Centennial Citizen 0226

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February 26, 2016

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Residents take issue with street ice Slick conditions can linger despite warm temperatures

By Alex DeWind adewind@coloradocommunitymedia.com Peggy Brennan, 69, fetched a tool that removes shingles and joined her neighbors outside to crush up ice dams the week of Feb. 15. One resident had a sledgehammer — another had an ice pick. “We were out there for hours and hours,” she said. “The ice can be 5 to 6 inches thick.” Brennan, a resident of University Place, northwest of County Line Road and University Boulevard in Centennial, feels like her neighborhood’s ice and snow accumulation doesn’t matter to local officials, she said. She lives on a side street that is not regulated by the city’s Snow and Ice Control Plan, which includes specific guidelines on snow removal after a storm. Without proper drainage or shade, the snow turns into “ice glaciers,” Brennan said. Brennan has yet to file a complaint with the city but said her homeowners association, Advanced Property Management, has called the Citizen

Centennial residents have voiced concerns about the amount of snow and ice in the University Place neighborhood, northwest of County Line Road and University Boulevard. Photo by Alex DeWind Response Line. Travis Greiman, the city’s public works director, confirmed that University Place was one of the many neighborhoods that called in to report residential ice. “We had a series of larger storms followed by cold temperatures this year, which has increased residential ice in

many areas,” he said. “Conditions kept ice around longer than they probably would in a more typical Colorado winter.” The last snowfall in Brennan’s neighborhood had been Feb. 2. By two weeks later, despite temperatures that had reached into the 60s, the ice mounds were still present.

On the rise 11.1%

Local market experiences surge in median home prices Home prices have been climbing in the metro area for the past year. According to the real estate website Zillow.com, home values in Denver have risen 15.2 percent in the last 12-month period. Many communities in western Arapahoe County have kept pace with this growth.

Source: Douglas Elbert Realtor Association derarealtors.com

Littleton Median sale price Jan. 2016

$379,000 Median sale price Jan. 2015

7.4%

Brennan is concerned about pedestrian safety and said she sees neighbors, old and young, slip and fall. She’s also concerned with the economic impact as neighbors are relocating, she said. “We old homeowners have chiseled away at our annual glaciers whenever snow flies. Most of us are old and done,” she wrote in an email. She hasn’t sought help from younger neighbors or contracted an outside service because she said ice removal is a service she pays taxes for. The city council, city manager and the director of public works maintain Centennial’s snow-removal policy. City Manager John Danielson is responsible for the plan implementation, Centennial City Council then approves the plan, and Greiman edits the plan accordingly. The city will “maintain its priority roadways, which consist of major and minor arterial streets, access for emergency services, major collector streets, school zone and business access and special treatment locations on residential streets,” according to the plan. The city doesn’t maintain residential streets unless residents call the City Citizen Response Center at 303-325-8000. The center is a “fantastic one-stop shop Ice continues on Page 4

WHAT’S INSIDE

12.3%

Centennial Median sale price Jan. 2016

$387,500 Median sale price Jan. 2015

Librarian of the year: Executive director of the Arapahoe Library District honored in national publication. See Page 2

$345,000

$341,000

Englewood Median sale price Jan. 2016

$319,500 Median sale price Jan. 2015

Blazing a path: Trail running breeds balance and strength, while providing peace of mind and smiles for miles. See Page 10

$297,500

On the ice: Elite players pursue careers, opportunities through the club route. See Page 21


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Centennial Citizen 0226 by Colorado Community Media - Issuu