Documents

SERVICES

Golden Run…

๏Uses the latest technological advances so no neighboring municipal services will be required beyond those already planned in existing Comprehensive Plans (and even many, if not all, of these will not be needed due to Golden Run’s sustainable design).
๏Already is in the Northern Water Conservancy District as well as the Left Hand Water District and is on a major ditch system so it has access to the water supplies it needs which, on a per capita basis due to recycling and conservation plans, will be very minimal.
๏Already has electrical service provided by Xcel Energy and has potential access to natural gas service as well. These services will back up the Zero Net Energy design of the community.
๏Is located within and is currently served by the Mountain View Fire District and is in the Fire District’s service area but may ultimately be served by its own, independent authority.
๏Can contract for law enforcement protection from the Boulder County Sheriff’s Department, if need be.
๏Will deploy the latest technology in every structure in the community so it “wired” in a state-of-the-art manner which gives residents, workers, and visitors the ultimate in electronic access to each other and the Information World – making it a highly attractive location for economic development.
๏Will be an important step towards helping to physically and emotionally stitch local community “fabric” together to assist neighboring communities in its efforts to achieve environmental and economic sustainability through increased community self-sufficiency.
๏Will have amenities and design features which encourage positive interaction between many municipal neighbors so as to change the culture of competition and promote cooperation and sharing instead.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND AMENITIES

Golden Run…

๏Is a human-scale, walkable community with direct links to neighboring communities.
๏Will deploy an extensive multi-modal trail system as a set of amenities for the entire region community, consisting of over 5 miles of new, well-maintained walking paths, hiking trails, running and jogging paths, equestrian, and bicycle paths --- all with appropriate separations so everyone is comfortable when using these facilities.

HOUSING

Golden Run…

๏Includes a full range of living options with a majority of units specifically tailored to meet the needs of mature and elderly citizens –smaller footprint homes, “empty nest” homes, independent living options, assisted care facilities, and 24/7 medical options focused on specific needs – helping to keep families together by allowing everyone to stay in the community for their entire lives. This housing model also is ideal for students, young faculty members, and similar demographics for institutions such as those in higher education.
๏Will set a new standard for meeting the needs of the disabled by requiring a majority of all housing to meet Universal Design requirements so the disabled have access to most of the housing in the entire community.
๏Recognizes the need to have a variety of housing types to keep families together and provide true diversity through housing types, with an emphasis on town-homes, condominiums, apartments, and live/work units along with a wide variety of single-family homes – all of which will help house people at different stages of their lives.
๏Encourages Co-Housing and other creative approaches to help build a stronger sense of community as well as offer a wider range of living options for all residents.
๏Includes extensive Mixed-Use zoning options so some neighborhoods can allow residential apartments and townhouses over and/or next to shops and offices so as to provide affordable and lively alternatives to single-family dwellings.
๏Will be constructed in phases over the long-term to minimize impacts while still providing the economic benefits of superior design and construction.

SCHOOLS & EDUCATION

Golden Run…

๏Is located entirely in what is now recognized as the State of Colorado’s premier school district -- the Boulder Valley School District – which currently is more than able to meet the projected needs of Golden Run residents.
๏Will integrate different aspects of and amenities on Golden Run into school programs for both the St. Vrain Valley School District and the Boulder Valley School District so the maximum number of children and families can benefit.
๏Will have minimal impacts on the Boulder Valley School District due to the fact the vast majority of Golden Run residents will not have school-age children.

EMPHASIS ON SENIOR NEEDS

Golden Run…

๏Is a place to live for all generations -- a community for all ages -- which will provide an enriching live/work environment – with an emphasis on meeting the wide range of needs of citizens over 55 years of age by having clustered 250- to 500-unit “Senior Villages” as the core of the community.
๏Will offer a full range of living and care options for mature to elderly citizens – from “empty nest” homes to several independent living options to different kinds of assisted care facilities to 24/7 medical options focused on specific needs -- with the intent of allowing citizens to stay in the community for their entire lives and have their families close by.
๏Takes advantage of the fact major regional hospital and related medical facilities have opened up nearby (i.e., Exempla and Kaiser) – all of which have convenient access from Golden Run and with whom dependable shuttle transportation arrangements can be made.
๏Also utilizes the other significant regional and local medical care facilities in the area such as Community Hospital, Clinica Campesina, and AVISTA Hospital having a presence in the area.

PLANNING AND DESIGN

Golden Run…

๏Begins with the historical assumptions of the Town of Erie’s Comprehensive Plans from the past 20 years -- all of which designated the land on which Golden Run resides as specifically for High Density Urban and Commercial Development types of development.
๏Will have streetscapes that include traditional grids that echo local designs and tree-lined avenues with landmarks like towers, fountains and squares to ease navigating and encourage walking.
๏Offers more architectural variety and detail than any other area neighborhood, such as front porches, steep roofs, wide and narrow streets, split-rail and picket fences, brick and stone walls and modern buildings -- all designed by different architects to produce the variety desired by any city or town seeking to avoid the homogeneous look of many typical subdivisions and to create the kind of variety residents will want to have in 50 years.
๏Counters “sprawl” by concentrating housing in an appropriate urban area and minimizing per capita and other utility and constructions costs by promoting high density community design, which also provides a human structure for the interaction of neighbors --maximizing relationships.
๏Includes extensive Mixed-Use zoning areas to allow residential apartments and townhouses over or next to shops and offices so people do not always have to drive to work or to shop.
๏Is well-coordinated with, is physically linked to, and depends on other developments in the area so the citizens of the entire Town will have access to and full use of the amenities provided by Golden Run.
๏Will set a new standard for the use of flowers, shrubs, and other plants to enhance the attractiveness, livability, and pleasure of the community by incorporation such considerations into original designs and then by dedicating sufficient resources to plant and care for such vegetation – helping bring a major addition of color and life to the otherwise bland area.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Golden Run…

๏Is the last 320-acre parcel in Boulder County formally designated by multiple government entities (Boulder County, the City of Lafayette, and the Town of Erie via their 1994 Intergovernmental Agreement) for development and may be the last 320-acre parcel available for this kind of development anywhere in all of Boulder County and, therefore, should be thoughtfully and intentionally developed with the maximum economic benefit for the area. At this time, Golden Run is not located in and is not part of any municipality --- hence creating this unique opportunity.
๏Will benefit all area retail businesses creating a destination phenomenon which will attract shoppers to areas which otherwise might be bypassed or ignored.
๏Uses a relative high-density approach to achieve critical mass and necessary consumer threshold levels for sustainable retail activity for the entire area.
๏Accepts the reality that some businesses require a Boulder County location and exploits that requirement by offering the only opportunity in the immediate area for significant large-scale retail, office space, and other commercial development in a mixed-use setting (i.e., there is no other such opportunity in Boulder County and Golden Run recognizes that, because of this fact, it needs to be preserved for long-term job- and revenue- generating development opportunities which will benefit the entire area).
๏Uses to its advantage the fact that, as a mixed use development, it also will attract residents who want to be in Boulder County and within the Boulder Valley School District – creating a premium which can be used to benefit all area residents (i.e., in both Boulder and Weld Counties).
๏Focuses on the needs of mature citizens -- providing them with all the housing types and meeting a range of retail needs which will attract significant economic development specialized for older generations and which helps build and sustain the entire community by giving people the opportunity to live in the area through all stages of life.
๏Already has entered into discussions with national and regional entities which build and/or operate Lifetime Living, Independent Living, Assisted Care, and all other types of Senior Living and a wide range of senior care facilities.
๏Will have a symbiotic relationship with the new major, regional health care and medical facilities which recently opened in the immediate area which, in turn, a unique opportunity to generate significant business, retail, and other commercial opportunities in Golden Run.
๏Is beginning the process of securing commitments from several small businesses who will locate their national headquarters in Golden Run.
๏Has entered into discussions with broadband providers and already can assure potential businesses and residents they will have unrestricted access to complete broadband solutions so as to ensure, from Day One, their high-speed Internet access and networking needs will be met in full.
๏Will be an economic engine not only by adding to the area economy a significant number of mature citizens with high disposable incomes who have completed their child-rearing years but also by focusing on a demographic which makes fewer demands for municipal services or public schools while contributing proportionately far more money to the local economy.
๏Has already demonstrated its ability to attract major employers and already has had expressions of interest from companies with as few as 5 and as many as 500 employees – with all prospects stating their interest in locating in Golden Run solely due to the design of Golden Run and how important that design is to them.
๏Offers the area’s best opportunity to land a major employer today and already has been considered by State economic development officials as a prime major employer location.
๏Recognizes the importance of landing employers so as to create economic stability and create long-term opportunities to help create a sustainable employment base due to its design and location.
๏Will provide economic development leadership for area corridors and, as a result, generate significant property and sales tax revenue.
๏Is proposing to create 2.4 million square feet of retail, office, and other commercial and employment space as a center for jobs and other business activity focused on employers and businesses which thrive when people can live nearby these establishments.
๏Will be a model of Economic Sustainability for municipalities in Colorado and across the nation through the deployment of innovative economic development strategies.
๏Understands the extensive needs of businesses and how to design a community to attract business as well as the critically important role environmental sustainability, recreational opportunities, school quality, and various amenities play in attracting and keeping quality businesses in a community.

ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITY

Golden Run…

๏Is environmentally-sensitive, incorporating ambitious pace-setting standards for energy conservation, energy usage, solar power, recycling, composting, water usage, and transportation planning for all modes of travel (foot, wheels, bus, and auto).
๏Will incorporate design elements related to the impacts of Climate Change so the community is viable in 50 to 100 years as much as it will be in 10 to 20 years.
๏Will be a national model for zero net energy consumption via the design of the community for energy conservation and the onsite provision of energy-related facilities -- all with the intent of creating a minimal per capita carbon footprint.
๏Will be an entirely “Built Green” project following – and establishing new -- environmental design and building standards for development throughout Colorado and the nation.
๏Preserves view corridors from Longs Peak all the way to Pikes Peak, and has a hierarchy of open spaces that will create trails, pocket parks, linear parks for people and wildlife to enjoy.
๏Will be integrated into and use designs compatible with the adjacent +/-700 acres of local and Boulder County Open Space, to the greatest extent possible.
๏Will promote one aspect of self-sustainability by providing extensive community gardens as a major amenity to help meet a range of the needs of all eastern Boulder County citizens.
๏Will sponsor a “Tree For Every Child” program which will result in the planting of approximately 10,000 trees on Golden Run in the next twenty years.

SPECIAL NEEDS

Golden Run…

๏Is a community designed from Day One with the needs of the disabled in mind so everyone can be an equal part of the community by deploying Universal Design standards throughout the community – giving the disabled access to the entire community rather than isolated portions – with the intent of setting a new standard for how communities should be meeting the wide range of needs of the disabled.
๏Recognizes that many of the features sought by the disabled are helpful to and desired by a wide range of citizens, including the elderly and other mature citizens.

DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHY

Golden Run…

๏Emphasizes a philosophy which encourages long-term investment in quality versus short-term profits.
๏Is a high quality project that gets designed and built gradually -- avoiding a "Too Much, Too Fast" mentality.
๏Is the kind of development which demonstrates developers can and must begin doing things differently and better -- while still making a profit – by showing how developers can cover the costs of growth and simultaneously provide the area with long overdue amenities.
๏Shows how developers and builders truly can "Pay For The Costs Of Growth” and share the profits of development directly with the community by helping to provide much-needed amenities long overdue in the area.
๏Is a "Win/Win/Win" opportunity for local citizens, neighboring communities, and the future residents of the Golden Run community of Golden Run by using a long-term collaborative process.

SUMMARY: OVERALL PERSPECTIVE

Golden Run…

๏Is designed as a regional, national, and international model to demonstrate a comprehensive approach to long-term sustainability based on leading-edge concepts of design and construction. It will be seen as Colorado’s premier place to live, work, shop, recreate, relax, interact, and play, with a special emphasis on meeting the needs of senior citizens and their families at all generational levels.
๏Will be the nation’s (and possibly the world’s) first full-scale community designed with Climate Change parameters in an effort to create an international model for future residential and commercial sustainable design and construction, especially given the severe impact Climate Change will have on the United States by being the world’s first truly net zero energy, net zero carbon footprint, and net zero waste community. It will be created to represent the long-term the future of municipalities in America.
๏Will be designed with a view towards sustainability over a +100-year period by taking into account the need to reduce the carbon footprint of individuals and entire communities, the need to design net zero energy communities, the need to truly “build green” in a sustainable manner, the need to minimize water usage and create a new standard for water usage and recycling, the need to find ways to treat wastewater onsite either partially or fully, the need to eliminate vehicular traffic from significant portions of the community, and the need to create opportunities for economic development which create long-term employment opportunities onsite so residents can walk or bicycle to work and to retail establishments -- all while creating a deep sense of community.
๏Will be designed to minimize the use of cars -- with significant areas of Golden Run totally prohibiting any kind of vehicular traffic as a means of both creating a new lifestyle model for the region and nation as well as for demonstrating how to minimize the carbon footprint of a community. Golden Run will be a community not only where one can live comfortably without owning a car but where vehicle ownership will be discouraged via the neighborhood’s design.
๏Is a fresh approach for "Smart Growth" -- a 320-acre, Urban Village project designed to positively influence hundreds of thousands of acres in the Planning Areas of nearby municipalities such as Boulder, Brighton, Broomfield, Dacono, Erie, Frederick, Lafayette, Longmont, Louisville, Thornton by setting new standards for development across Colorado and the nation.
๏Is a human-scale, walkable community with convenient links to nearby municipalities and neighboring commercial developments which utilizes the kind of density needed for community, retail, and commercial “critical mass.”
๏Will have a higher education component providing housing, field opportunities, and numerous other benefits to one or more Colorado academic institutions on a long-term basis (with public transportation already providing bus service from Golden Run’s location to Boulder and future train transportation now being planned which will help expand the direct link between the academic institutions and Golden Run).
๏Is a community focused on older Americans but which will accommodate the needs of all generations and all ages. Golden Run will provide enriching live/work environments as well as allow people of all ages to live and stay in an area they love ---- with a full range of premier Senior Living options available throughout the neighborhood as the primary focus of the community.
๏Will be an economic engine for the area by adding many older citizens with solid incomes while, at the same time, will be populated primarily by residents who will make relatively few demands for municipal or school district services along with office and retail employees who will spend their money at nearby businesses.
๏Takes advantage of the fact it is the final, large-scale Economic Development opportunity in Boulder County which can attract those businesses which require a truly convenient Boulder County location (no other location in Boulder County of its size and prospective zoning is known to be available anywhere in Boulder County --- truly making Golden Run a unique opportunity).
๏Is the area’s only full-scale opportunity for the substantial high-density development needed to create a consumer core for the creation of jobs and the generation of sales tax revenue throughout the area (i.e., from residents living in Golden Run and employees working in Golden Run making retail purchases at neighboring businesses).
๏Will become a national and international attraction for visitors due to its unique design and environmental components. Golden Run will become a destination for Front Range residents as well as people from across the country and around the world who will want to visit to see the innovative and creative design approaches deployed at Golden Run. Golden Run will be created, in part, as a model for the nation and will attract positive attention for the immediate area and will help bring a wide variety of people to come what it uniquely has achieved.
๏Is only 3 to 48 minutes away from key destinations such as Denver (27 minutes), Boulder (14), Broomfield (9), Eldora (48), Estes Park (52), Fort Collins (45), Greeley (44), Lafayette (3), Longmont (12), Louisville (10), and both Denver International Airport (31) and Jeffco Airport (19) – thanks to being located within easy reach of Colorado Highway 287, E470 Highway, the Northwest Parkway (C-470), and Interstate 25.