Home at last: Eagle Ridge Academy’s new soccer field Assessors predict sticker shock for homeowners

Metro mortgage, rents, taxes will rise with new property valuations

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

is week, homeowners across the Denver area will be staring at numbers that may come as a shock: eir 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 Er meyer, urging homeowners to let their local assessor’s o ces know if they dispute the value they receive.

BY JOHN RENFROW JRENFROW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

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 eld, even when they were the dedicated “home team.” at all changed on April 27, when the school debuted its new, $2.5 million soccer eld for the Warriors. e radiant green turf is decorated with beautiful maroon and gold around the perimeter. Construction, which began in October, is ongoing, but the eld was playable and polished enough for the girls’ soccer

BRIEFS: PAGE 4 | match against Denver’s DSST College View High School. e Warriors wasted no time enjoying their rst-ever home eld 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 eld was through the roof.

“Oh man, they’re really excited,” Estrada said. “ ey’ve just wanted to play for so long, and with this new eld that we got, they’re amazing. Last week, they were all anxious to be over here.” e Warriors are 4-4 so far this year but have all of May to add to the win column, hoping to lean on their rst-ever home- eld advantage. ough the season has been solid so far, he said, having a home eld for the rst time can act as a catalyst

OBITUARIES: PAGE 6 |

CLASSIFIEDS: PAGE 7 | for success going forward. It’s easier to practice on and now is a symbol of pride for the Warriors. e community and camaraderie have always been there, but now there is their own castle to defend. It makes a di erence, Estrada said.

“Now you can nd the spaces,” he said. “You can teach them di erent stu . You can create spaces for drills. You can do all these things with practice on the eld [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

LEGAL: PAGE 9

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, Er meyer noted.

Public o cials 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

SEE TAXES, P5

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