Two projects will begin in the area around Frisco Town Hall on Monday, August 24 and the parking areas on both sides of Frisco Town Hall will be closed. Construction equipment, noise related to the construction projects, and possible changes to pedestrian routes should also be expected, and motorists and pedestrians are asked to follow all posted signs and stay outside fenced or designated work areas.
Timing and Affected Areas
Xcel Energy Project
Xcel Energy will begin drilling a test borehole in the Town Hall west side parking lot to confirm subsurface thermal and geotechnical conditions needed to design the larger Utility Thermal Energy Network (UTEN) network. This is a demonstration or pilot project, which will use underground geothermal boreholes and piping to provide heating and cooling to participating buildings within the area Main Street Frisco.
Borehole testing in the west parking lot of Town Hall is scheduled to begin on Monday, August 24, and to conclude by Wednesday, September 9. This project will require a full closure of the parking lot on the west side of Town Hall. The project includes at least four days of drilling, estimated by Xcel Energy to generate noise levels comparable to a refrigeration truck idling, as well noise and vibrations similar to a jackhammer during casing work. Work will take place Monday through Friday between 7:00am and 7:00pm.
EV Project
The Town of Frisco will be installing new EV chargers servicing the on-street parking area along the east side of Town Hall. The chargers will primarily support the Town’s fleet vehicles. When a space is not needed by a fleet vehicle, the charger will also be available for public use in accordance with posted parking, cost, and charging requirements. The EV charging project is part of the Town’s ongoing environmental and sustainability work, including the Town’s Energy Action Plan and regional EV Readiness Plan.
The parking area closure on 1st Avenue near Town Hall is anticipated to extend from Monday, August 24 to Friday, September 4. for the EV charger construction project. One of the chargers is being designed to provide ADA accessible EV charging. Current accessibility requirements call for an accessible route and clear operating space, with the charging connector and other controls located within an accessible reach range. As a result, the accessible charger installation will be located at roadway level and will look somewhat different from the Town’s traditional curbside chargers. This requirement is necessitating additional work.
Scheduling
The overlapping project schedules are necessary so Xcel Energy can install the transformer needed to power the EV chargers. This was the only available installation window that avoids delaying the project until next year. The test bore is required during this time to enable the design work to meet an early December deadline with the Public Utility Commission.
More Information
Any questions related to either project may be directed to Town of Frisco Director of Public Works, Josh Southworth, at JoshS@townoffrisco.com or by calling the main Public Works phone line at 970-668-0836.