Buffalo Park Road sidewalk under construction

Construction has begun on a long-awaited sidewalk that will extend from Wilmot Elementary School to the Evergreen Library. The sidewalk, originally proposed by the Evergreen Legacy Fund and funded by community donations and grants, will be built in phases as funds become available.

The section currently underway will extend from Wilmot Elementary School to near Evergreen High School, providing a dedicated sidewalk along the narrow, winding Buffalo Park Road.

“We’re really excited about this initiative,” said Stephany Fritz, principal of Wilmot Elementary School. “I think this is a walkable part of Evergreen. Having a sidewalk to make it even safer is just great.”

“We have a number of families that walk from the Greenwood neighborhood, so it will be safer for them,” she continued. “We also have kids with mobility issues, and we need to be able to get them to the high school because that’s our evacuation site if something were to happen in Wilmot. This is a step in the right direction.”

This busy stretch of road is the main access to Wilmot, Wulf High School and the Wulf Recreation Center. It is also the main route for those heading to the popular Alderfer/Three Sisters East Trail.

To make the road even safer, new pedestrian crossings will also be installed in several locations.

There is no timetable yet for the next phase of sidewalk construction.

“A lot of it will depend on when the grants are awarded,” said Linda Kirkpatrick, EFL executive director. “If we don’t get a grant for the second phase, it could be delayed by a year.”

The idea for the sidewalk was first raised six years ago at ELF community meetings. It was among 17 Evergreen area projects approved by Jefferson County in 2020.

Since Evergreen is not an incorporated company, ELF was created to develop ideas and apply for grants to fund them, which are channeled through the Evergreen Local Improvement District. ELID was created and is overseen by Jefferson County.

ELID provides an essential financing mechanism to bring to life the improvements Evergreen desires.

“The legacy fund is hiring a grant writer and we’re looking for grants,” Kirkpatrick said. “Those are to go to municipal governments.”

The ELF cannot fulfill this role, but the ELID can. While the county governs the district, the ELF funds it.

ELF also provides seed funding for its projects, which comes from a voluntary 1 percent donation on select Evergreen services and businesses, and direct donations. For the first phase of sidewalk construction, ELF provided a 20 percent match, or $67,000. A grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation is helping fund the remainder of the project.

By following this model, the Evergreen Legacy Fund has successfully funded a long list of projects that beautify and make the community safer — with many more to come.

“Without a local government, we have to do things ourselves,” Kirkpatrick said. “We’ve developed a very good working relationship with Jefferson County, based on mutual respect.”

For a full list of projects and more information about the Evergreen Legacy Fund, visit its website.

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