Genesee Emergency Access Route

The Genesee Fire Protection District (GFPD) has been at the forefront of fire mitigation efforts and those efforts have won accolades from WiRē (The Wildfire Research Team) as they continue to push forward innovative ways to keep the district safe. An important approach that the GFPD has been pursuing is to build an emergency access route on the south side of Genesee to assist firefighters facing a wildfire, and to give residents the ability to evacuate out to Hwy 74, in the event that access to I-70 is blocked or severely impeded.

In 2024 alone, Genesee firefighters responded to over 60 calls for fires, smoke investigations, fire alarms, etc. GFPD fought over 15 live fires, including open space wildfires, home fires, and I-70 car and truck fires. If weather conditions were worse (dry, high winds, etc.), these fire incidents could have had catastrophic consequences. Our wildfire risk has continued to increase as is true for much of the Western U.S. – four of the five largest wildfires in Colorado’s history have occurred in the past six years (Colorado Division of Fire Prevention & Control).

The alternative access plan that GFPD has been pursuing consists of a two-lane emergency access route that gives Genesee residents another way to evacuate and offers quick access for firefighters and emergency personnel from neighboring districts to assist our community. Outlined below is the history of planning the Emergency Access Route and the next steps for creating this critical pathway to safety. As you will see, this idea has been in consideration for several years with extensive option evaluation and planning to ensure the most optimal recommendation for an alternative emergency access route.

History of the Route
● 2008: GFPD’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) recognized a “viable emergency secondary access” as a high priority. If the two northern egress routes are blocked to I-70, there is no way to exit Genesee, and residents would be forced to shelter in place. According to the CWPP, if Genesee residents are forced to shelter in place survivability is highly uncertain.
● 2021: a wildfire survey conducted by GFPD in collaboration with the University of Colorado Wildfire Research Center assessed community support for an Emergency Access Route. Two-thirds of GFPD residents recognized the need and supported an emergency access route for escape and rescue across all the resident HOAs in the GFPD.
● 2022: The Genesee Foundation Fire & Safety committed worked with an expert panel of fire professionals, including representatives from Genesee Fire Protect District, West Metro Fire Rescue, Evergreen Fire, and Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control to evaluate seven emergency access route corridors on three factors: (1) Value as a Resident Evacuation Route (2) Value of Fire Protection Benefits, and (3) Probability of Success. The expert panel concluded that the best alternative exit corridor was in the area bounded by Bitterroot, Daisy Lane, Montane Drive and Highway 74. In December 2022, the Genesee Foundation engaged Baseline Engineering to perform a detailed feasibility study of the emergency access route according to specifications dictated by GFPD.
● 2023: The Genesee Foundation engaged Baseline to prepare a preliminary design for the recommended route and commissioned ZAK Dirt to perform design-assist and prepare a detailed cost estimate. Design and permitting costs incurred after December, 2024 have been funded by GFPD.
● 2024: A fully designed and engineered, shovel-ready Emergency Access Route has been prepared. The GFPD Board of Directors voted to hold a special election in May 2025 to give voters the opportunity to vote on approving a mill levy to fund the building of an Emergency Access Route. The mill levy vote means that the cost of this road is paid for via taxes shared across the entire Genesee Fire Protection District, which includes the Genesee Foundation, the Village, Chimney Creek, and Genesee Estates.

In terms of immediate next steps, two Genesee residents (Will Quinby and Gary Anderson) have been requested by GFPD to explore government grants to reduce the tax burden on GFPD constituents. Subject to confirming the terms of the ballot issue, GFPD will hold a special election in May,2025 to bring this issue to the voters. Voters will have the opportunity to vote in favor of building the emergency access route. A “no” vote will mean that all work will stop on creating an emergency access route and the easement agreements will expire soon after.

More information on the route:
● The estimated cost to construct the emergency route is ~$7.5M which will be raised by issuing a long-term bond to spread the cost over 30 years. The bond will be paid for by taxes through a mill levy increase. The amount of the mill levy increase will be based on the value of one’s home. The ~$7.5M bond translates to ~ a $26 per month tax increase for a $1M home, ensuring that current and future GFPD residents share some of the costs for this life safety project.
● The Emergency Access Route will be built, owned, and maintained by Genesee Fire Protection District, and has been designed by Baseline Engineering according to GFPD specifications. Permits have been obtained from Jefferson County and further permitting required from state and federal agencies is in process.
● Work to date has identified the best general location of the road, which is on land owned by Genesee Foundation and Genesee Water and Sanitation District. Both the Genesee Foundation and Genesee Water and Sanitation District have already granted easements at no cost to the GFPD – making this route significantly less expensive than other routes explored.
● Approximately $300,000 has been spent on engineering/design work, getting us to the point where we have a fully designed and engineered, shovel-ready project. The Genesee Foundation has advanced approximately $152,000 of the funds spent and Genesee residents have contributed hundreds of volunteer hours to the project.
● To ensure aesthetics consistent with the community and maintain privacy, the road will be unpaved, gated and not open to the public; access will be controlled by GFPD and other emergency responders.