Huff Negotiates Tax Reduction for CPN Residents

CPN candidate for Mayor, Jeff Huff, secured a commitment from the board of directors of the Castle Pines North Metro District to implement a property tax reduction for 2010.

Huff presented his argument for lower taxes at the board meeting September 21. “The board agreed to reduce the property tax for debt service by 8.3%,” announced Huff after the meeting. “This is the right thing to do for taxpayers who are struggling under a heavy tax load combined with a weak economy, depressed housing prices and high unemployment.”

The property tax decrease to 22 mills from 24 mills will save taxpayers in CPN $313,526.00 in 2010. “The tax reduction will decrease revenues to the District but the board should be able to make up for those lost revenues due to lower interest rate expenditures in 2010,” Huff explained.

“This is only the first step I will take in lowering costs for residents. I will ask the board of the Master Association for a significant reduction in dues at the budget meeting next month. If elected, I will also review city expenditures and make prudent cuts where necessary. We need to make sure taxpayers are getting their money’s worth.”

Since moving to CPN in June of 2000, Huff has led many community initiatives. He was instrumental in negotiating a legal settlement between the Master Association and a member HOA. He serves as a director on the CPN Master Association, as president of the Hidden Pointe Metro District and as chairman of Colorado House District 45.

Visit his web site at http://www.huffformayor.com/.

Haste Makes Waste

Dear Residents,
Our Mayor and 6 city council members are taking the steps to annex The Canyons into CPN. This decision will not come to a vote of the citizens and will soon be decided exclusively by our council members.
Their plan includes significant deviations from the original zoning that began in 1996 and was finally, after a long period of due diligence and participation from neighboring communities, approved in 2000.

These changes will urbanize CPN and permanently change the unique character of our community. 36 Neighboring communities and organizations have submitted letters to our city council pleading a rational course of action. They cite a unilateral approach to zoning with a lack of concern for regional impacts. They can be read in their entirety at on the Castle Pines Connection web site.

Some changes included in the proposed zoning plan are:
• Increasing residential density from 1500 to 2500 homes. (Language exists in the plan to exceed those numbers.)
• Increasing commercial development by nine times what we currently have or 60% of that existing today in the Town of Parker.
• Commercial Building heights are approved to the level you currently see in the DTC area.
• The 2000 original zoning predicted an increase in traffic on Monarch and Castle Pines Parkway of 55%, with this intensified land use the transient traffic impacts will be enormous.
• Wringing out water from our drying water supplies to serve these additional land uses.

It is important that each member of our community take a minute to urge our council members to not lose sight of the reasons our community voted to incorporate. Implore them to consider the long term negative impacts of this approval and that those impacts are not worth a quick fix to stabilize the city finances prior to campaigns for re-election.

Comprehensive Plan information Meeting
6 - 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, Community Center. The city asks that you review and comment on the proposed Comprehensive Plan and related elements by Friday, Sept. 18.

City of Castle Pines North
558 Castle Pines Parkway, Unit B4-208
Castle Rock, CO 80108

City manager – Alan Lanning, alan.lanning@cpngov.com

Wonderful 1st Candidate Reception

Thanks to all the home owners and especially the candidates who joined the meeting during last night’s Candidates Reception. As a resident it was great to get to know each of the candidates, Jeff Huff, Mark Shively, Dan Shatz, and Tori Willis who took the time to listen and join the conversations. More importantly it was wonderful to hear the many hopes and dreams the homeowners hold for our community. Hopefully the free-flowing format was as valuable to the candidates as it was cathartic to the homeowners to be heard.

A special thanks to the Bunt Shoppe for the wonderful bunt cakes.

Castle Pines Village Not Taking the Ride

On August 28, 2009 Castle Pines Village Homes Association filed a Motion to Withdraw Petition
for Incorporation, Judge approved, case closed.

Bill Kingery, President of the Castle Pines Preservation Association (CPPA) states “I agree with the dismissal. The facts have changed significantly since the petition was circulated. I believe there is very little support in the Village for incorporation."

MEET THE CANDIDATES RECEPTION

All candidates and homeowners are welcome to participate.

7 PM COMMUNITY CENTER

SEPTEMBER 13, OCTOBER 4, OCTOBER 18

Refreshments will be served.