"I was very disappointed that the annual meeting agenda did not provide a section for homeowner input. I was under the impression from the last newsletter that homeowner input would be sought at the annual meeting. Was I wrong? I still have several unanswered questions regarding the proposed rec center. I would appreciate answers from anyone who can answer them!

Some of my questions are as follows:

1. What are the anticipated operational cost of the proposed rec center?

2. How much money will the Metro District be contributing for their operational budget?

3. Will there be a limit set on the number of non-resident users?

4. What is the anticipated amount of money needed to service the interest on the bond and how is that revenue to be obtained?

5. When can we expect the bond to be paid off?

6. Does the parks authority have enough money to fund a feasibility and financial anaylsis? The Castle Pines Master Association, The Parks Authority, and the Metro District are all involved in the planning of the proposed Rec. Center.

7. My question is why does the Park Authority have the final say on whether the move ahead on the Rec. Center?

8. What recourse does the taxpayer and the homeower have when an appointed board has the final decision to commit someone (unknown) to a several million dollar bond?

9. What is wrong with submitting the question about a proposed Rec. Center to homeowners for a vote?

Anyone who can answer my questions can respond to me at arcgrc@aol.com Thanks for listening! Galen R. Crowder

"Due to an enormous amount of differing opinions on the subject of raising the Master Association dues for a Rec Center, several CPN residents have formed a petition asking the Master Association Board to hold off on any vote to increase our dues until a full feasibility study is performed. Once the exact figures are determined and communicated to the public, then a vote or poll of Castle Pines North residents can be done. If you'd like to add your name to the petition logon to: http://www.petitiononline.com/NOTO115/petition.html

This petition is not intended to delay or halt the construction of an indoor neighborhood Rec Center, but only to ask the Master Board members to not vote to increase any dues, until a full disclosure of the cost of building, maintaining and funding a Rec Center is communicated to the public.

This petition is sponsored by the residents of Castle Pines North and not affiliated with this web site or any HOA or Master Board member organizations."

"I just received the Fall 2001 Master Association "Connection" and was stunned to see the article titled "Is CPN Ready for a Recreation Center?" This is the first our family has heard of this and we are quite concerned! We immediately spoke with our community representative to the Master Association and this is what she said:

1. This project was proposed by Tom Anderson (past President of the Metro District)and is his "pet project".

2. The increase in assessments which the Board will be discussing at the November 8, 2001 meeting is the maximum, by law, that they can raise our fees in a single year - it is by no means indicative of what each homeowner's financial responsibility will be to actually build the facility.

3. The "overwhelming majority" of homeowners haven't even responded - contrary to the article in "Connection". The fact? - Only 200 responses were provided during a survey conducted sometime last year. Of the 200, 75% showed support. The survey was taken by Tom Anderson and his wife counted the votes and provided the Master Association with the results.

4. Tom Anderson was asked by our representative to provide the Board with a Business Plan - he refused!

5. There is a large number of homeowner's who've expressed concern over this and live in HOA #1 and Bristlecone - Patio. The representatives to the Master Association have expressed concern on behalf of these homeowner's and the other Board members have "brushed them aside".

Our family's concerns are these:

1. Castle Pines North residents pay the highest property taxes in the state of Colorado because of our Special Assessment by the Metro District(over 14%). For comparison, Highland's Ranch residents pay around 9%. Source: Douglas County Assessor's Website.

2. Assessing each homeowner $115 - $450 per year because "the Metro District's PROPOSED 2002 budget reflects a significant cut in the mill levy for 2002" is a crime. Just when many of us were looking forward to lessening our financial burden from the Metro District Assessment, the Master Association has found a way to absorb our tax relief! In addition, according to the Douglas County Assessor's office, our property taxes in 2002 are scheduled for an increase at the County level.

3. Homeowners in the neighborhood I live in can't even afford to water their lawn, paint their house and pay for the necessary maintenance required by our covenants. Take a drive around your own neighborhood and take a good look at how your neighbors (you?) are keeping up with routine maintenance.

4. According to an Assessor at Douglas County, home prices in this area are considered "Stable". Not increasing (as we would have hoped) or decreasing, but stable. We asked the reason for this and his statement was quite clear: Two reasons: homes go unmaintained and CPN is too expensive. According to him, until we can realize some tax relief from the Metro District Assessment, our community will not realize the kind of increases in home value that other Douglas County communities enjoy. On this point, we recently paid for an appraisal of our home by an independent appraisor. What we were told by the Assessor at the County held true for our home's appraisal. The gentleman we hired made the same comments on our appraisal, so this is something widely held amongst certified appraisor's in the state of Colorado. We then spoke to a few Real Estate agents that specialize in our area. They confirmed for us that there are interested buyers for our properties that turn away when they realize what the financial commitment is to live in CPN.

5. "Feasability Studies" aren't free. What concerns us is just good common sense - the recreation center in Castle Rock is never "at capacity" when my family has chosen to use it. So our little community thinks that we will somehow be able to build and financially maintain a recreation facility? To us, it's not even worth the cost of the feasability study to find out that we can't, or worse yet, to find out in five years (after it's been built) that this little community can't.

A recreation center is a luxury. Our family is already feeling the effects of a recession. My company is considering layoffs. Our home doesn't appraise for what it could and that's strictly because of the place we chose to call home - CPN.

We knew when we moved here in 1996 that we would be paying a higher price to live here. We thought it would be worth it. We've become increasingly concerned over how this area is managed by our homeowner's association, the Master Association and the Metro District. For those of you that think "our fees to live here are cheaper than Highland's Ranch" - think again. In fact, do the math for your own home - how much are you spending for HOA dues, Master Association dues, Metro District Assessments, Metro District water, IREA charges, increased phone charges from Qwest etc.?

Please just consider these things and attend the meeting on November 8. I only hope that the Board members will take a hard look at these basic issues before they choose to assess this fee.

Unfortunately for us, if this fee is assessed, we've decided it's time to leave this area and call someplace else home.

One final thought: Highland's Ranch homeowner's were able to vote on Recreation Center needs on a November ballot. Each homeowner's voice was heard. The recreation centers in Highlands Ranch were built because local communities didn't have clubhouse, pool and tennis court facilities."

Say NO the Highlands "Ranchification" of Castle Pines North by saying NO TO A REC CENTER. Building a Rec Center in our Community is the absolute worst idea that the Master Association is pushing on us.

Having worked several years at the NorthRidge Center in Highlands Ranch, I'd like to dispel some of the myths of the advantages of a Rec Center.

Myth #1: Young children can participate in structured activities. Reality #1: Many parents will treat the Center as free babysitting where they can "dump" off their kids for a few hours. It is not daycare. The state-required ratios and certified caregiver rules do not apply. Many parents are even more afraid to bring young children to the Center for fear of the foul language and negative influences of the teens that are allowed to roam unsupervised.

Myth #2: Positive place for teens to congregate.
Reality #2: We will give the teens a great place to discover smoking, drinking and experiment with sex, not too mention learn how to fight, discover new swear words and practice their "CPN Sucks" writing skills on the Recreation walls.

Myth #3: It will be great to have a tennis, racquetball and basketball facilities at our disposal in close proximity.
Reality 3#: We have tennis and basketball courts now and they are seldom used. Racquetball is an outdated 1970's sport that even local high-end health clubs are removing. Tennis lessons and basketball leagues will be extra costs anyway. Go to Castle Rock or join a real health club.

Myth #4: Having a Rec Center will increase our property value.
Reality #4: Would you like to have your property to border the Rec Center's? There will be an increase of graffiti, increase in car traffic, increase of noise past 10:00pm, as well as a prime meeting place for illegal gang activity. You can look up all the Highlands Ranch arrests and see that the majority of illegal activity takes places at or near the 2 Rec Centers.

Myth #5: Using the state-of-the-art equipment will be great. Reality #5: The state of the art equipment is at Colorado Athletic Club or 24Hour Fitness. A community rec center cannot afford high end equipment. If they can, it will definitely be passed onto ALL residents in their dues. The real athletic clubs also pay for maintenance and replacement of old machines. Rec Centers continues to repair a damaged piece until it is considered obsolete. As for free weights, forget about it, the insurance cost associated with free weights is too high. It is not cost effective to have free weights. The percentage of CPN residents that will actually use the exercise equipment on a regular basis will be less than 2%. But again, all residents will pay for this.

Myth #6: Building a Rec Center is a good use of commercial space.
Reality #6: With a cash cow like a Rec Center in the area, businesses will chomp at the bit to get their business nearby. Is a Cigarette King soon to follow?

I implore the residents of CPN to demand that our dollars do not go into building a Recreation Center.

"QUIT YOUR WHINING!!! To all the people that are whining about the rec center, you need to remember one thing - you live in a democratic society where majority wins. It is apparent that when things that don't go your way, you need to start making claims that are completely unfounded. Let's start with claims of crime and gang activity - please cite your specific source. As for people that don't want an increase in dues, based on the formula spelled out in the initial founding documents of CPN, you should be paying that much already - still cheaper to live here in a nicer area than it is to live in the Ranch. Do you really think that a state-of-the-art rec facility would lower property values? Cite specific sources where this has happened.

We have NOTHING in Castle Pines North that would be considered a community center - a place where neighbors can come meet and play. So instead of hiding behind an anonymous internet posting, I challenge you to bring your complaints (and specific, verifiable data) to the annual meeting on November 8, 2001, and voice them there. I promise you that your opinions will be heard, and likely challenged by other residents. To those of you supporting the rec center - be sure to attend the meeting to make sure that your voice is heard as well."

"Can anyone tell me where the last HOA meeting was on 11/29, the newsletter said it would be at the clubhouse on Yorkshire, no one there?

I'm curious what the next steps are for this clubhouse, there are clear concerns being communicated to the representatives of the communities in CPN and what are the plans?

I am further concerned as there are no minutes to report, what all is going on?"

"We have lived here since 1986. It is a great place to live and raise children. We love our home, neighborhood, friends, school etc. The grocery store (one) will be great for obvious reasons.

But, since the recent growth, (the past 3 years) we feel the area is becoming more like Highlands Ranch and less like the area we chose to move to. If we could make the decision again as to where to move to, I doubt we would choose this area.

However, all of the Denver area has changed in character... More pressure should be put on the builders, the planning and zoning and the commissioners to make the lots larger. The density is too much. (I know the standard response is the bond issue.) The pressure cannot come from a few hysterical homeowners, but it must be a strong voice like the Master Assoc.

What happened in Forest Park is a sin, especially the lots owned by Ashcroft. The greed of the builders and developers will eventually backfire - water issues, crime issues, lack of a sense of community for everyone will all add up and create problems so that the special quality of CPN will be lost forever.

It really is a shame, because it could have been an area where less might be best & not an extension of the sea of rooftops of Highlands Ranch.

Also, not to be thoroughly negative...there was a recent bit of crime in HOA1. I think everyone in the area should know what happened (accurately from the police) so people can be more cautious and alert. We are not immune to crime and as the area grows more incidents will occur. That's my opinion!!"

"We have lived in Castle Pines North for 2 months and I am surprised at all the complaints people have! If people are so unhappy about the deer and rabbits. Why in the world did they move here..."Get a Life"...Go live in Denver...We are tired of hearing and reading about your inadequacies of not being able to cope with nature! Contact Coldwell Bankers. You complainers are much more of a nuisance to Castle Pines and all of society than any wildlife that resides here!"

Castle Pines North Homeowners Association
Copyright © 2001-2002 Castle Pines North Homeowners Association
All rights reserved.

Telephone and Fax:
303-482-3078

Address:
CPN Association, Inc.
7402 Yorkshire Drive
Castle Rock, Colorado 80104

Contact the Castle Pines North Homeowners Association (CPNHOA) by e-mail.