HOMETOWN
November 26, 2015 VOLUME 114 | ISSUE 4 | 75¢
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DouglasCountyNewsPress.net D O U G L A S C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
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Council moves forward on quiet zone Castle Rock will look at option of closing Second Street crossing By Shanna Fortier sfortier@coloradocommunitymedia.com An average of 30 to 40 trains run through Castle Rock each day, and residents in the Craig and Gould neighborhood are tired of being woken up in the middle of the night to the piercing sound of the train horn. But a quiet zone, which would silence the train as it passes, could be in the near future for downtown Castle Rock. During the Nov. 17 council discussion, council voted 6-0 to direct town staff to
research the option of closing the Second Street rail crossing to establish the quiet zone. Councilman George Teal was absent from the meeting. “I think that we can all agree that a quiet zone makes sense,” said Castle Rock Mayor Paul Donahue, adding that council would like to hear feedback from the community in regards to the options. Four methods can be used to establish a quiet zone. The first and safest method, which was considered by previous councils, is to install four quadrant gates at each crossing — Second, Third and Fifth streets. This option costs approximately $800,000. But in his presentation to staff Nov. 17, Director of Public Works Bob Goebel
‘I think that we can all agree that a quiet zone makes sense.’ Paul Donahue, Castle Rock mayor presented another option: closing the Second Street crossing only. By doing so, Castle Rock could pursue the second method of creating a quiet zone, which
Final vote on the 2016 budget scheduled for Dec. 1 By Shanna Fortier sfortier@coloradocommunitymedia.com
The town has 22 snowplows that work more than 600 lane miles. Here’s what that means for roads in Castle Rock: During all snow events, main thoroughfares and school bus routes are the town’s main priority and are always plowed. (This may explain why your neighbor’s street gets plowed and your street does not.) From Nov. 15 to March 15, when days are shorter and temperatures are cooler,
The Castle Rock Senior Center could get $18,000 more than it would have for its 2016 transportation program to fill gaps created by a decrease in money from other agencies. When discussing the proposed 2016 budget at the Nov. 3 council meeting, town council added an additional $18,000 to the transportation fund for the senior center’s program. “They’re able to stretch a dollar like there’s no tomorrow,” Castle Rock Mayor Paul Donahue said about the senior center. “When I look at the $18,000 for them, I think it’s perfectly appropriate that we move forward with that.” The additional money will help the center fill gaps in its transportation budget caused by a decrease in funds from the Denver Regional Council of Government and the absence of a Community Development Block Grant, a program in which the town decided not to participate in for 2016. “We — the center and our seniors — are really are grateful to the town for their continued support,” said Debbie Haynie, executive director of the Castle Rock Senior Center. But some line items in the proposed 2016 budget raised questions from council members. One was $250,000 to continue the enhancement of the Starlighting decorations program. “We’re trying to be fiscally responsible and, while lighting is nice, it’s that. It’s nice,” Councilman Chip Wilson said. “It doesn’t provide outstanding public health or safety.
Snow continues on Page 6
Budget continues on Page 6
Castle Rock manages first snowfall By Shanna Fortier sfortier@coloradocommunitymedia.com With more than a foot of snow reported Nov. 17, Castle Rock was among the hardest hit during winter storm Ajax, the first named winter storm of the season. But the town was ready. “The storm was predicted accurately by meteorologists, and we were prepared for it,” said Bob Goebel, director of public works. “We typically have some areas of concern when residents aim snow blower chutes back into the center of the street rather than on their lawn areas. This causes snowpack and ice to develop in the lanes that were just safely opened and requires us to return and re-plow these areas to maintain a safe lane for emergency response.”
Quiet continues on Page 6
Town adds $18,000 for senior transit
More than a foot of snow fell on Castle Rock Nov. 17. Photo courtesy of David Coles
Winter storm Ajax drops 12 inches of powder on area
would be to install supplemental safety measures at one or more crossings. Minor modifications would be made to the
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP Do not place snow from driveways, sidewalks or private property into the street. This is to ensure public safety vehicles can travel all roads. Pile snow onto turf areas for winter
watering. Property owners are legally required to clear sidewalks adjacent to their property within 48 hours after 2 inches of snowfall has accumulated.
But Goebel said the only challenge this time was a software issue. Power went out at the public works headquarters, where all snow operations are coordinated. The outage caused the GPS devices on the plows to go out as well. Once power was up and running, snow crews got to work on the roads. Accidents in town were minimal, thanks to drivers who took their time and those who chose to stay home. “Overall, we achieved our goals of safety and mobility,” Goebel said.
Help the Castle Rock Fire Department by shoveling the area around a fire hydrant. In case of emergency, this will help firefighters find hook-ups that may be buried in snow.
DOUGLAS COUNTY NEWS-PRESS (ISSN 1067-425X) (USPS 567-060) OFFICE: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 | PHONE: 303-566-4100 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Douglas County, Colorado, the News-Press is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT CASTLE ROCK, COLORADO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 DEADLINES: Display: Thurs. 5 p.m. | Classifieds: Tue. 8 a.m. | Obits: Mon. 4 p.m. | Legals: Thurs. 11 a.m.