The Ridge at Fox Run

Recreation District

Upcoming election

This article came from the February 2, 2000 issue of The Gazette

Tri-Lakes may vote on district

Property tax increase would pay for recreation improvements

By Pam Zubeck/The Gazette

More open space, biking and walking trails, an ice rink and a health club could be on the way to the booming Tri-Lakes area, if residents are willing to pay.

Cost: $17 million. That means an increase of up to $36 in property tax for every $100,000 in property value for years to come.

It's all part of the Tri-Lakes Parks and Recreation District proposal that appears headed for a May 2 special election.

Supporters of the plan say the need is clear. The population of this 50,000-acre area that encompasses Gleneagle, Fox Run, Woodmoor, Palmer Lake and Monument has doubled to 25,000 in the past 25 years.

That's an 8.8-percent annual growth rate - three times that of the county as a whole.

"The recreation needs and open space needs are driven by the higher growth rate we experience here," said Russ Broshous, president of the Woodmoor Association, who would become a district board member if the proposal is approved.

"The county's ability to deal with that is constrained by its lower budget growth. We're trying to fill in some of that gap by providing certain recreation benefits to the area that we can't otherwise obtain."

Backers say the district would provide the following:

Development of trails and amenities around five lakes.

Extension of trails.

Open space acquisition.

A health club. To be built on land to be donated by Jackson Creek near Lewis-Palmer High School east of Interstate 25, the facility would feature a swimming pool, racquetball courts, gymnasium and weight-lifting equipment.

All four phases would be funded with two bond issues, one in 2001 and another five years later.

The cost to homeowners would vary. As the debt is paid off over 25 years, the cost would decline.

The district is roughly bordered by Pike National Forest on the west, Vollmer Road on the east, County Line Road on the north, and North Gate Road and Hogden Road on the south.

It's not a new idea. The plan follows the May defeat of a proposal by the Donala Water and Sanitation District to provide recreation for 2,000 acres in the Gleneagle area. Voters
opposed the plan because spending details were missing. Also, the measure failed to gain support from key groups.

That's not the case with the Tri-Lakes plan.

"Our plans are pretty well laid out of what we plan to do and by when," Broshous said, adding Monument and Palmer Lake town councils have endorsed the proposal, as have
Lewis-Palmer School District 38 and key homeowners groups.

If approved by the county commission this month, the plan will be submitted to a district judge, who will decide whether to place it on the ballot.

Voters would weigh in on whether to form the district, whether to issue debt and raise taxes and whether to install a proposed board of directors.


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