WEEK OF JUNE 19, 2025
VOLUME 24 | ISSUE 16
FREE
Candidates clash over home rule during forum Many voters are still unclear about what changes could actually take place BY JULIA KING SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
A rendering of what the senior affordable housing community in RidgeGate will look like once complete.
agement, controlled access entries to the building, security cameras and covered parking. These parking spaces will be available on a first come, first served basis. The community is anticipated to open in May 2026. Due to its proximity to public transportation — such as the RTD light rail station — parks and open space, nearby retail and the HCA HealthOne Medical Center — also known as Sky
Douglas County voters will face two decisions on June 24: whether to adopt home rule, and — regardless of how they vote on that question — who should serve on the charter commission if the measure passes. Up to 21 candidates can be selected to draft the new governing document, but their role only takes effect if the home rule measure is approved. As part of an effort to inform voters and encourage them to select commission candidates regardless of how they vote on home rule, Douglas County Citizenry (DCC), a conservative civic group, hosted a June 11 meet-andgreet for Republican and unaffiliated candidates. The event aimed to inform, not endorse, any position on the home rule initiative. But with the election fast approaching, it revealed sharp divisions among the conservative candidates — and left many attendees with more questions than answers. As conflicting perspectives played out on stage, some voters walked away still uncertain about what home rule would actually mean for the county. “Democrats seem much more united in their opposition to home rule, where conservatives still seem pretty split about it,” a DCC organizer told the Douglas County News-Press at the event. Several candidates used their two-minute introductions to champion the measure. Former state lawmaker Frank McNulty framed it as a chance to push back on state control, calling the commission “an opportunity for us to
SEE SENIOR LIVING, P5
SEE HOME RULE, P2
COURTESY OF KOELBEL AND COMPANY
Attainable senior housing coming to Lone Tree RidgeGate community will have 101 rental units BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Just a few weeks after the City of Lone Tree broke ground on a new Justice Center along RidgeGate, another development is celebrating its recent groundbreaking. Forte Senior Affordable Housing Community is being added to RidgeGate’s Village Center in Lone Tree at 10760 Crossfield St.
This marks the second affordable housing community in the RideGate community. The attainable housing rental community for older adults will include 101 units ranging in size from 594 to 1,074 square-feet. Each unit will have controlled heating and cooling units, a full kitchen, coat closet, in-unit washers and dryers and cable and internet wiring. Of these, 74 will be single-bed-
VOICES: 10 | LIFE: 14 | CALENDAR: 17 | PUZZLES: 19
room units — estimated to cost around $780 per month — and the remaining will be two-bedroom units. Koelbel and Company, a family-owned and Colorado-based real estate company, also aims to have 64 additional units by early 2027. Other amenities will include a rooftop gathering space, a community room, a fitness room, a game area, a lobby-level lounge with a coffee bar, an outdoor space with a barbecue area and a wrap-around covered patio. There will also be on-site man-
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