropolitan District (TMD) regular meeting on March 19, the board received updates on the Northern Monument Creek Interceptor (NMCI) project timelines, the Higby Road improvement project, and on water storage levels.

The board held an executive session regarding the potential participation in the NMCI project and the acquisition of property for open space and parks.

NMCI project update

The NMCI project is a proposed 10.1-mile pipeline that would transport untreated wastewater from TMD and Forest Lakes Metropolitan District (FLMD) to the Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) J.D. Phillips Water Resource Recovery Facility (near I-25 and Garden of the Gods Road) for processing.

District Manager Jim McGrady said about $33 million in bonds for the NMCI construction cost sharing with FLMD for the northern entities portion of the project would be presented to the board for approval at the May meeting. The construction phase of the NMCI project was expected to be slow, but CSU will “ramp up” aggressively with construction beginning in late May. The first six months of construction will spend 40% of the total cost, beginning on the south end of the pipeline in Colorado Springs. The pipeline is expected to be completed in late 2027, said McGrady.

The board approved an addendum moving the project from the design phase to the construction phase at the February meeting. The agreement provides a 99-year contract per term for the treatment of the district’s wastewater and allows ownership in the pipeline to provide an asset for financing the project via bonds from the Enterprise Fund. See https://wp.ocn.me/v26n3tmd.

Water operations update

McGrady said that despite the regional low snowpack and the anticipation of lower-than-average spring run-off, the district has two years of water in storage to meet district demands. The district uses a complex number of water exchanges to obtain its water rights, but ultimately receives its water via CSU through two different points of entry: Twin Lakes and the Otero Pump Station at Rampart Range Reservoir. The water is treated and conveyed to the CSU tank off Highway 83 before entering the district-owned Northern Delivery System (NDS).

Water Treatment Superintendent Gary Potter said the D7 well had received a new pump and motor, and the A7 well work was waiting to be scheduled. The NDS was recently placed offline due to a CSU outage that allowed the utilization of district wells.

The February report stated the NDS produced 46% of the district’s water, with the remainder sourced from the district’s wells for a total of about 14.947 million gallons. The district sold about 14.005 million gallons to customers, leaving 941,841 gallons or about 4.15% of non-revenue (unbilled) water. The district had 18.53% unbilled water in February 2025.

Higby Road improvement update

McGrady said that during the construction of the Higby Road improvement project, it would be cost-effective to have Kiewit include an acceleration lane to join Jackson Creek Parkway (JCP) north from Higby Road west. He said utilities run under the intersection of JCP and Higby Road, and the town is using Felsburg Holt & Ullevig (FHU) civil engineering company for the design of JCP north. FHU would need to consult with Kimley-Horn to find a solution to include the acceleration lane in the design before mid-April. A cost recovery agreement would also need to be finalized to allow TMD to initially fund the acceleration lane. The additional lane would be a cost reduction for the Town of Monument (TOM) with Kiewit already on site, said McGrady.

Town Councilor Kenneth Kimple said the TOM did not have the funding to widen all of JCP in one fiscal year. The northern portion is scheduled to be completed first, and the southern portion would be completed in conjunction with the rebuild of Fire Station 3 in 2027.

The board consented to pursuing a cost recovery agreement for an acceleration lane to be approved at a later meeting.

Sheffield said the Higby Road improvement project phase 1 work was scheduled to begin on March 23, with the first road closures between Cloverleaf and Harness Roads. Kiewit expects to complete the project in November 2026.

Note: Message boards providing updates on the project and a link to the road closures and detours are available at https://triviewhigbyroad.com.

Mitigation and fire code changes

Kimple said Monument Fire District Division Chief of Community Risk Reduction Jonathan Bradley had presented the proposed changes to the International Fire Code and Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code to the Town Council, and he noted a mitigation change relating to split-rail fences that attach to homes.

McGrady said the district was considering replacing the common area wood split-rail fences with concrete fencing that is virtually the same price as wood fence replacement (an example can be viewed on Gleneagle Drive on the east side of the Little Train Park). The project is massive and requires a multi-year approach beginning with the 2027 budget.

President Jason Gross said he had given an overview presentation of the district at the March NEPCO meeting, but the district had no HOA representation. The Sanctuary Pointe subdivision is well-mitigated; unfortunately, it is “smack-up” against unmitigated homes. See NEPCO article on page < 15 >.

District office relocation

Assistant Manager Steve Sheffield said, “Kudos” to the staff for making the move to the district office building almost complete. The move was stressful, but everyone “chipped in.”

McGrady said the district is operating from the new district-owned building, saving the district about $5,000 per month on rent. The old facility lease was ending, necessitating a move, but all operations are now consolidated, and the staff can work cohesively.

District Administrator Sara Lamb said “Kudos” to McGrady for completing a commercial building in nine months.

The district has permanently moved to the district-owned new utility operations and administration office at 1641 Baja Drive, Monument, with temporary access via Old Denver Road.

Venison Creek Park construction

Parks and Open Spaces Superintendent Matt Rayno announced the new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) play area in Venison Creek Park had been installed, and the ASTM/ADA-compliant porous rubber shock-absorbing base layer with a wear-resistant top layer play surface would be installed the weekend of March 21-22. The play surface is low maintenance and designed for 15-20 years of usage. A seating wall will also be added with additional shrubs and landscaping. The park will remain closed for the next two to three weeks until the construction is complete.

Gross requested a “ribbon-cutting” event at the park upon completion.

Executive session

The board moved into executive session at about 8:20 p.m. to receive legal advice pursuant to section 24-6-402(4)(e) Colorado Revised Statutes (CRS), for the purposes of determining positions relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations, developing strategies for negotiations, and instructing negotiators as it relates to the potential participation in the NMCI and the acquisition of property for open space and parks.

Sheffield confirmed to this reporter that no decisions were made when the board returned to the regular session.

The meeting adjourned at 9:36 p.m.

**********

Meetings are usually held on the third Thursday of the month at the district office located at 1641 Baja Drive, West Baptist Road, with temporary access via Old Denver Road. The next regular board meeting is scheduled for April 23 at 5:30 p.m. For Zoom meeting joining instructions, meeting agendas, minutes, and updates, visit https://triviewmetro.com.

Natalie Barszcz can be reached at nataliebarszcz@ocn.me.

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