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October 9, 2015 VO LUM E 1 3 | IS S U E 49 | FREE
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Future of Mainstreet corridor grows clearer Town council unanimously approves master plan
By Chris Michlewicz cmichlewicz@coloradocommunitymedia.com A new planning document intends to turn downtown Parker into a viable and vibrant destination. The Mainstreet Master Plan — a longterm visioning document unanimously approved by Parker Town Council Sept. 21 — will guide land-use and density decisions and determine how the heart of Parker looks and feels in the future, said Bryce Matthews, the town’s comprehensive planning manager. The master plan comes with 140 new recommendations for the Mainstreet corridor between Twenty Mile Road and Pine Drive, near Parker Town Hall. Among them are initiatives to encourage the development of dining, shopping and cultural attractions to increase the number of gathering places in the downtown area. The recommendations will be implemented
over the next 20 years. Before recommending approval in early September, Parker Planning Commission member Duane Hopkins said visitors often remember Parker for the Mainstreet corridor. It’s important to have a concrete vision for such a popular area of town, he said. The creation of the Mainstreet Master Plan began last summer as a collaboration between various town departments. It then turned into a year-long planning effort that involved residents, businesses, property owners, town officials, urban planning consultant AECOM, and “other stakeholders interested in strengthening the heart of our community,” the town of Parker said in a recent statement. The residents who provided input expressed a desire for more to do in the downtown area, Matthews said. The master plan also contemplates how to overcome deficiencies and challenges in downtown Parker, including a lack of active first-floor uses, physical gaps Corridor continues on Page 9
A master plan for the Mainstreet corridor was approved by Parker Town Council Sept. 21. Photo by Chris Michlewicz
Expert brings dream to life
Car slams into home, man hurt Twenty-year-old driver faces DUI charge, other counts By Chris Michlewicz cmichlewicz@colorado communitymedia.com
Home-based Parker business draws attention with bar top By Chris Michlewicz cmichlewicz@coloradocommunitymedia.com
T
he best inspirations often begin with a dream. That’s literally what happened to Parker resident Joe Rocco before he handcrafted an elaborate, tree-like bar top with roots and a trunk that appear to sprout from the wood floor in his basement. “Whether it was a dream or earlymorning grogginess, I said, ‘What if they were the support for this table?’” said Rocco, who co-owns Artistic Floors by Design with his wife, Joni. The eye-catching design personifies Rocco’s innovative, outside-the-box approach to woodworking, and earned him a feature on the “Southern Boyz Outdoors” TV show in August. An image of the bar top was shared thousands of times on social media and the project also was featured in Hardwood Floors magazine, the publication of the National Wood Flooring Association. The origin of the idea to do something vastly different came in a casual conversation with a good friend and distributor while deciding how they could get beyond the typical red oak flooring coated with the predictable stain in a can. Rocco’s friend suggested that he create a wood floor that could be used for something other than walking on. Although the statement struck the wood flooring expert as “weird,” Rocco began toying with concepts. Having gone to high school in Hawaii, ideas centered
Joe Rocco, co-owner of Artistic Floors by Design, cuts wood in his driveway in Canterberry Crossing. Photo by Chris Michlewicz on an “earthly kind of format,” including the cylindrical shape of waves just before they break. That curvature played into what became known as the Mahalo Table, with the trunk legs of the bar top assuming a wave-like form. An ideal partnership Artistic Floors by Design wouldn’t get the contracts or attention it deserves without the hard work of Rocco’s better half, Joni, who runs the business side of things.
When asked if she ever gets her hands dirty, Joni Rocco provides a definitive reply: “Oh, Lordy. No! I get my workout from spin class.” That being said, she is well-versed in the finer points of the woodwork that her husband produces. She talks about the deep thought that went into the design of the bar top, including the weight of the solid topper, the height of the surface and the radius of the leg curves. Expert continues on Page 9
A 70-year-old man suffered head injuries when a suspected DUI driver crashed through the front of his Pinery home. The victim was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries after the incident around 3:45 a.m. Oct. 5, but was released within hours. The driver, Gunner Bolstad, 20, of Parker, was also transported Bolstad to the hospital with minor injuries before being released into the custody of Douglas County Sheriff’s Office investigators. Lori Bronner, public information officer for the sheriff’s office, said excessive speed and alcohol were investigated as contributing factors. Bolstad faces charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless driving, careless driving resulting in injury, third-degree assault and four counts of reckless endangerment. He remains in custody. Three people including Bolstad were in the vehicle when it crashed into the home on Nashua Circle in the Pinery, just south of Parker. The other two occupants were not injured and have not been charged. The victim’s grandson was in the house at the time of the accident, but was not injured. The vehicle entered the front of the home. Information about the make and model of the vehicle was not available. Bronner said she was unsure whether the vehicle’s occupants were wearing seatbelts.