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September 4, 2014 VOLU M E 1 3 | I S SUE 33
LoneTreeVoice.net A publication of
D O U G L A S C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
Entertainment District’s future in focus Theater renovation, apartment complex in discussion stages By Jane Reuter
jreuter@colorado communitymedia.com Work to transform Lone Tree’s Entertainment District finally appears on the horizon. Owners of the building that houses United Artists want to start in six months a renovation of the theater complex into an upscale facility more like Greenwood Village’s Landmark or the Streets at Southglenn’s Regal Southglenn theaters. An adjacent landowner has presented
preliminary plans to the city to raze the Go Putt! miniature golf course and build a five-story luxury apartment complex. Those two projects could give the city and other business owners there the energy needed to proceed with transforming the remainder of the Entertainment District. “Once some major pieces start falling in place, we can gain some momentum,” said Steve Hebert, assistant city manager. Lone Tree’s Vision Book, a document released in August 2013, outlines its hopes for the area originally developed in the 1980s on both sides of Park Meadows Drive east of Yosemite Street. The future Lone Tree Plaza ideally would serve as the heart of Lone Tree, and could include a District continues on Page 12
The Go Putt! Miniature Golf course in Lone Tree’s Entertainment District would be replaced by a six-story apartment complex, according to preliminary plans presented to the city. Photo by Jane Reuter
School funding all over the map Formula factors in size of district, student poverty By Jane Reuter
jreuter@colorado communitymedia.com
Chris Ryman casts his vote for People’s Choice food truck during the first Lone Tree Street Food Soiree Aug. 31.
A late-summer soiree As part of its Discover Lone Tree Labor Day weekend events, the city hosted a Street Food Soiree at Sweetwater Park on Aug. 31. The evening featured a food truck taste-off, with people sampling and then casting votes for their favorite food vendors in three categories. Food truck winners included Denver’s PinkTank for overall food, Broomfield’s Dessert Stand for desserts and Denver’s Hey PB&J for people’s choice. A total of 10 food trucks participated in the taste-off. A performance from Heart cover band “Dreamboat Annie” capped off the evening at the park, which drew an estimated 2,500 people.
PHOTOS BY BRUCE RYMAN
Hawk Thomas and Missy Moore share a moment as Heart cover band “Dreamboat Annie” plays at Sweetwater Park.
From left, Brian Frank, Steve Drouin and Michael Drouin play football at Sweetwater Park during the Aug. 31 Street Food Soiree.
The Douglas County School Board long has expressed dissatisfaction with the state’s education funding, saying county residents shoulder an unfair tax burden. It is not alone in concerns about K-12 funding. A Colorado Department of Education official said the department’s complex formula for school districts has changed little in 20 years, but is designed to factor in changes within districts. “We’ve been using this formula since 1994. There have been some little tweaks around the edges, but there haven’t been significant changes,” said Leanne Emm, the CDE’s assistant commissioner for school finance. “I think it depends on what kind of district you live in whether you like the formula or not. “But the formula does adjust, or attempts to adjust, for the demographics within individual districts.” What has changed since 1994 — and angered school leaders statewide — is a recession-driven legislative cut to K-12 funding called the negative factor. Since 2010, it has reduced K-12 funding statewide by about $1 billion annually. Under Colorado’s formula, funding for every district starts at the same amount. For 2014-15, that base per-pupil funding is $6,121. From there, district-specific calculations are made, based mostly on cost of living, size of the district and number of students living in poverty. Douglas County has a relatively high cost of living and a low number of poverty-stricken students — determined by the number who are receiving free or reduced-price school lunches. Because the district is larger, the CDE also considers the economies of scale that smaller districts don’t have. That combination lands Douglas County as the 21st-lowest in funding among 178 Colorado school districts. Its estimated per-pupil funding for 2014-15 is $6,752. School continues on Page 12