Public Involvement Plan
The purpose of this Public Involvement Plan is to define the outreach activities and means to coordinate with stakeholders and the public during the I-225 Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) study. Public outreach for the project will be a joint effort between the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and Felsburg Holt & Ullevig (FHU). CDOT will provide multiple opportunities for the cities, counties, regional partners, and the general public to engage during the study. The outreach plan includes the following:
Meet Regularly with a Technical Working Group: The Technical Working Group (TWG) will meet monthly with CDOT to provide technical input as the PEL study progresses. The TWG will include staff from the area communities, local, state and federal government agencies, and other regional stakeholders. The members of the TWG will keep their respective elected officials updated and will serve as the primary connection with their communities and organizations.
Public Outreach: The general public will be actively engaged, ensuring meaningful input on the project.
- Two interactive public meetings will be held - one at the beginning of the process to educate the public on the PEL process, to collect input on the need for the project, and answer questions through a telephone town hall meeting call-in format, and - one later for the public to provide input on the recommended alternative(s) in an open-house format.
- A mailing list is being developed as a way to inform the community about the project and notify them about the public meetings.
- We also plan to conduct small group meetings as requested to address concerns and receive input about the project from local residents and/or area businesses.
Meet with Resource Agencies: We anticipate holding a meeting with the resource agencies in May to review the project and obtain input. The agencies involved may include:
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
- Colorado State Historic Preservation Officer
- US Army Corps of Engineers
- Regional Transportation District
- Denver Regional Council of Governments
- Federal Highway Administration
- Urban Drainage and Flood Control District
- Environmental Protection Agency