Golden’s largest Resort Municipality Initiative project in this funding cycle took another step forward last week when representatives from the engineering firm MMM Group came to town to present their ideas.
The project, with a budget of just over $1.1 million, got underway early this summer when the Town brought together some stakeholders (mainly business owners from the highway strip) to brainstorm about what they wanted out of the project.
MMM Group took that information, and came back with a few “bold moves” that they think will enhance the highway corridor. The moves centred around lighting, landform, and landscaping.
These moves are intended to tie the corridor together from one end to the other. The first move, which would occur at the entrance signs at either end of the corridor, would draw inspiration from the rugged mountain landscape and bring in earth and large scale rock formations into the planting islands. This would also create an ideal place to incorporate public art on the highway.
The next two moves utilized the limited property the town has control over by introducing landscaping and lighting. They designed a decorative rock centre median with lighting on top for illumination.
Then on the side medians (in between the highway and the frontage road) there would be landscaping. Both features would be intermittently spaced along the corridor.
“We want there to be a cohesive feel from one end to the other,” said Davin Shillong, the project manager with MMM Group. “It’s all about enhancing the visitor experience, and getting them to stop.”
All of the plans were presented to the stakeholder group, who used poker chips representing the $1.1 million budget to invest in what they thought were the best ideas.
“Now you have the really hard task of deciding where to spend the money,” said Shillong to Town Council. MMM Group presented their ideas, as well as the stakeholders’ opinions, to council on Oct. 22.
Council will be discussing the project at the next regular meeting.
