September 18, 2015 VO LUM E 1 3 | IS S U E 46 | FREE
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Development plan clears first hurdle
BARKER DAYS
Hess Ranch could include up to 3,379 dwelling units By Chris Michlewicz cmichlewicz@coloradocommunitymedia.com
By Chris Michlewicz cmichlewicz@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Town officials will soon decide whether to approve the first step for a development that could change Parker’s western landscape. Stroh Ranch Development is asking to amend its planning documents so it can use 1,536 acres of land south of Stroh Road, on the east and west sides of Crowfoot Valley Road, to build Hess Ranch. The project could include as many as 3,379 homes, condos and townhomes. The Parker Planning Commission, an advisory board to Parker Town Council, voted — 5-0 to recomMaximum number mend approval of homes allowed during a meet— Acres ing Sept. 10 at for total site town hall. Town council will — Dwelling decide whether units per acre to accept the amendment — School sites during a meeting at 7 p.m. — Total Sept. 21 at acres of open space Parker Town Hall, 20120 E. Mainstreet.
There might be no better way to start the day than with a fresh cup of coffee and a friendly face. For nearly 10 years, Coffee Cabin co-owner Wes Crespi has served up both. His affable personality and constant smile are notorious in the southern reaches of Parker, and now the north side will get the same treatment. Coffee Cabin opened its second Parker location Sept. 14 on the southeast corner of South Parker Road and Ponderosa Drive. Based out of two recycled shipping containers placed side by side, the new digs give Coffee Cabin more room in which to work, not to mention a new crowd of devotees. It’s just up the street from Pine Lane Elementary School and a quick shot from Sierra Middle School, and along a busy stretch of highway that carries tens of thousands of vehicles per day. Crespi is used to having a line outside his window. The born-and-raised
What Hess Ranch could entail The development could include single-family homes, condos, triplexes and townhomes, as well as two commercial centers — one at the future intersection of Stroh Road and Chambers Road and one at the future intersection of Crowfoot Valley Road and Chambers Road. The mixed-use areas could have housing densities as high as 14 dwelling units per acre. If approved, the community would also include two elementary school sites, a fire station and dozens of neighborhood parks covering 67 acres. Depending on market conditions at the time of construction, the western portion of the site, which abuts RueterHess Reservoir, could be age-restricted housing, including active-living patio homes for those 55 and older. Maximum building heights in Hess Ranch would be 50 feet.
BY THE NUMBERS
Trigger, a 5-year-old chocolate lab, keeps his eyes on the prize at O’Brien Park during Barker Days Sept. 12. For more photos on the event, turn to Page 5. Photo by Chris Michlewicz
Second Coffee Cabin offers java with a smile Popular java shop now open at South Parker Road and Ponderosa Drive
3,379 1,536 2.2
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Wes Crespi, co-owner of Coffee Cabin, is notorious for his friendly customer service. The coffee shop opened a second location on the southeast corner of South Parker Road and Ponderosa Drive Sept. 14. Photo by Chris Michlewicz
‘The arduous journey to get here — it was worth it. We stressed a little, but for the most part, we laughed a lot.’ Wes Crespi, Co-owner of Coffee Cabin
Coffee continues on Page 10
Hess continues on Page 14
Ballot decision irks committee members School board decides against bond measure
By Mike DiFerdinando mdiferdinando@colorado communitymedia.com Some parents and community members are criticizing the Douglas County School District for failing to put a bond measure on the November ballot to help pay for $275 million in construction and maintenance needs, such as replacing failing furnaces and air conditioning units and adding classroom space to address overcrowding. “In March, the (School Accountability Committees) of 28 Douglas County schools
created and signed a formal position statement in support of placing a bond initiative on the November ballot, so all community members would have the chance to vote on maintaining our public assets,” Kristen Kidd, Mountain Vista High School District Accountability Committee liaison, said in an emailed statement. “The board decided voters should not be given that choice.” According to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office, Aug. 3 was the last day to file an initiative petition for the November election and Sept. 2 was the last day for those petitions to be ruled sufficient or not by the state. If voters had approved a bond measure, their school tax bill would have remained unchanged. Instead, with no new bond
measure, tax bills are estimated to drop by about $36 a year. Douglas County School Board President Kevin Larsen said the timing of the Sept. 8 statement was “a political statement and a way to get publicity.” Laura Mutton — chairwoman of the Mountain Vista School Accountability Committee and president of the nonprofit Strong Schools Coalition — said that is not the case. “Parent leaders have asked to meet with the board and discuss putting a bond on the ballot and, after being ignored, waited patiently for the board to make a decision regarding this measure,” Mutton said. “Because the board has never made a public decision on whether or not they would
place a bond on the ballot, we were not certain of their intentions until this week.” Data from the district’s Long Range Planning Committee showed capital needs are growing at the rate of $25 million to $35 million annually. According to Larsen, the planning committee figures are inflated because they include long-term growth projects such as new buildings and schools. “For many decades, the way to look at it was to pick an arbitrary number — say five years — and say ‘we’re going to look at what potential expenditures are coming up in the next five years. But it really wasn’t as fiscally rigorous as you would think because it didn’t prioritize all the needs,” Larsen said. Bond continues on Page 12