Castle Rock’s weather Friday has been like the inside of a snow globe, with intense swirls of snow at some points and nary a flurry at others.

In all, only a couple inches had fallen by afternoon.

Just before the drive home, streets in Town mainly still were wet – though accidents on Interstate 25 just north of Castle Rock halted traffic for a while around noon. There also was one rollover accident reported in Town amid a handful of non-injury crashes.

Up to 6 more inches of snow is expected in Castle Rock through midnight, when the storm is expected to taper to flurries. Ice could become a concern after dark, with a predicted nighttime low of 12 degrees.

The Town’s large snowplows will be out until at least 2 a.m., working to keep main roads sanded and clear of snow. Accumulations are not expected to warrant snowplows going onto residential streets – the threshold for which in late winter and spring is 8 inches of accumulation. However, crews will visit residential areas that are known to develop icy spots.

Public Works staff will judge at 2 a.m. whether another shift of snowplowing is needed. The weather is supposed to warm up quickly over the weekend, with a high of about 50 predicted for Sunday.

This will be the Town’s last update on this snowstorm unless conditions worsen, requiring further information for the public.

The Environmental Assessment of the benefits and impacts the North Meadows Extension project could have on the surrounding area has been completed.

An open house to provide information and get feedback on the assessment and the alternatives being considered will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 7, at the Douglas County Events Center, 500 Fairgrounds Drive.

The North Meadows Extension is being planned to provide a second access between The Meadows and U.S. Highway 85 and Interstate 25, relieving congestion on Meadows Parkway and improving traffic flow on I-25.

The Environmental Assessment considers the alternative of not building a new road along with the possibility of building two different alignments: one with an interchange at U.S. 85 and Atrium Drive and the other with an interchange at U.S. 85 and Castlegate Drive. Both build alternatives would connect to I-25 at the same point, about 1 mile north of the Founders/Meadows Parkway interchange.

No later than March 24, the Environmental Assessment will be available online at CRgov.com/nme. Hard copies also will be available for viewing at these locations:

Town Hall, 100 N. Wilcox St.

Castle Rock Service Center, 4175 N. Castleton Court

Douglas County Philip S. Miller Building, 100 Third St.

Philip S. Miller Library, 100 S. Wilcox St.

At the open house, representatives of the agencies working on the project will be available to answer questions. Attendees will be able to provide written comments at the meeting or afterward, up through May 7. A comment form will be available at the above Web address. A clerk recorder also will take verbal comments at the open house.

At 6 p.m. Thursday, April 8, Town Council will hold a special meeting to discuss the project and consider stating a preference from among the construction alternatives. The Federal Highway Administration will consider that preference, all written comments received and other pertinent information in determining the preferred alternative. That decision is expected this summer.

Questions? Contact Assistant Public Works Director Maria D’Andrea, 720-733-2472 or roads@CRgov.com.

One of the Town’s major goals is to become a self-sufficient community that provides appropriate employment, retail, service, educational, recreational and health care facilities.

The addition of a modern senior housing community that offers transitional care ranging from independent living to specialized memory care can help the Town achieve that goal.

As such, Town Council recently reaffirmed its commitment to offer economic development assistance for such a project planned in The Meadows, as long as certain conditions are met.

Bonaventure Senior Living, which operates 36 senior communities in six states, plans to construct a 194-suite, 200,000-square-foot senior living facility at 1855 Low Meadow Blvd. Included would be 89 independent living homes, 69 assisted living dwellings and 36 units for those requiring specialized memory care.

The project is expected to bring 150 jobs to Castle Rock during 12 to 14 months of construction, and the facility will employ more than 50 people – including administrators, nurses and care aides, Carl Sanders, Bonaventure’s director of acquisitions and senior projects, told Town Council.

Because the facility will be a community amenity and will generate additional employment opportunities, it warrants economic incentives, Town Council decided in 2008. Council at that time agreed to provide a rebate of a portion of the land application and permit fees from the project in the amount of $90,886. However, the economic slowdown led the timing of the project to change and also to a slight decrease in the size of the facility.

Recently, activity on the project has picked up. Bonaventure has submitted construction documents to the Town and is in the final steps of securing financing for the project. Therefore, Council last month unanimously approved granting the rebate as long as construction begins by the end of 2010 and as long as the facility is occupied by Oct. 31, 2011.

Councilmembers welcomed Bonaventure to Town and thanked them for fulfilling a community need. “These are the kind of things we as a Town need to make sure we’re taking care of,” Councilman Douglas Lehnen said.

Sanders assured the Council that Bonaventure is as committed to the project as ever. “We’re building this project for the residents of Castle Rock,” he said. “We’re going to be a long-term member of the community.”

Pet waste creates a stink, not to mention water pollution and poor traction for hikers.

Help get our Town’s namesake park ready for spring by pitching in to remove the poo at the Town’s newest community event – April Stools Day, being held from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 3, at Rock Park, 1710 Front St. You could win a prize for you and your pet!

Plastic poos will be hidden throughout the park. Those who find them while they’re picking up pet waste will be given prizes, including a $100 gift certificate to Tails Up Deluxe Pet Boarding & Dog Day Care and a “Spaw” package to Camp Bow Wow Castle Rock Dog Daycare & Boarding for two nights boarding, grooming and nail cutting, valued at up to $120.

Those who volunteer for the cleanup should bring a poop scooper if they can, though the Town will have some to lend as well as plastic gloves for those who wish to wear them.

Spring is a great time to pitch in to solve this problem, because melting winter snow and spring rain wash pet waste and other pollutants into waterways. The waste contains disease-bearing organisms that can contaminate lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands.

April Stools Day aims to raise awareness about the problem pet waste causes and work to solve it as a community – think of it as performing a civic dooty.

Preregistration is not required, but it is requested. Call 303-814-7456 or e-mail postpartners@CRgov.com to RSVP or with questions.

The event will be canceled in the event of inclement weather.

Castle Rock already is one of the country’s best places to live. Partnering with one of the world’s most innovative companies to bring ultra-high-speed Internet to our Town could make it even better.

The Town is asking for residents’ help in attracting to Castle Rock the Google Fiber project – which would bring Internet service with speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans currently access.

Not only would the access be lightning-fast, it also would come at a “competitive price,” according to Google.

Castle Rock is among countless cities and towns competing to bring this technology to our community. That’s why we need residents’ help convincing the company the Town is the best choice.

It’s easy to help. Simply go to CRgov.com/googlefiber and complete a two-step process that consists of nominating the Town via Google’s Web site and then completing a survey that will give Castle Rock data to use in its application.

The application is due March 26, so it’s important that you nominate the Town by then and that you complete our survey by March 23 so we have time to incorporate your responses into our application.

Finally, we need you to spread the word to your family, friends and neighbors to visit CRgov.com/googlefiber and do the same. Castle Rock can attract Google, but we must do it together. Act now!

Questions? Contact Town Chief Technology Officer Kevin Capp, 303-660-1369 or kcapp@CRgov.com. Help here!

Turning off the lights when leaving a room is common practice at home, but it isn’t always practiced at the office. The same goes for powering down or unplugging electronic devices that aren’t in use.

Last year, the Town began challenging staff members to treat their workplaces more like home and turn off lights and electronics when not in use through a campaign called “Turn it OFF, Add it up!” Also as part of the campaign, thermostats in Town buildings were raised a couple degrees in warm weather and lowered some in cool weather to save on heating and cooling system use.

The hope was the effort – part of the Town’s Project Green environmental initiative – would save both energy and money.

Those goals were met. By the end of 2009, the campaign had resulted in an electricity use savings of 7 percent over 2008 and a cost savings of 12 percent, or $62,000, during the same period. Natural gas use stayed about the same, but the cost decreased by nearly $4,000 from 2008 to 2009.

“The entire Town staff has done a great job supporting this important effort by turning off computers, lights and other appliances when they are not in use,” said Buddy Gregory, the Town’s facilities and risk manager. “These cost savings benefit every department budget.”

The cost savings was the greatest at the Castle Rock Recreation Center, where it neared $30,000. The variation in energy savings seen in different Town buildings was not a reflection of conservation efforts but an indication of where more work can be done to save energy, Gregory said.

“(The) Facilities (Division) will explore ways to make certain buildings more energy efficient, to increase energy and cost savings going forward,” he said.

Overall, the Town used 416,025 fewer kilowatt hours of energy in 2009 than in 2008. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, that is equivalent to the CO2 emissions from the electricity use of 39 homes for one year or to the greenhouse gas emissions avoided by recycling 101 tons of waste instead of sending it to the landfill.

To learn more

Town of Castle Rock and Douglas County are proposing to amend a 2004 intergovernmental land use agreement and are seeking public input regarding the potential changes. A public open house has been scheduled for March 31 at 6:30 p.m. at the Douglas County Events Center, 500 Fairgrounds Drive, Castle Rock.

The IGA established land-use goals and policies, which are tied to planning areas within the boundary of the Town and surrounding land areas within County jurisdiction. The amendments are based on direction from Town Council and County Commissioners regarding language and map revisions and requested property owners’ inclusions. These include:

Map revisions to reflect the new corporate limits of Castle Pines North.

Potential inclusions into the Urban Service Area: Five lots in Twin Oaks, adjacent to the Southwest Quadrant Planning Area, and two lots adjacent to Waverton Ranch, the Plum Creek Wastewater Plant and U.S. Highway 85.

Potential revision to Region A to change the designation of LaGae South from nonurban to urban.

Language revisions to protect unique natural features, including skyline / ridgeline protections, address the urban-nonurban interface areas and clarify notification and referral procedures.

Following the public meeting, the proposed amendments will be presented to the Town and County planning commissions, likely in May 2010, and Town Council and the Board of County Commissioners in June 2010.

Castle Rock residents and the business community are encouraged to attend. Additional information, including maps, can be found at CRgov.com/iga.

Questions? Contact Heather Vidlock, hvidlock@CRgov.com or 720-733-2203.

Town Council voted 6 - 0 Tuesday to allow sandwich board signage within all areas of Town. Council also amended the ordinance to allow one sign per business.

In other words, in buildings or areas where there is more than one business, more than one sandwich board sign can be displayed. Several business owners spoke before Council, touting the many benefits of sandwich board signage to their businesses, including the freestanding signs help to bring their businesses into the line of site of those passing by.

A closer look at the ordinance:

Permits sandwich board signs on the sidewalk or public right of way only in positions that directly adjoin the business to which it relates.
Deals only with sandwich board signs located on public right of way areas. Sandwich board signs may be permitted subject to the maintenance of a minimum 4-foot sidewalk clearance.
Allows a maximum size of the sandwich board sign of 8 square feet and a maximum height of 4 feet.
Because the ordinance was approved on emergency adoption, the sign code changes are immediately in effect.

Questions? Contact Development Services Director Bill Detweiler, bdetweiler@CRgov.com or 720-733-3557.

Castle Rock Police Department became aware of a marijuana grow-house operation in the northeast portion of the Town. After questioning the suspect about a previous warrant, officers were able to search the residence where they found an excessive amount of marijuana plants.

The suspect has a medical marijuana license and the number of plants grown in his home far exceeds what he is legally entitled to.

While investigating, officers found that the suspect’s five-year-old daughter lived with him and had access and exposure to live marijuana plants, dried marijuana, chemicals and other accessories. Previously, officers had removed a 40-caliber handgun from the home where the suspect admitted he had been self-medicating.

The suspect was arrested Feb. 25th and transported to the Douglas County Jail. In addition to the active warrant for “contempt of court,” he’s charged with:

Cultivation of Marijuana (felony)
Child Abuse (misdemeanor)
Prohibited use of Weapons (misdemeanor)

The case remains under investigation by Castle Rock Police and South Metro Drug Task Force and is part of a continuing investigation into local grow-houses.

Watching bluebirds can be fascinating and rewarding.

Find out first-hand how awesome the experience can be by becoming a volunteer for the Colorado Bluebird Project via the Town’s POST Partners program.

A training presentation for those interested in volunteering will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 30, at the Philip S. Miller Library.

The Colorado Bluebird Project operates under POST Partners and the Audubon Society of Greater Denver. Now in its fourth year in Castle Rock, the program improves the vitality of native bluebird populations throughout Colorado, with the goal of informing and educating the public about bluebirds.

Thirty-five bluebird nest boxes have been installed on Castle Rock’s parks, open space and trails, and another 28 are set to be added this year.

Volunteers are needed to monitor bluebird nesting and breeding activities weekly between April and mid-August. The data is provided to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as part of a nationwide monitoring project to track the birds’ behavior.

The presentation will provide an overview of the program and monitors’ responsibilities. Training also will be provided for those who decide to become volunteers.

Those who enjoy the outdoors and are looking for a rewarding, fun and educational way to interact with local wildlife are encouraged to attend. All ages are welcome – monitoring is a great family activity.

“The bluebird monitoring allowed our family to do a volunteer activity together,” said Matt Hayes, who monitored bluebirds last year along with wife, Roxann, and daughters Breanna, 6, and Bonnie, 4. “It was also a way for our family to enjoy some of the Town’s trails and open space.”

For more information, contact Barbara Spagnuolo, 720-733-2294 or bspagnuolo@CRgov.com.

Sweet savings already can be seen at the Castle Rock Recreation Center on Sundays, when four household members can buy a family admission for only $14.

During March, the deal is being extended to Thursdays as well. It represents a 30 percent savings for Castle Rock residents, who normally would pay $20 for two youth admissions and two adult admissions.

Nonresidents save, too. Admission for four nonresidents normally would cost $23.50 and on Sundays and Thursdays in March will cost $17.

“We have noticed that our Family Day participation numbers are up dramatically since the first of the year,” Recreation Facility Manager Mike Kilman said. “We would like to try out a Family Thursday during the month of March.”

If more than four household members want to join in the fun, they are welcome to. Admission for additional resident family members is $4.50 for youth and $5.50 for adults; for nonmembers, it’s $5.25 and $6.50.

Admission gives users access to 84,000-square-foot facility – the lap and leisure pools, steam and sauna rooms, gymnasium, weight and cardiovascular equipment, indoor track and drop-in fitness classes including BODYPUMP, BODYCOMBAT and Zumba.

The Recreation Center is open 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursdays and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays. It’s located at 2301 N. Woodlands Blvd.

Questions can be directed to Kilman, 303-814-7448 or mkilman@CRgov.com.

Mid-March will bring more changes to the Town’s transit system, which has seen several reductions this year as a result of declining Town revenues.

The coming round of changes will affect service to The Meadows and Founders Village neighborhoods. The reductions are part of a package to reduce the Town’s 2010 transit budget by about $200,000 from last year.

Town staff studied more than two dozen potential new routes and schedules before settling on the reduced routes, which in most ways will mirror the existing system.

A presentation regarding the changes will be given at Tuesday’s Town Council meeting. Public comment will be taken.

In the morning and evening peak hours, a two-bus service will operate between The Meadows and Founders Village and along Front Street through downtown. This will be known as the Crosstown Route and, for the most part, will follow the existing Green and Blue lines.

During midday, there will be no service to the two neighborhoods, and a single bus will operate between the Outlets at Castle Rock and Castle Creek Commons on Oman Road, in the southeast part of Town. This route also will serve the Recreation Center.

During the morning and afternoon peak-hour service, the route will use the newly completed section of Plum Creek Parkway between Gilbert Street and Ridge Road. The route no longer will pass by the King Soopers on Ridge Road, but it will continue to stop in the Safeway shopping center.

The second route will be known as the Midtown Route and will operate the entire day between the Pines at Castle Rock on Castlegate Drive and the Red Hawk subdivision. The route will follow the current Red Line, except it no longer will serve the Justice Center nor the Trail Boss Road/Metzler Ranch Community Park area.

By eliminating some of the less productive stops and route segments, the buses will have a few more minutes of time built into each run, helping them keep more to their schedules, according to a memo from Transportation Planning Manager Bob Watts to Town Council.

These changes come along with those already implemented: the elimination of Saturday and holiday service, the reduction of service by two hours per day and the collection of a $1-per-ride fare, which will begin March 1. This will bring the 2010 cost for the service down to about $422,000. About $120,000 of that cost will be paid from Federal Transit Administration grants.

Sales tax revenue currently is used to fund the remainder of the service. A decline in those revenues during the recent recession has necessitated prioritization for our full-service municipality.

Town Council recently refined the Town’s mission as ensuring public health and safety and, thus, has begun shifting general tax dollars away from auxiliary services including transit and recreation. As a result, a question could be placed on the ballot for an upcoming election so voters can decide whether to establish a new tax to fund a Town transit service.

The route changes are tentatively scheduled to take effect March 15. A new route map and schedule will be posted at CRgov.com/transit by the end of February. Printed copies will be available on the buses and at Town Hall sometime in early March.

Questions? Contact Watts, 303-814-6415 or bwatts@CRgov.com.

Preserving Castle Rock’s community character is an important goal for the Town.

It’s with that goal in mind that the Town recently created a program to honor outstanding building and site design that is consistent with the Town’s character.

Town Council on Tuesday, along with Town Planning Commission leaders and the Development Services director, recognized the inaugural recipients of the Town Design Awards program.

The eight projects honored represent outstanding examples of design, from which Town residents and visitors alike benefit, Development Services Director Bill Detweiler said.

The 2009 honorees:

Historic Preservation – Sears House, 213 Cantril St. Owners Steve and Bev Williams were recognized for their project, which represents “preservation of historic architectural details to portray the history and heritage of Castle Rock.”

Environmental Project – Joyce Homes’ Feathergrass Development in The Meadows. The nominating team found this project “provides a great example of how sustainability techniques and use of modern building materials can be incorporated into a tract home development.”

Residential Remodel – Mikelson Home, 695 N. Lewis St. Owners Randy and Carrie Mikelson were recognized for their project, which “represents an excellent use of old and new construction techniques while respecting the heritage and history of the property.”

Community Center – The Grange, 3692 Meadows Blvd. The Meadows homeowners association owns this building, which was recognized for its incorporation of modern construction techniques while using a barn-style building “to enhance the heritage of ranching previously conducted on the property.”

Business Building – Spiral Pointe, 103 Fourth St. Local firm Spiral Corp. was recognized for this project, which “respects the history and heritage of Castle Rock’s Council-approved design guidelines while incorporating modern construction materials and innovative design elements.”

Commercial/Industrial Site Development – Sunset Stone, 702 Prairie Hawk Drive. The nominating team found this project “represents a unique and inspiring solution to a metal industrial building and site expansion.”

Public Facility – Philip S. Miller Library, 100 S. Wilcox St. The library was recognized for its “reuse and upgrade of an abandoned structure in the downtown core,” which was “critical to restoring the health and vitality of our community character and heritage.”

Community Project – Skate Park at Metzler Ranch Community Park, 4175 Trail Boss Road. The Town Parks and Recreation Department was recognized for its cooperation with the community’s youth “to promote social interaction and provide users with a safe and fun environment to exercise and enjoy outdoor activities.”

This year’s nominating committee consisted of Planning Commission members and Town staff. Staff intends to expand the nomination team to include representatives from the Historic Preservation Board, Downtown Development Authority, Castle Rock Economic Development Council and, possibly, the Parks and Recreation and Public Works commissions.

This year’s awards marked the first step toward a comprehensive and communitywide involvement program over the next several years, Detweiler said in a memo to Council.

A series of smash and grabs at the Castle Rock Recreation Center hopefully has been halted after police Tuesday arrested two suspects in the latest case.

Police had been on the lookout for the perpetrators for months. In each case, the victim’s purse was stolen from a vehicle parked at the Recreation Center after a window was broken. Credit cards from within the purses then immediately were used to buy items at several local businesses.

Police obtained surveillance videos from the businesses of two suspects – a man and a woman. Signs with their images had been posted at the Recreation Center in hopes that awareness would help nab the duo.

In the end, it was good, old-fashioned police work that reined the pair in.

Officers were dispatched to the Recreation Center, 2301 N. Woodlands Blvd., about 5 p.m. Tuesday in response to a vehicle break-in and purse theft. While one officer went to that scene, another headed to the shopping area near Metzler Ranch, surveillance photos in hand. The suspects had made purchases at stores in that area after past thefts.

Tuesday’s victim worked with police to cancel her credit cards and learned they had just been used at the Target store on Founders Parkway. The officer who was in the shopping area spotted a suspicious vehicle pulling into the Office Max on Allen Way. The license plates on the car belonged to a different vehicle, the pair in the car looked like the man and woman from the surveillance photos, and there was a big-screen television in the back seat.

The officer called for backup, and two other officers arrived to assist. The trio worked as a team to arrest the pair – a 29-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman, both transients. Evidence was recovered that linked the pair to Tuesday’s break-in.

Both were booked into the Douglas County Correctional Facility on suspicion of first-degree criminal trespass, criminal mischief, theft, identity theft, unauthorized use of a financial transaction device and conspiracy.

Castle Rock police now are checking with other local law enforcement agencies to see if any other similar cases can be cleared by the pair’s arrest.

Castle Rock Police worked with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and other local law enforcement agencies to arrest a multi-convicted felon as he attempted to buy a gun.

Steven Allen Ford, 29, who goes by the alias Cherrio, was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm during an undercover conducted by members of the ATF’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Violent Crime Task Force.

Ford, of Castle Rock, was arrested about 6:50 p.m. Monday outside the Busty Bullfrog Lounge, 971 Park St., after purchasing two handguns – a .45-caliber pistol and a 9mm pistol – from an undercover agent.

Ford’s arrest was a cooperative effort among the Castle Rock, Aurora and Lakewood police departments and the ATF after information was obtained that Ford was actively attempting to purchase firearms and narcotics.

“The members of this joint ATF task force quickly acted on developed information and prevented a criminal from obtaining weapons that quite possibly could have been utilized in violent criminal acts,” Castle Rock Police Chief Tony Lane said.

Acting Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Denver Field Division, Melvin King, added, “This joint investigation illustrates the strong partnerships we in Colorado are blessed to have with law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, county, and local levels.”

Gun cases are investigated and prosecuted as a part of Colorado Project Safe Neighborhoods, a initiative targeting gun and gang violence in Colorado communities.

The initiative includes federal, state and local law enforcement officers and prosecutors and has been active in Colorado for about 10 years.

Anyone with information regarding violent crime in Castle Rock area is encouraged to call Denver Metro Crime Stoppers, 720-913-7867, or the ATF Denver Field Office, 303- 844-7540. Callers can remain anonymous.

The sparkle in the crown jewel of the Town’s trails system now is a bit brighter.

A 1-mile southward extension of the East Plum Creek Trail recently was completed.

The new stretch extends south from near the Downtown parking garage on Third Street and parallels the East Plum Creek Trail until its end near the Safeway on South Perry Street.

The new segment is easily reachable from Downtown’s Festival Park and also has access points on Fair and Wilcox streets. It provides users a close-up look at the unique creek-side habitat within Downtown Castle Rock.

With the segment’s completion, the East Plum Creek Trail spans nearly 6 miles between Castle Rock Middle School and South Perry Street.

All of the Town’s major trails eventually will connect to the East Plum Creek Trail – part of the Colorado Front Range Trail, which eventually will connect to all other Front Range communities.

The trail connects to the 8-foot-wide multiuse path along the east end of Plum Creek Parkway and also will connect to the path on the west end of the parkway when it is completed next spring, offering cross-Town connectivity for recreational trail users and commuters.

Plans call for the trail to be extended even further south in the future.

Temperatures are expected to warm up through the end of the week, making the next couple days an optimal time to get out and enjoy the new trail extension.

Questions? Contact Town Trails Planner Rich Havel, 720-733-4482 or rhavel@CRgov.com.

Innovation and cooperation are among the attributes the Town’s Public Works staff was recognized as having during a ceremony this week where staffers accepted two awards.

The Colorado Chapter of the American Public Works Association presented the awards in recognition of the Town’s fleet management/operations and of its street and traffic engineering/operations/maintenance.

The fleet award went to Fleet Services Superintendent Todd Richardson for his management and operation of the Town’s Fleet Division.

“Todd has successfully implemented a fleet services program that uses customer service feedback and performance measures to provide outstanding service to the Town,” according to the January 2010 Colorado Public Works Journal.

The Fleet Division provides vehicle and equipment maintenance, repair and asset management for 267 light-duty units and 63 heavy-duty units.

Richardson’s innovation in the development of the Town’s Green Fleet policy and cooperation with Douglas County for heavy-duty vehicle washes both were mentioned in the article.
A group of Public Works employees – Public Works Director Bob Goebel, Assistant Director Maria D’Andrea, Engineering Manager Chuck Childs, Project Manager Tom Bendel and Senior Construction Inspector Aaron Monks – accepted the street engineering award for their work on the Southeast Arterial Connection Road project.

The project, completed last fall, improved transportation and connectivity in Town. It “advances the vision for the Town by improving access between neighborhoods, available commercial and industrial development areas and the historic downtown to regional transportation and the rest of the community,” the issue of the Public Works Journal said.

The project, which included 1 mile of new road, was lauded for being completed under budget and ahead of schedule. Innovative measures included community outreach regarding roundabouts (the project included two roundabouts), and cooperation with area landowners and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was involved.

“Although originally submitted for its environmental sensitivity, this project was awarded by the judges for its engineering and design as a whole,” Goebel said.

About 2,000 Castle Rock voters have new election districts as a result of a recent redistricting process by the Town Election Commission.

The commission reevaluates the Town’s election districts every three years. Per Town charter, the group aims to ensure the district with the lowest number of residents has at least 85 percent as many residents as the district with the highest number of residents.

Because some areas of Town had grown more than others since the last redistricting, some adjustments to the election districts were necessary this year:

• Registered voters within a portion of Filing 16, located in the southwest corner of The Meadows, were moved from District 3 to District 1. The 182 voters impacted by this change now will vote for a Council representative in April; they would not have done so as members of District 3.
  
• Registered voters within sections of The Woodlands and Escavera and in Castle Oaks and Liberty Village were moved from District 2 to District 5. These 1,045 voters will not vote for a Council representative in April as they would have as part of District 2.
  
• Registered voters within portions of the Red Hawk subdivision were moved from District 3 to District 4. These 694 voters now will vote for a Council representative in April.
  
• Registered voters within certain apartment complexes along South Gilbert Street and Oman Road were moved from District 5 to District 6. These 196 voters now will vote
  for a Council representative in April.

Castle Rock had 29,390 registered voters as of Jan. 4, meaning the changes will impact 7.2 percent – or 2,117 – of the Town’s voters. District 7 is the only district unaffected.

District 3 now has the fewest voters, with 4,085. District 4 has the most, 4,323, making the lowest-to-highest ratio 93.9 percent.

At the time of the last redistricting in 2007, the Town had 23,759 registered voters. If redistricting hadn’t occurred, District 5 – which had the least voters – would have had only 64.5 percent the amount of registered voters as the district with the most voters, District 2.

The new district map is available at CRgov.com/votemap. Voters also may verify their districts, via the Colorado Secretary of State Registered Voter Search, http://tinyurl.com/votecheck.

Questions? Contact Town Clerk Sally Misare, 303-660-1367 or smisare@CRgov.com. New district map

Recently, an Arapahoe County judge found that the City of Centennial could not rely on the application of federal law to prohibit a medical marijuana dispensary from operating within that city.

That finding led to two developments in Castle Rock this week regarding medical marijuana dispensaries:

1) Town Council on Tuesday adopted an ordinance to temporarily prohibit any additional medical marijuana dispensaries in Town for 180 days to allow time to develop a proposed regulatory structure.

2) Town Clerk Sally Misare on Wednesday amended her Dec. 19 order to reverse the limitations placed on the business and tax license for Plants 4 Life LLC, effective immediately.

The temporary suspension went immediately into effect Tuesday. It means “all departments and officers of the Town of Castle Rock are prohibited from conducting pre-application conferences, accepting, processing and/or otherwise approving or acting upon any … Town approval, license or permit currently required for or applicable to medical marijuana commerce under current Code provisions and Town regulations.”

Douglas County and several other area municipalities, including Lone Tree and Parker, have similar suspensions in effect.

Locally, the suspension will give Town staff sufficient time to complete an assessment and recommendation on appropriate and necessary medical marijuana commerce regulations.

No additional medical marijuana commerce will be established in Town until Council can consider and enact regulations. However, the suspension will not apply to or affect medical marijuana commerce that has all required Town approvals, permits and licenses.

The Plants 4 Life license to operate a medical marijuana dispensary was reinstated as a result of last week’s ruling in the Arapahoe County District Court, Frasher, et al. v. City of Centennial – apparently the first finding by a court of any level in Colorado deciding local governments do not have the authority to prohibit medical marijuana dispensaries on the basis that the activities conducted by the businesses violate federal law.

Various other legal proceedings could play out in the coming months, and the State Legislature is expected to further engage related issues, which continue to emerge.

Colorado voters in 2000 approved Amendment 20 to the Colorado Constitution, which allows caregivers to provide medical marijuana to patients suffering from “debilitating medical conditions” who have state-issued registry cards. However, the dispensaries did not become common throughout the state until this year, when the federal government ended its enforcement of dispensaries in states where medical marijuana is allowed.