It’s hard to imagine the year 2035 but Parker, Colorado is already thinking about it! The Parker 2025 Master Plan, originally approved in 2005, is currently going through an update with its Parker 2035: Changes and Choices Master Plan Update.

According to the Town’s website,  the plan is “an opportunity to reflect upon the community’s successes and challenges and to determine what changes need to be made so that we have the right balance of future growth, housing, transportation, commerce, open space and recreation. By planning together we will set long-term goals and policies that will guide the Town’s day-to-day decisions for the next 25 years.

The Town is looking for input from its residents and has already held two workshops, including “Defining a Hometown Feel” and Defining “Managed Growth’(including water issues).” There is an additional workshop coming up next week:

Workshop 3: Jobs/Economic Development
Dates: Wednesday, Oct. 5 and Thursday, Oct. 6
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Town Hall, 20120 E. Mainstreet
Workshop Description: Residents’ survey responses regarding jobs and economic development varied significantly throughout the initial outreach process. This workshop will provide attendees with information regarding the current status of jobs and economic development in the Town of Parker, background on what different types of businesses bring to the Town and how having certain types of businesses in Parker affect the Town. You will work with other Parker area citizens to decide what you would like to have accomplished when it comes to this topic in the next five years and where you would like the community to be in 20 years. Dinner will be included for workshop participants.

We salute Parker for strategizing about its future to make it a better place for residents for years to come. It recognizes that “These decisions will impact our everyday lives, like the opportunities available to our children, places to shop and play in and near our neighborhoods, the length of our daily commutes and in the investment we’ve made in our properties.”

For information on living in Parker, Colorado, in the past, present, or future, please contact TeamCox Realtors - Denver real estate specialists - at 303-400-6060.

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If you’ve never been to Parker, Colorado’s Barker’s Day, you need to go this weekend! The event hosts dogs and their owners in Parker’s O’Brien Park ball field and H2O’Brien Pool. It features dog demonstrations, contests and dog-related vendors.

Here is the information on Barkers Day 2011:

Saturday, Sept. 10th
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
O’Brien Park, 10795 Victorian Dr.
$6 per resident dog, $8 per non-resident dog; human friends are free!

This is just one of the many fun events that Parker, Colorado puts on each year. It is is a family-oriented community that is a great place to live.  It’s easy to see why Parker was recently ranked among Money’s “Best Places to Live.”

For more information on living in Parker, Colorado, or regarding Parker real estate, please contact TeamCox Realtors at 303-400-6060.

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Many Denver homeowners are considering improvement projects this spring to improve the value and the overall appeal of their homes. 

This is a great idea in the current Denver real estate market, but you will want to pull a building permit for your project. Some of the common remodeling projects that require a permit include: basement finishes, decks and patios, furnaces/air conditioning, gazebos, pools and hot tubs, any plumbing work, any electrical work, and the list goes on! Check with your locality for more information on requirements.

When you are doing a home improvement project, it’s very tempting to forego the building permit process, but it’s not a good idea. Building permits help protect your property’s value and your wallet in the case that damage occurs. If your project doesn’t have a permit and damage occurs, your insurance company probably won’t cover the damage. It’s also a good for safety reasons, since a trained professional will be evaluating your remodeling project. In addition, when you sell the property, you will need disclose any improvements made and if permits were obtained for them. If you are selling a home with remdeling projects done without a permit, you may be required to tear down the addition, or pay for costly repairs.

Parker residents: the Town of Parker offers FREE homeowner building classes that cover many of the projects mentioned above. At each class, building staff will walk you through the permitting process, and explain fees and the required inspections. This is a good opportunity to meet the people who will help you with the application and plan permit process, and also to meet with the field inspectors. Classes start at 6 p.m. at Town Hall, located at 20120 E. Mainstreet. Upcoming 2011 class dates are:

Thursday, March 10
Thursday, June 9
Thursday, Sept. 8
Thursday, Dec. 8

It’s also always a good idea to check with your Homeowner’s Association (HOA) prior to starting any remodeling project. If you don’t do this, it could result in a major headache later since HOAs often have jurisdiction over home improvements, especially patios, decks,  pools, spas, landscpaing projects, etc.

While all of this requires some work upfront, you will be glad you did it in the end.

If you are considering a remodeling project for your Denver-area home, please contact TeamCox Realtors – Denver real estate specialists at 303-400-6060. We will give you an idea of the potential value that the project could add to your home. Good luck with your remodeling project!

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Are you a Denver-area homeowner who is thinking of “greening” your home? TeamCox Realtors has found an event for you! This month’s Parker Library Café Current is covering,“Principles of LEED + Greening Your Home.” The event is on Tuesday, July 14 at 7:00pm at the Warhorse Inn (19420 E. Mainstreet) in historic downtown Parker. Bill Blomberg, a LEED-accredited consultant, will explore energy efficiency issue, along with the benefits of efficiency home projects. He is an expert in energy conservation, energy-efficiency technologies and strategies, focusing on solar energy.

For tips on making your home more environmentally friendly, please contact TeamCox Realtors  –  your Denver real estate specialists – at 303-400-6060. We are a certified Ecobroker, and have gone through extensive training on many environmental issues pertaining to real estate.

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Well, Denver residents were expecting a whirlwind during the DNC! Three tornadoes touched down southeast of Denver yesterday, on the eve of the DNC. One of the tornadoes, which touched down near the Rueter-Hess Reservoir in Parker, was about a mile from my house. The tornado spotting gave my family quite a scare! Two more tornadoes also touched down in Douglas County near Castle Rock and Parker yesterday evening.

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* Photo is courtesy of Leslie Stoops, who lives in Parker’s Antelope Heights neighborhood.

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New Costcos Opening in Parker and Sheridan Next Month!

TeamCox Realtors is always on the lookout for new conveniences that are coming to a neighborhood near you! Today, we are happy to report that two new Costco Wholesales are opening up next month in Parker and Sheridan!

Parker Costco:

Opens Friday, August 22, 2008

18414 Cottonwood Dr.

(Next to Parker Adventist Hospital)

Sheridan Costco:

Opens Thursday, August 21, 2008

4000 River Point Parkway

For more information on what’s new in Denver metro area neighborhoods, please contact TeamCox Realtors at 303-400-6060. As always, if you have information on what is coming soon to a neighborhood near you, please e-mail us.

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Coming Soon to a Neighborhood Near You…Parker

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Welcome to TeamCox’s new blog series, “Coming Soon to a Neighborhood Near You.” Since the number of conveniences, including stores, recreational facilities, roads, etc., is a huge factor when choosing a new neighborhood, TeamCox keeps abreast of all of the happenings in the Denver area’s most popular communities. This week, we are going to cover what is coming soon to Parker.

Costco - After a long negotiation process, Costco Wholesale is coming to Parker’s Crown Point Development! Ground has already been broken on the 152,000 sq. foot facility, to be located near Parker Adventist Hospital at E-470 and Parker Road. The warehouse is anticipated to open in August 2008. For those of who regularly shop at Costco’s ultra-crowded Park Meadows location, this is truly exciting news!

Circuit City -  A new Circuit City is opening at the old Target location (Parker Rd. & Lincoln Ave.)

Sprout’s Farmer Market – One of Colorado’s three new Sprout’s Farmer Markets, a national grocery chain, will be opening at the old Albertson’s location at Parker Rd. & Lincoln Ave. We could all use some more fresh veggies!

The Egg & I – The popular breakfast spot will be opening soon at 18901 E. Main St., at the site of the former Parker LePeep. Yum!

Kinko’s – Parker businesses can breathe a sigh of relief – the new Parker Kinko’s is now open near Parker Rd. & Lincoln Ave.

Do you know of any other new businesses coming to Parker (or to other south Denver communities)? Please contact us, and we will post the information in our blog. For more information on Parker real estate, please contact TeamCox Realtors at 303-400-6060.

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TeamCox Realtors often recommends Parker, Colorado, to our homebuyers since the southern Denver suburb appeals to almost everyone – first time buyers to young families to empty nesters. The charming town and its surrounding neighborhoods offer a unique blend of small-town charm blended with the conveniences of being near a large city.

Yesterday’s Denver Post featured an article about the future Rueter-Hess Reservoir, slated to be 50 percent larger than the Cherry Creek Reservoir, which is under construction near Parker. This reservoir brightens Parker’s already vivid future, since it will add to the area’s existing charm and recreational opportunities, while boasting its water supply. Planning for the reservoir began in 1985, as the Parker Water and Sanitation District sought to improve its long-term water supply.

Projected to be completed in 2011, the  Rueter-Hess Reservoir will provide water to the Town of Parker, in addition to surrounding Douglas County areas, including Stonegate, Castle Pines North and Castle Rock. While the recreation plans for the reservoir haven’t been finalized, there are plans to include fishing and non-motorized boating, including canoes and rowboats. In addition, approximately 2,000 acres of land will be set aside for wildlife, hiking, and biking trails.

Are you thinking about moving to the Parker area? TeamCox Realtors has extensive knowledge of the Parker real estate market, so please free to contact us at 303-400-6060.

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Two new Douglas County School District elementary schools have remained nameless – until this week!

According to The Douglas County School District, its Board of Education formally approved, “Gold Rush Elementary,” as the name for Elementary School #44. Gold Rush Elementary, Parker’s newest elementary school, will be open for the 2008-2009 school year. Parker subdivisions feeding in the new school include Antelope Heights, Bradbury Hills, Horse Creek, Newlin Meadows and Jordan Crossing. The name has historical meaning as gold was found in Newlin Gulch during the gold rush.

The Castle Rock area’s newest elementary school (formerly Elementary School #45) will now be known as “Clear Sky Elementary School.” The brand new school, located in The Meadows subdivision, will also be open for the 2008-2009 school year.

For more information on schools throughout Douglas County or in the Denver metropolitan area, please contact TeamCox Realtors.

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Since community safety is a prime concern among our buyers, TeamCox Realtors makes a point to keep a close eye on Denver area crime rates.

Parker, Colorado, a family-oriented community located 20 miles southeast of downtown Denver, recently reported a remarkable decline in crime rates. The Douglas County News Press reports that despite the Parker’s sustained population growth, the Douglas County town has seen a significant decrease in crime with 12.9 percent fewer charges filed in 2007 than 2006. Incidences of property crimes and crimes against another person were down last year. 

This is just one more reason why Parker is a wonderful place to live. In addition to low crime rates, residents savor the town’s small-town charm, top-notch schools, and state-of the art recreational opportunities.

For information on Parker real estate or regarding crime statistics in other Denver area communities, please contact TeamCox Realtors.

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