Grassroots Group Plans for Rec Center
by Lisa Crockett
Sally Wagner, a mother of three young children in Castle Pines North (CPN), says its time the new city had a recreation center of its own. Motivated by a desire to provide recreation opportunities for her children and all residents of CPN, she and a few other concerned residents have banded together to look for ways to make that happen.
“In the fall of 2006, this small community group started to get the ball rolling to see if the community would support the effort,” said Wagner. “With more and more of the available land here being developed, it seemed like a good time to take some action,” she said.
A professional survey commissioned by the group found that 81 percent of CPN residents were in favor of a recreation center. “We have looked at rec centers in other areas in Colorado,” said Wagner. “It’s promising that other communities that are smaller and have lower median incomes than we do were still able to have rec centers in their communities.”
At the current time, the group is looking at land in Lagae Ranch (adjacent to King Soopers) and is estimating that a facility would be a minimum of 40,000 square feet. Proposed amenities for the center include exercise spaces, basketball courts, child care, and a pool.
“We want to facilitate this effort and work with the new city,” said Wagner. The group presented their presentation to the Castle Pines Parks Authority in March.
The effort is still in the early stages and Wagner said she and her group welcome additional involvement from the community. For more information about the group and its efforts, visit www. cpnrec.com.
