Englewood approves $3.94M City Ditch contract; easements remain unconfirmed
The city approved the HEI Civil contract for Reach 2A.
Englewood City Council approved a $3.94 million contract June 15 for the next phase of the City Ditch project, but records reviewed through July 15 do not confirm council approval of two temporary easements needed for work affecting St. Mary Catholic Church and Littleton Cemetery properties.
The 6-0 vote awarded the contract to Hudick Excavating Inc., doing business as HEI Civil. The contract is valued at $3,943,456, with up to $394,346 in staff-managed contingency authority, for a total authorization of $4,337,802, the council voting record shows.
The Water and Sewer Board’s July 14 agenda proposed recommending that the council approve two $10 easements by ordinance: temporary construction access with St. Mary and temporary construction staging with the Littleton Cemetery Association. The agenda packet did not include completed meeting minutes or vote results, and the council records reviewed did not show an approval date, vote or ordinance number for either easement, according to the board materials.
Reach 2A is planned to begin in fall 2026, with an estimated Aug. 24 mobilization. The segment runs from a manhole on St. Mary’s property north to Ridge Road. The church easement would provide temporary access for construction and pipeline installation and includes a City Ditch user turnout intended to benefit the church. The cemetery easement would allow equipment and materials to be staged on association property; it calls for a temporary chain-link fence and grade leveling.
The city estimates active construction will last six to eight months in each pipe-installation area and says it and HEI Civil will communicate with nearby neighbors and minimize disruptions. The records reviewed did not specify traffic-control plans, road closures, work hours, truck routes or arrangements for church services, cemetery visits, funerals or burials. Former ditch areas are to be restored with native grasses or sod, the city’s project description says.
Reach 2A is part of a broader effort to enclose the remaining open-channel portions of City Ditch between Chatfield Reservoir and the Allen Water Treatment Plant. City documents list expected benefits including improved raw-water quality, increased capacity, year-round reliability, resilience and safety, and lower energy and operating costs. Reach 2B, from St. Mary’s toward City Ditch’s crossing under Santa Fe near Linhart Lake, is planned for fall 2027 after Littleton completes additional stormwater and floodway analysis. The easements’ final status remains unresolved before work affects the church and cemetery properties.