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Week of February 2, 2023
ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
Northglenn-ThorntonSentinel.com
VOLUME 59 | ISSUE 26
Our in-depth look at the housing crisis
Westminster approves water treatment plant plan BY LUKE ZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
High home prices, lack of supply sever metro residents from communities Lower- and middleincome people struggle to live where they work BY ROBERT TANN COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
When Chris Laney moved into his new three-bedroom home last summer, he felt like he’d won the lottery. After more than a decade of chasing the cheapest rent across the metro area, the Littleton bar-
tender finally has a house to call his own. “I almost feel guilty that I have it,” said Laney, 49. Laney is one of a handful of residents who have secured housing through a subsidized program aimed at helping lower- and middle-income people live where they work. But as cities and towns contend with historically high home costs and a lack of supply, residents like Laney have struggled to live in their communities. “I’ve always felt like I was just passing through instead of living
INSIDE: CALENDAR: PAGE 11 | VOICES: PAGE 12 | OBITUARIES: PAGE 13 | SPORTS: PAGE 22
somewhere, putting down roots,” said Laney. He has worked at Jake’s Brew Bar in Littleton since 2012. “This is where I want to be,” Laney said. “My friends and family are Jake’s.” In numerous counties, residents — spanning a range of employment from the service industry to teaching — have faced the brunt of what many officials are calling a housing crisis. The median price of a single-
After reevaluating an original layout for a new water treatment plant for more than a year, Westminster City Council approved general plans for a new plant on Jan 23 – one that will cost $100 million less than originally planned. “I feel confident we are headed in a way better direction than we were,” said City Councilor Lindsey Emmons. Councilors approved the plan 6-1, with City Councilor Bruce Baker voting no. “It’s for a property we do not need and for a price too much,” he said. According to Stephanie Bleiker, capital projects administrator, the improved plant will use existing infrastructure, can treat wildfirecontaminated water, is flexible for future replacement and has robust infrastructure. It’s estimated to cost $196 million, plus an additional $15 million for ozonation, though it may cost more with inflation. Ozonation is a process that injects pure oxygen into the water to kill a wide range of biological contaminants and to oxidize metals. Options
The budget is supported by the current water rate structure, she said. The cheapest option – one that councilors decided against – saved money in the short run. It wouldn’t have been flexible in the long run to replace in the future, costing more money than the others down the road, she said.
SEE PRICES, P14 SEE WATER, P2
UPON FURTHER REVIEW
CHSAA approves raises for officials
P22