On Tuesday morning, two dozen people gathered on the Lumpy Ridge Brewing Co. Publick House patio to share their opinions on the Cleave Street redevelopment project with town officials.
After nearly two years of construction, in addition to four years of planning, the purpose of the meeting was for Town staff to “listen,” explained Greg Muhonen, former Public Works Director and now the Town’s Stormwater Engineer.
Mayor Gary Hall, Town Administrator Travis Machalek, Public Works Director David Greear, Parks Supervisor and Certified Arborist Brian Berg, and Jamin Rucker, a civil engineer with the Town’s public works department who served as a point person and liaison between the contractor and the residents and businesses, were among the Town staff members in attendance.
As the project management team prepares to write its “close-out report,” Muhonen asked shop owners and residents, “Is the project functioning as intended?”
Muhonen said the goals of the $4 million street development project were to fix the drainage issues, make it safe for bikes, pedestrians, and motorists, and improve the aesthetics.
Comments of those who attended the meeting were mixed. Most people said they were pleased with the outcome, but there were concerns that communication with those who live and work along the Cleave Street corridor could have been better, especially during the planning process. Others expressed concerns with the design and materials, including stamped colored concrete, traffic-calming planters, benches, and boulders.
The project, which experienced many delays, was supposed to be done by Memorial Day.
“Where does the road stop and the sidewalk begin?” asked Carissa Streib, owner of Simply Christmas.
“Where the cars drive,” responded Muhonen.
There are no designated sidewalks or curbs, and there are no posted speed limit signs at this time. Streib said some motorists seem confused about whether the newly redesigned corridor with its fancy pink and gray stamped concrete is, in fact, a street that cars can access.
Before renovation began in 2024, the roadway was primarily a dark, narrow corridor on the backside of businesses on West Elkhorn. The vision is that Cleave Street will become a walkable art enclave with artists’ live-work spaces, small shops, and restaurants.
Karyn Balchunas, a resident of Cleave Street, said that while the end result is aesthetically beautiful, the residents most directly affected by the disruption over the past several years were not consulted or communicated with as the project unfolded.
Balchunas said the current residents of the Cleave Street neighborhood should be consulted as development plans are considered.
Susan Wolf, who lives near Cleave Street and says she walks and bikes “everywhere,” praised the project for transforming what felt to her like a dingy and unsafe back alley into an inviting corridor.
Several business owners weighed in on the project. John Cullen, owner of the Old Church Shops building on West Elkhorn, has invested $16 million in a renovation that will soon open to the public as the Stanley Chocolate Factory, an event, mercantile, and restaurant space that he believes will draw visitors to West Elkhorn Avenue.
Cullen told Muhonen that if the Town had not invested in the redevelopment of Cleave Street, he probably would not have spent the money to renovate the old Presbyterian Church, which backs up on Cleave Street.
Mark Igel, a Town Trustee, owner of The Taffy Shop, 121 W. Elkhorn, and a member of the Estes Valley Fire Protection District, said that a ladder truck would not have been able to access Cleave Street in a fire emergency due to the presence of overhead utility lines. One of the features of the renovation was the relocation and burial of utility lines to bring the area up to contemporary codes.
Although getting rid of the overhead power lines is one advantage, Igel raised questions about whether business owners will have to pay to repair the specialty colored and stamped concrete if they need to access the buried utility lines that service their buildings.
Bruce Darby, president and CEO of Evergreen Asset Solutions, attended the meeting. Evergreen is working with Whimsadoodle, a foundation established from the estate of the late Barb Marshall, heiress to the Hallmark Card fortune and a supporter of the arts. Marshall owned several residential and commercial properties along and adjacent to the Cleave Street corridor.
Walt Dietrich, a representative of Whimsadoodle, recently presented to the Town Board to explain the foundation’s interest in working with the Town and the Estes Park Housing Authority to explore options to develop Marshall’s properties into mixed-use retail, restaurant, residential, and parking spaces that could incorporate artist live-work spaces and pop-up studios for art events.
While these ideas are being discussed, no additional development projects have been greenlit at this time for Cleave Street.
Town officials stressed that while the final boxes of the construction punch list are being checked, tweaks will still need to be made over the next several years as residents, businesses, and the rest of the Estes community learns to live and work on the newly renovated street.