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Commerce City Sentinel Express 050423

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WEEK OF MAY 4, 2023

VOLUME 35 | ISSUE 18

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Home at last:

Assessors Eagle Ridge Academy’s new soccer field predict sticker shock for homeowners Metro mortgage, rents, taxes will rise with new property valuations BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

for success going forward. It’s easier to practice on and now is a symbol of pride for the Warriors. The community and camaraderie have always been there, but now there is their own castle to defend. It makes a difference, Estrada said. “Now you can find the spaces,” he said. “You can teach them different stuff. You can create spaces for drills. You can do all these things with practice on the field [that we couldn’t do before]. It makes a difference, for sure.” Athletic Director Zach Henning said anticipation has been percolating for months. Students would peer out the school’s windows while construction crews worked. “Within the past couple months of construction, I would routinely

This week, homeowners across the Denver area will be staring at numbers that may come as a shock: Their property values may have jumped by up to 45% — or even higher. “We do ask property owners to take a good look at the notices they receive,” said Denver Assessor Keith Erffmeyer, urging homeowners to let their local assessor’s offices know if they dispute the value they receive. Driven by a costly real-estate market, home values — as calculated for property tax purposes — have spiked since the last time homeowners received notices of value two years ago. Since then, residential properties in the Denver metro area typically saw value increases between 35% and 45%, a group of assessors from across the Front Range announced April 26. For owners selling their homes these days, the bump in home prices has been good news. But it also means owners are on the hook for higher property tax bills, Erffmeyer noted. Public officials are openly hoping homeowners will get relief from the state legislature, where lawmakers are expected to take action to lower property tax bills this year. It’s a fraught equation, though, because local governments depend on property tax revenue, and too much

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SEE TAXES, P5

• Vestas to lay off 200 employees •27J Schools moves online-only Dec. 1

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BUSINESS LOCAL

Both soccer teams for Eagle Ridge Academy in Brighton join Athletic Director Zach Henning at the ribbon-cutting ceremony of their JOHN RENFROW brand-new soccer field. It is the Warriors’ first-ever home field. BY JOHN RENFROW JRENFROW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

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LOCAL OBITUARIES LEGALS CLASSIFIED

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

It had been seven years, six months and six days since the last home soccer game for Eagle Ridge Academy. And that game wasn’t even played at the school; it was held down the road at Donelson Park in Brighton. Up until 2023, the team had to play on neutral turf or on an opponent’s home field, even when they were the dedicated “home team.” That all changed on April 27, when the school debuted its new, $2.5 million soccer field for the Warriors. The radiant green turf is decorated with beautiful maroon and gold around the perimeter. Construction, which began in October, is ongoing, but the field was playable and polished enough for the girls’ soccer

match against Denver’s DSST College View High School. The Warriors wasted no time enjoying their first-ever home field game, dominating College View in a 9-1 route. Felix Estrada, head girls’ soccer coach at Eagle Ridge, said the excitement to get on the field was through the roof. “Oh man, they’re really excited,” Estrada said. “They’ve just wanted to play for so long, and with this new field that we got, they’re amazing. Last week, they were all anxious to be over here.” The Warriors are 4-4 so far this year but have all of May to add to the win column, hoping to lean on their first-ever home-field advantage. Though the season has been solid so far, he said, having a home field for the first time can act as a catalyst

BRIEFS: PAGE 4 | OBITUARIES: PAGE 6 | CLASSIFIEDS: PAGE 7 | LEGAL: PAGE 9

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