Week of February 16, 2023
FREE
DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
ParkerChronicle.net
INSIDE: CALENDAR: PAGE 11 | VOICES: PAGE 12 | SPORTS: PAGE 20
VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 12
County homeless numbers drop in annual count Data skewed due to cold BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Douglas County saw a drop in the number of people experiencing homelessness who were counted as
part of the Denver metro area’s annual snapshot of the unhoused this year compared to last, according to early data. And while it’s difficult to pinpoint what causes unhoused people to be located in or outside of Douglas County on one night per year, county officials attribute the decrease to
the work of a new team that helps connect the unhoused in Douglas with services. “Having a (resource) navigator paired with law enforcement seems to be the secret sauce,” county Commissioner Abe Laydon said during a Feb. 9 news conference announcing the preliminary numbers.
Dangerously cold weather rolled into Douglas County and around the Denver area at the end of January, potentially affecting the metro area’s annual Point in Time count. When outdoor conditions are so harsh, unhoused people might SEE HOMELESS, P8
Platting efforts continue in Downtown Parker Council approves roadway contracts BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Officer Eric Graham and K-9 Kato as Mr. February in the Vested Interest in K9s 2023 calendar.
PHOTO BY PARKER POLICE DEPARTMENT
Parker officer, K-9 featured in calendar Part of nonprofit program BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Parker Police Department’s Officer Eric Graham and his K-9, Kato, are Mr. February’s in Vested Interest in K9s 2023 calendar. Kato, one of the two police dogs at the Parker Police Department, received his ballistic vest from Vested Interest in K9s. SEE WISH, P6
‘If I can return the favor and help them out and kind of get their business name more out there to public knowledge, then I’m all for it.’ Officer Eric Graham
In an effort to conclude all platting in Downtown Parker, the community development team proposed two minor plats for the Daisy Rowley House and the Exchange Building properties during the Feb. 6 town council meeting. The Parker town council unanimously approved the Daisy Rowley House Minor Development Plat on Pikes Peak Drive. According to Ashley Chasez, from the Community Development Department Planning Division, the property was annexed in 1981 when the town was originally incorporated. However, it has never been platted. The site includes two lots. One is an existing single story building built in 1993 that is currently being used as the office for Plum Creek Funding. The other lot includes two structures, one of which is the existing building from 1917, and the other is a large accessory garage behind the historic home that is currently being used by Ryan & Company, Inc. a local contracting company. The minor development plat will establish the two parcels as legal lots of record as is required by the Municipal Code. “This proposal will create two legal lots,” said Councilmember Laura Hefta. “And it allows for the continuation of existing uses and will provide opportunity for future re-development within the context SEE COUNCIL, P9