Sentinel Northglen 10-3-2013
Northglenn -Thornton
Adams County, Colorado • Volume 50, Issue 8
October 3, 2013
50 cents
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ournorthglennnews.com, ourthorntonnews.com
Election: School board candidates trade views. See Page 10
Officials eying I-25 Metro District
A SPORTING CHANCE
District may span 84th to Highway 7, no residential properties included By Tammy Kranz
tkranz@ourcoloradonews.com
bag with skis, snowboards, bikes, skateboards or by free-dropping. “It’s like landing in a cloud,” Sapnu said. While professionals do train at Progresh, Sapnu said that the environment is safe and encouraging and no one should feel intimidated to try out a sport.
Officials are trying to gather support — including financial — for the creation of an Interstate 25 Metro District that would raise money for infrastructure improvements on the highway. If approved, the district would be commercial only; no residential properties would be taxed. Adams County District 3 Commissioner Erik Hansen presented the preliminary plans to Northglenn City Council during its Sept. 16 study session. The preliminary plans include properties between 84th Avenue and State Highway 7. The proposed tax mill would be 10 mills annually — or about $1,000 for every $1 million of assessed evaluation. “There’s like $320 million of assessed evaluation there,” Hansen said. “If there were 10 mills that would be about $3.2 million a year. You can do quite a bit with $3.2 million a year if you’re a lean organization.” He said the main thing it could do is leverage other monies to help fund projects — such as new Park-n-Rides at 144th Avenue and Interstate 25 and Highway 7 and I-25, acceleration and deceleration lanes, new sound walls, landscaping and other amenities. “The I-25 PEL (CDOT’s Planning Environmental Linkage study) just completed I think identified something like $78 million worth of improvements that are needed along I-25,” Hansen said. He pointed out that with declining tax revenues and increased competition for money from other jurisdictions in the state, a metro district could be used as a funding source to jump start improvements for economic development and congestion relief.” “If you go to CDOT and say, ‘We got $5 million, give us 20 — and we got a bigger project,’ they’re more likely to say yes,” Hansen said. The metro district would have to be approved by the commercial landowners during an election. Hansen is promoting a May 2014 election so that the district could start collecting in 2015. He said the time frame is aggressive but doable. He has requested $25,000 from NATA (North Area Transportation Alliance) to go toward the overall goal of $150,000 to
Center continues on Page 9
District continues on Page 9
Progresh, an indoor training facility for ski, snowboard, skateboard, BMX and tumbling, opened for business last month at 9499 N. Washington St. in Thornton. The 11,000 square-foot facility has 45-foot ceiling and features plenty of areas to train. Photo courtesy of Progresh
Center offers action sports indoors Skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding, biking classes available By Tammy Kranz
tkranz@ourcoloradonews.com Skiing can be expensive — by time you get all your gear, trek up the mountain and pay for your pass. The cost alone can deter many from even trying it out. Progresh — an indoor training center dedicated to action sports — invites people of all skill levels to give skiing (and biking, climbing, snowboarding, skateboarding and tumbling) a go. “It’s an outlet for kids and adults to try it first to see if they like a sport, to introduce them to it,” said Progresh cofounder Questor “Q” Sapnu. “This place is for beginners and professionals. We have skill coaches able to work with any skill level.” Progresh opened its doors Sept. 7 at 9499 N. Washington St. in Thornton. The 11,000-square-foot facility has 45-foot ceiling and features synthetic snow jump into an airbag with multiple drop-in platforms, rails, cliff drop, and a learning slope with synthetic snow for skiers and snowboarders. For skateboarders and bikers, there’s a mega ramp into an airbag with adjustable drop-in platform; an eight-foot drop into an airbag to practice stair
POSTAL ADDRESS
Chris Frieboth tries out a ramp on his skateboard during the grand opening of Progresh in Thornton on Sept. 7. Progresh is an indoor training facility for ski, snowboard, skateboard, BMX and tumbling progression. Photo courtesy of Matt MacDonald drops; a flow park with a bowl, spine, vertical wall and mini-half; and a street course with ledges, rails, banks and quarter pipes. For tumbling, the facility has Olympic-grade trampolines, a spring floor, balance and trampoline boards and a harness system with twisting belts for the ultimate trampoline training. The main feature, however, is the custom-made airbag the center uses instead of foam. Students can use the
NORTHGLENN-THORNTON SENTINEL
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