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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20051583.tiff BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO Docket No. 05A-183R IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF THE TOWN OF WINDSOR, COLORADO, FOR ORDERS AUTHORIZING THE ABANDONMENT OF AN AT-GRADE ROADWAY CROSSING OVER THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY TRACK AT THE INTERSECTION OF WELD COUNTY ROAD 64 AND COLORADO STATE HIGHWAY 257 IN THE TOWN OF WINDSOR; THE RELOCATION OF THAT CROSSING TO THE INTERSECTION OF CROSSROADS BOULEVARD AND COLORADO STATE HIGHWAY 257 IN THE TOWN OF WINDSOR; THE CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE RELOCATED CROSSING; AND CONVERSTION OF THE AT-GRADE ROADWAY CROSSING OVER THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY TRACK AT THE INTERSECTION OF WELD COUNTY ROAD 62 ANT) COLORADO STATE HIGHWAY 257 IN THE TOWN OF WINDSOR, FROM A PUBLIC CROSSING TO A PRIVATE CROSSING WITH LIMITED ACCESS ENTRY OF APPEARANCE, NOTICE OF INTERVENTION, AND REQUEST FOR APPROVAL OF APPLICATION Daniel K. Calisher of the law firm Foster, Graham & Calisher, LLP, hereby enters his appearance in the captioned matter on behalf of Intervenors OmniTRAX, Inc. ("OmniTRAX") and Great Western Railway of Colorado, LLC ("Great Western"), and requests that all future notices, pleadings, materials, and other communications relating to this matter be delivered to the undersigned at the address set forth below. Additionally, OmniTRAX and Great Western, in support of their Notices of Intervention, hereby state as follows: Great Western has been named in this matter as an interested party by the Town of Windsor ("Applicant"), as evidenced by the caption and the substance of the instant Application ("Application"). Consequently, Great Western is an Intervenor By Right pursuant to Rule 64(a) of the Commission's Rules Of Practice And Procedure, 4 Code of Colorado Regulations 723-1 et seq. Additionally, Great Western is the railroad holding an ownership or other legally protected interest in the railroad tracks that are the subject of the Application. Should the Application be granted, Great Western may be responsible for continuing maintenance of the crossing. See C.R.S. § 40-4-106(b). Accordingly, Great Western has a legally protected right in the subject matter of the Application and is an Intervenor By Right under Colorado law and applicable Commission procedures. denznu,v/C477 2005-1583 O5—a5—OS— f . c14 AI?) OmniTRAX is also an Intervenor By Right pursuant to Rule 64(a). OmniTRAX is majority owner of OmniTRAX Holdings, LLC, which in turn is the majority owner of Great Western. Because of its ownership interest in Great Western, and due to the management function it performs for Great Western, OmniTRAX is properly an Intervenor By Right in this matter for the same reasons stated above with respect to Great Western. In an abundance of caution, to the extent this intervention is challenged, OmniTRAX and Great Western reserve the right to submit additional pleadings and/or evidence in support of their right to intervene herein or, if necessary, to request permissive intervention pursuant to Rule 64(b). OmniTRAX and Great Western have reviewed the facts and circumstances underlying the Application, as well as the previous application submitted by the Applicant relating, at least in part, to the proposed railway crossing at issue here, identified as PUC Docket No. 04A-205R ("Previous Application"). OmniTRAX and Great Western do not necessarily agree with portions of the Previous Application and Application and, as a general matter, remain committed to upholding the well established and sound public policy, both state and federal, against new at-grade railroad crossings. Nonetheless, under the specific facts and circumstances at issue in this discrete matter, and following extensive negotiation and cooperation by interested parties, OmniTRAX and Great Western approve of the result and compromise ultimately reached between the subject parties, as reflected in the exhibits attached to the Application. As a point of clarification, OmniTRAX and Great Western note that the passage of time requires one or more of the deadlines (set forth in the exhibits to the Application) be extended, including but not limited to the planned commencement date of the Scope of Services (referenced in the Contract For Services, attached to the Application as Exhibit E). Although such logistical issues are likely resolvable, OmniTRAX and Great Western each reserve the right, to the extent necessary, to file subsequent pleadings and/or other papers herein to clarify timing, logistical, or other issues. Accordingly, in light of and subject to the foregoing, OmniTRAX and Great Western, proceeding jointly, hereby request that the Application be expeditiously approved. L` Dated this !1/ day of May, 2005. Respectfully submitted, Foster, Graham & Calisher, LLP j Daniel K. Calisher, #28196 1226 Bannock Street Denver, Colorado 80204 Telephone: (303) 333-9810 Facsimile: (303) 333-9786 E-mail: calisherWostergraham.com ATTORNEYS FOR INTERVENORS 2 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that I have served the foregoing ENTRY OF APPEARANCE, NOTICE OF INTERVENTION, AND REQUEST FOR APPROVAL OF APPLICATION by placing a tnteand correct copy of the same in the United States mail, first-class, postage prepaid, on this f ay of May, 2005, to: Town of Windsor Trollco, Inc. Board of Trustees Martin Lind,President 301 Walnut Street 8200 Eastman Park Drive Windsor, CO 80550 Windsor, CO 80550 Town of Windsor Town Board Roderick L. Wensing,Town Manager Town of Windsor 301 Walnut Street 301 Walnut Street Windsor, CO 80550 Windsor, CO 80550 Eastman Kodak Company Colorado Department Of Transportation Kodak Colorado Division Right-of-Way Office 9952 Eastman Park Drive 4210 East Arkansas Avenue Windsor, CO 80550 Denver, CO 80222 Great Western Railway County of Weld Company of Colorado, LLC Rob Masden, County Commission Chair Carl Hollowell P.O. Box 758 P.O.Box 737 Greeley, CO 80632 Loveland,CO 80539 Mr. Hayne Hutchinson County of Weld Railroad Coordinator Bruce Thomas Baker, County Attorney 4201 East Arkansas, Empire Park P.O. Box 758 Denver,CO 80222 Greeley, CO 80632 Ms.Karen Howard Colorado Public Utilities Commission Deputy Attorney General Bruce Smith, Director Regulatory Law Section Logan Tower, Office Level 2 1525 Sherman Street, 5`°Floor 1580 Logan Street Denver,CO 80203 Denver, CO 80203 OmniTRAX, Inc. Colorado Public Utilities Commission Attention: General Counsel Ray Jantzen, Railway Section 252 Clayton Street, Suite 400 Logan Tower, Office Level 2 Denver,CO 80206 1580 Logan Street Denver, CO 80203 Town of Windsor Town of Windsor Edward Starck, Mayor Dennis Wagner, Director of Engineering 301 Walnut Street 301 Walnut Street Windsor, CO 80550 Windsor,CO 80550 Town of Windsor OmniTRAX, Inc. John P. Frey,Town Attorney Chris Dodge,V.P. of Engineering 301 Walnut Street 252 Clayton Street, Suite 400 Windsor, CO 80550 Denver, CO 80206 Mr.John J. Roberts Poudre Tech Metropolitan District Assistant Attorney General Attention: Martin Lind Business and Licensing Section 1625 Pelican Lakes Point State of Colorado Department of Law Suite 201 1525 Sherman Street, 5th Floor Windsor, CO 80550 Denver,Colorado 80203 James Anglin James Abbott Janetta Anglin Grace Abbott 8995 Weld County Road 62 8944 Weld County Road 62 Windsor,CO 80550 Windsor, CO 80550 Laura Magui e 4 Hello