1. CALL TO ORDER
The January 20, 2005 meeting of the CPN Master Association Board of Directors was called to order at 7:12 p.m. A quorum was established.
Attendance
Directors present: Linda Nuzum, Maureen Shul, Jason Gibb, Sheri Brummett and Brian Stopps
Directors absent: Doug Gilbert and Bruce Thompson
Delegates present: Lane Roberts, Kim Hoffman Feilmeier, Rita Coltrane, Ted Lohr and Mike Riggle
Delegates absent: Bob Micho, Nancy Clarke, CeCe Marshall, Brad Greiner, Keri Brehm, Tom Mahathirath, Ken Naes and Barb Saenger
Staff: Cheryl McDade, Alison Gibbens, Tim Gamble, Carol Finnegan, Melanie Fischer, and Julianne Kemp
Guests: Alicia McCommons, CPN II, Karen and Dennis Kuhlmann, CPN II, John Cargo, CPN II, Frank Whitson, CPN II, and Barry Strickland, CPN II
Nuzum explained the roles of Directors and Delegates as elected representatives of CPN-area Homeowners. She indicated that there was a need to place time limits on all items on a full agenda in order to accomplish the meeting’s business as efficiently as possible, and to respect the time that Directors and Delegates volunteer to attend the monthly meetings.
Nuzum made sure that everyone had a copy of the handout outlining guidelines for Homeowner input at Master Association meetings. She invited guests who wished to speak to indicate so on the sign up sheet. Homeowners with topics to add to the agenda should sign up for the Open Forum portion of the meeting; guests may also sign up to address a topic that is already on the agenda, and they will be recognized to speak during that agenda item. The “Additional Homeowner Input” agenda item at the end of the meeting can be used for other questions or comments.
Nuzum requested that the CC-20 Update be moved to 3. A. during the Open Forum. MOTION by Stopps to accept the agenda with the changes noted; seconded by Brummett; motion approved and carried.
2. MINUTES – December 9, 2004 Minutes
MOTION by Stopps to accept the December 9, 2004 minutes; seconded by Gibbs; motion approved and carried.
3. OPEN FORUM
The guests present at tonight’s meeting indicated they wished to discuss options for preventing commercial development on the land at the northwest corner of Castle Pines Parkway and Monarch, also known as “CC-20”. Nuzum noted that, before taking public comments, we will first cover the “CC-20 Update” agenda item, to provide background on previous and ongoing community efforts regarding this property.
The land has been zoned for commercial development since the Master Plan for Castle Pines North was first created in 1984. Village Homes was the first builder to commit to the CPN community’s plan for the Metro District to emerge from bankruptcy, and their land purchase included this parcel.
Numerous residents have expressed concerns about the effect that high-intensity retail development on this corner would have on the unique character of the community. In addition, they felt that the current commercial area immediately east of CPN, next to I-25, contained enough land to meet the additional service needs of CPN and surrounding neighborhoods. During the past several years, CPN residents have organized several efforts to avoid or minimize commercial development on CC-20. Most recently, in 2004, a Commercial Development committee was formed to look for possible alternatives and to conduct research from residents.
The next Commercial Development committee meeting will be held on Monday, January 31, 2005, and the entire evening would be devoted to this topic. Nuzum invited all present at tonight’s meeting to come to the next Commercial Development committee meeting, but also asked the guests to briefly present their ideas during tonight’s Open Forum.
Alicia McCommons spoke on behalf of the other guests, and handed out a proposal with a number of ideas. McCommons proposed that an item be placed on the November ballot, seeking voter approval for the CPN Metro District to issue bonds to purchase the land. Another idea would be do a land-swap with the land currently planned for Castle View Park.
Nuzum explained the County restrictions on Castle View Park land which is zoned for parks, open space, and/or public uses. McDade explained that the Metro District’s current bonds restrict the District’s ability to issue new debt, and that McCommons’ group would need to work with the District’s bond experts regarding her proposal.
Nuzum noted that the Master Association relies on volunteers to work on issues of importance to the community, and the Association can assist with providing background information, administrative tasks such as reserving meetings, or with communications once there is definitive information. Nuzum stated that the group would need to put together a solid proposal of what the cost of a bond proposal would mean to tax payers, and establish a grass-roots campaign to promote their proposal with CPN voters.
Frank Whitson, a Stonecroft resident, wanted to say – on the record – that all homeowners in Stonecroft are extremely frustrated with Village Homes. Many homeowners paid lot premiums and Village Homes promised that CC-20 would remain open space, and homes would never back to commercial buildings. He suggested that someone needs to talk with Village Homes and tell them the community’s feelings.
Nuzum ended the Open Forum by re-stating that homeowners interested in volunteering to work on this issue should attend the meeting on January 31.
4. MANAGEMENT/FINANCIAL
Monthly financial & Statistics Report
The monthly financial and statistics report for December was distributed along with January payables. McDade reviewed the financial report for December. The Association has a total of 3,043 master association member homes with a total of 53 closing in December (24 new homes, 18 re-sales and 11 lots). The Master Association’s 2004 budget projection was for 228 new homes to close in 2004. The actual closing number for 2004 came in at 237 homes.
McDade reviewed the preliminary 2004 year-end results, noting that there may be minor adjustments to the numbers once she receives all of the final items that accrue to 2004. The Association continues to be in good financial standing. As of December 31, the Master Association had $154,000 in bank accounts, including $60,000 in the landscaping account, and Accounts Receivable was $17,000. The total amount of income was over budget by $17,000 and the total amount of expenses was over budget by $18,000.
McDade reviewed some specific line items in the financial report. The Connection newsletter is on budget for meeting its production costs. As approved by the Board in September, additional funds were spent on social events, to accommodate the new carriage rides. Stopps asked if the community enjoyed the event. Roberts explained that the demand was huge. The Board will further discuss the pricing of carriage rides with Social Events Coordinator Carla Kenney. In addition, Brummett will contact Kenney with suggestions for social events that are geared towards adults.
Stopps asked about legal expenses and the Hidden Pointe agreement. Nuzum explained that there will be additional legal expenses for the next several months, to finalize all of the agreements that will be executed.
Approval of the Financial Report and Payables
Brummett MOTIONED to accept the December Financial Report and the January Payable Report; Shul seconded; motion approved and carried.
B. Insurance Hold Harmless Agreement
McDade reported that the Master Association’s insurance company has determined that a Subrogation agreement would be an acceptable alternative to the Hold Harmless agreements that the Forest Park and Retreat HOA’s had raised issues with. The Master Association’s insurance agent and attorney have met with the president and attorney for both of these Associations, and the issue should be settled by February of 2005.
5. COMMITTEES - COMMUNITY ACTION
CC20 Update
Nuzum noted that the Open Forum discussion covered the update on citizen efforts to identify alternatives to the Village Homes proposal. At the same time, the Master Association’s Development Review Committee will continue to work on reviewing specific aspects of Village’s current plan as it goes through the County process
Commercial Property at Castle Pines Parkway and LaGae
Stopps reported that he has not heard or received any additional information on the commercial piece of property on the south west corner of LaGae Road and Castle Pines Parkway, which has drawn interest from a party who is considering developing a gas station with service bay and car wash. He will advise the committee when a referral has been received.
Stopps also communicated that there could be upcoming activity on the vacant commercial property in front for Chapters Books.
Residential lot next to BP station
Stopps reported that he had received a new Referral today. The vacant lot north of Castle Pines Parkway, between I-25 and the BP service station, is currently zoned for single-family residential. There is now a proposal to re-zone the land for multi-family residential. Stopps invited Directors and Delegates to provide input for his committee’s review of the plan.
LaGae Family Property
Nuzum reported that a developer has a contract to purchase the Lagae property which extends from just south of the commercial property off of Lagae Road south to Happy Canyon and from I-25 west to the eastern edge of Castle Pines North. The land is currently zoned for agriculture, and the buyer intends to apply to the County to re-zone the property for residential development. The developer has not yet closed on the purchase, but he has initiated conversations with Castle Pines North and other surrounding organizations prior to closing to discuss the potential for providing services, and to start working with neighbors to ensure that any new neighborhood will be an asset to the area. More discussions will follow if the sale is completed.
Nuzum relayed information from Safety Committee Chair Janet Conner. The South Metro Fire and Rescue District is working on getting the fire station built that was part of the 4A tax increase in the last election. They are working with the County regarding the site, and their first preference is the old school site off of Monarch and Hidden Pointe Blvd. Several neighborhood representatives indicated interest in looking at the plans. Brummet, Shul, and Coltrane will inform their respective neighborhoods, and Gibbens will contact Conner to communicate with other areas, including Winterberry, GreenBriar and North Lynx.
Nuzum also reported that Conner is working with the fire district on a grant to install a siren system which the fire district would operate, to alert Castle Pines North for future weather-related and other emergencies.
Brummett is working with Carol Finnegan on a police blotter report re-format so that crime trends can be identified. The report will be monthly rather than weekly and the new format should allow the Master Association to determine if there is a value to receiving this information.
Finnegan announced that she has an “Implementation” manual for neighborhood watch if anybody is interested in a copy.
6. COMMITTEES-MASTER ASSOCIATION
Publications – Newsletter, Web, Email
Nuzum reported that the Feb/Mar issue of the Connection is currently in its production phase.
Gamble reported on the training session for other Master Association contractors to utilize the Go Live web publishing software. Gamble has also been working on posting Daniels Ridge HOA governing documents.
Kemp reported that work has begun on the project to have the sub-HOA web sections re-formatted, and display the information from the database instead of maintaining this separately. The goal is to have the HOA pages completed by June, 2005.
Kemp and Fischer have set up several HOA users on the new Email Send program.
Welcome Coffee, community education
Roberts reported the next Welcome Coffee is scheduled for January 25, 2005 at 7 p.m. She sent 120 invitations to new CPN residents, and stated that Board Members are encouraged to attend.
Roberts announced that she and Sharon Kollmar are working on advertising rates and printing costs for a new community directory. A directory “opt out” form will be included in the 2005 billing for those residents who so not wish for their phone number to be published in the directory. More information will be given at the February meeting.
Social events were discussed during the management/financial review, and planning for 2005 will be discussed with Social Events Coordinator Carla Kenney at the next meeting.
7. METRO DISTRICT
Nuzum communicated that the CPN Metro District is currently recruiting for a new manager. The manager job description has been posted and interviews are being scheduled. The District hopes to fill the position by the end of January, 2005.
In the meantime, Metro District staff is handling daily functions, the board President is handling interim management functions, and the board has been actively participating various activities, such as regional water planning sessions.
Roberts announced that the Metro District has a new website: www.cpnmd.org, which will is scheduled to be live on February 1, 2005.
8. PARKS AUTHORITY
McDade discussed that The Parks Authority has scheduled a special meeting for February 2, 2005 at 8:00 a.m. to review the phasing of Castle View Park with Metro District and Master Association board members and delegates.
9. OLD BUSINESS
Nuzum announced that the Master Association and the Hidden Pointe HOA have reached agreement to dismiss the pending litigation. A detailed “Memorandum of Understanding" was signed on December 31, 2004, specifying the necessary steps to resolve Hidden Pointe’s relationship with the CPN Master Association.
The Boards agreed on the goal that Hidden Pointe become “full voting members” of the Master Association, and plan to complete the necessary legal work by June, 2005. In the interim, both parties agreed to restate the 1999 contractual agreement to revise points of discrepancy and reinforce its legality. All parties agreed to dismiss the lawsuit once the restated 1999 contract is signed.
Under the terms of the new agreement, residents of Hidden Pointe will pay their Master Association dues through the Hidden Pointe HOA. Other provisions clarify and formalize Hidden Pointe's rights of participation in Master Association decision-making, access to Master Association services, and responsibility for communicating with current, and future, Hidden Pointe homeowners regarding the relationship.
The new agreement does not address Hidden Pointe’s current relationship with the Castle Pines North Metropolitan District. However, the CPN Metro District is open to future discussions with Hidden Pointe.
There was no new information to report about sign guidelines.
Shul reported that she attended last weeks meeting and there has been movement with the “150 Study.” The FAA has requested that Centennial Airport update their maps in order to complete the study. After the report is presented, there is a 180 day feedback period for community input. Shul sees this as a crucial time and Castle Pines North needs to be on top of air traffic noise and report all instances. Shul will inform the communications team when this happens so that CPN residents can be notified.
Shul also talked with Centennial Airport’s Executive Director regarding questions that have arisen about ground safety following two recent air crashes. Shul communicated statistics showing that the airport has never had a ground fatality, and that auto accidents and lighting present much greater risks.
Shul further noted that we can request an airport representative to speak at a future meeting if we would like.
Charter School Approval
Nuzum reported that the Douglas County School District has been holding parent input meetings regarding potential for changes affecting the elementary schools that serve the community. The District is looking several options, including traditional vs. year-round calendars, using mobile classrooms, and transferring 6th grade students to Middle School. Decisions are expected in February or March.
Timber Trail Elementary enrollment is continuing to grow rapidly, and Buffalo Ridge starting to level off. About 15% of the projected homes in both schools’ areas remain to be built. The Master Association has provided builders’ sales projections to the School District’s Planning staff during their growth assessment process. The remaining homes in the Buffalo Ridge attendance area will be built in Castle Pines Village, and likely will generate fewer elementary students than the homes being built in the Timber Trail area.
While the schools will continue to see additional students from new homes, other factors will offset some or all of the expected growth.
The recently approved American Academy charter school will draw students from the entire County, but may draw more heavily from the CPN area schools since the charter school’s founders are from our community. The impact on Buffalo Ridge and Timber Trail enrollment will not be known until the charter-school registration closes in mid-February.
In addition, the District is considering moving 6th grade from one or both of CPN’s elementary schools to Rocky Heights Middle School beginning with the 2005-2005 school year. The 6th- through 8th-grade middle school model is the norm in many other school districts in the Denver metro area and around the country.
Nuzum reported the new poles are being placed.
10. NEW BUSINESS
Nuzum announced that the 2005 Annual Goals session will be deferred to the February meeting.
Shul suggested that one of the goals would be to consider forming a committee that stays involved with the state legislature.
11. ADDITIONAL HOMEOWNER INPUT
There was no additional homeowner input.
12. NEXT MEETING
Next Board Meeting:
February 17, 2005 5:30 p.m. – Goal Setting Meeting
7:00 p.m. – Regular Meeting
13. ADJOURN
MOTION to adjourn by Shul; seconded by Brummett; motion approved and carried. The meeting was adjourned at 10:05 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Alison Gibbens
Recording Secretary
Approved ___________________________________, 2005
___________________________________ ________________________________________
Secretary President
