In a 2-1 vote, the BCC approved an extension of Moss Street from South Golden Road to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), south of Table Mountain near Golden.
The project calls for a roundabout at South Golden Road and requires that the county acquire right-of-way access from six property owners in the Pleasant View area, as well as from Jefferson County Open Space. Under the proposed plan, the street extension would bisect one property owner's land. The Department of Energy, which oversees NREL, would compensate property owners and Open Space. Although Jefferson County was the case applicant and will maintain the road, NREL will pay for the cost of construction.
NREL is consolidating several of its Denver West facilities and expanding its main campus south of Table Mountain, which requires a $600 million capital investment by 2012. The South Table Mountain site currently employs 550 employees, but NREL expects the number of employees to grow to 2,800. About 17,000 people visited the campus in 2009. The federal lab recently built two parking lots that total 400 spaces, and will begin work on a parking garage that will fit as many as 1,800 vehicles.
Because of the campus expansion and the increased number of employees who will need access, county traffic experts and NREL consultants determined that the Table Mountain site would need a second access point in addition to the access from Denver West Parkway/Denver West Marriott to the east. After analyzing several routes for factors including affected private residences, traffic increases, wildlife impacts and needed improvements, NREL and the county concluded that access from Moss Street would be most appropriate.
Several property owners and surrounding neighbors and business owners testified in opposition to the project at both the Planning Commission and BCC hearings.
Commissioner Faye Griffin was the sole vote against the extension.
"We want NREL here. We need them here. We also want our citizens here," she said.
Before voting to approve the project, Commissioner Kevin McCasky said this decision ranked among the toughest he has had to make since he was elected in 2004.
"Our staff recognize the gravity of this situation and (affected property owners) will be treated fairly and with respect," McCasky said. "We have some flexibility in this particular resolution to make some adjustments."
Commissioner Hartman said she would have preferred Isabell Street for the extension, but there were too many safety concerns with that intersection.
The Detention Master Plan calls for a number of onsite improvements to the Sheriff's Office main campus. Some key aspects of the project include the construction of a new community correction and work-release facility, central-plant / mechanical replacement, and a multi-story parking structure. 
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