September 25, 2015
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Festival Guide Inside ParkerChronicle.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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A HORSE IS MORE THAN A HORSE
Bus driver shortage driving concern School district says safety is priority, raises base driver wage By Mike DiFerdinando mdiferdinando@coloradocommunitymedia.com For Highlands Ranch mother Kimberly Owen, sending her children to and from Fox Creek Elementary School on the bus has been a gamble this year. “It’s been a nightmare since the beginning of the school year,” Owen said. “The very first day — of school the bus didn’t Number of students pick up on time. There transported by bus to and from school was no notification to per day in Douglas the school or the parents County that it was going to be late. They were probably — Number a good hour late.” of square miles Stephanie Van Zante’s covered by school son, a junior at Ponderodistrict buses sa High School in Parker, is regularly experiencing — Number overcrowding on his bus. of buses used by “My son either has DCSD by the school to crowd onto a bus district and has had to stand,” Van Zante said, “or wait — New for an additional bus base wage for to be dispatched by the Douglas County district, delaying him School bus drivers arriving home by 30 minutes.” Stories of late school buses, overcrowded situations and too few routes are emerging as Douglas County School District officials acknowledge the district is 30 percent short of the number of bus
BY THE NUMBERS
11,000
Volunteers Sande Nokes, 15, and Kari Rittey give some love to Milagra at Drifter’s Hearts of Hope, a horse rescue in which those with special needs help care for the animals. For more on the organization, see Page 3. Photo by Chris Michlewicz
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BUILDING BOOM
Council approves changes to Anthology North Development plan includes 3,300 homes, high school site
By Chris Michlewicz cmichlewicz@coloradocommunitymedia.com With plans moving forward for a housing development with an activeadult community and high school site, neighbors are worried how it will affect their lives. Parker Town Council approved amendments Sept. — 21 to plans Maximum number for Antholof dwelling units ogy North, a proposed — Acres of subdivision the development that allows for a maxi— mum of 3,305 Expected new dwelling units vehicle trips per on 1,144 acres day at full buildout southwest of of Anthology North Hess Road and neighboring and Motsendevelopment Hess bocker Road. Ranch The plans include a 75acre site for a high school and middle
BY THE NUMBERS
3,305 1,144
98,500
900
A
surge of residential and commercial projects are changing Parker’s landscape. In the past week, Parker Town Council has approved three housing projects that could add more than 6,900 homes, condos and townhomes. Two of those projects — Anthology North and Hess Ranch — are expected to generate roughly 98,500 new vehicle trips per day at full build-out. Residents in Anthology North and Cottonwood Highlands are worried about how their lives will be affected — from traffic to airplane noise to schools.
school on the southwest corner of Hess Road and Jordan Road and 750 age-restricted housing sites to the southwest. Council approved “planned development” documents for Anthology North in summer 2014, and the amendments approved unanimously by council stem from the resolution of lawsuits between developers Pivotal Colorado II and Stroh Ranch Development, which is building Hess Ranch immediately to the south. One amendment moves the future intersection of Stroh Road and Chambers Road south into Hess Ranch, which proposes building as many as
Cottonwood Highlands: Project to date calls for 306 homes — some already built — on 115 acres in the flight path of Centennial Airport. See Page 5. Hess Ranch: Developers plan to build 3,379 dwelling units on 1,536 acres. See Page 6. Commercial ventures: Boondocks, Gander Mountain and a revamped King Soopers are among commercial and mixed-use projects reshaping Parker’s north end. See Page 7.
3,379 homes, condos and townhomes. A separate one moves a section of mixed-use development from the original intersection location to the southern edge of a commercial parcel on the southeast corner of Chambers Road and Hess Road. The mixed-use land will likely be occupied by highdensity housing, such as apartments and condos. All of the changes have neighbors directly to the north concerned, particularly about traffic. Anthology North and Hess Ranch are expected to generate roughly 98,500 new vehicle trips per day at full buildout. Anthology continues on Page 11
$15.90
Buses continues on Page 12
Driver wonders why some pass on jobs By Mike DiFerdinando mdiferdinando@coloradocommunitymedia.com Douglas County School District bus driver Larry King doesn’t understand why more people aren’t jumping at the chance to drive for the district. “Most of us drivers don’t understand why there is a shortage of drivers,” King said. “It’s a good job with benefits. People need jobs. It doesn’t make sense.” Drivers in the Douglas County School District qualify for medical, dental and vision benefits once they King hit 30 hours per week. Jobs continues on Page 12
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