Monument, Colorado (Denver, Colorado Springs, Air Force Academy: salons, crime, hotel)

[Charles]

(This was originally a response to http://www.city-data.com/forum/color...-monument.html but after thinking about it I decided to create a whole new thread.)


OK, I'm going really to let loose here on Monument....

Something about Monument's planning is odd, very redundant, no variety, a general lack of options.

(If you navigate to Monument's Planning Commission Website you get nothing but "Coming Soon!" web pages...gee, what a well oiled machine.....I wonder if they hired the timekeeper of the 1972 Olympic basketball final...)

Folks, we're talking about one of the higher median income and median house price zip codes, 80132 in Colorado.

There are hardly any stand out restaurants. (Nearby Palmer Lake has a couple of fine dining places.)

Three very plain Mexican restaurants
Four or five very plain Chinese/Asian restaurants
Five very plain pizza joints.

Generic, generic, generic. If I'm going to take my wife out for dinner and fork out bucks for a babysitter, I sure as hell am not dining in Monument.

Why the funk do we need three tanning salons?

They're sticking (cramming) a mini-mall on the south side of CO-105 just east of Jackson Creek Parkway while there are acres and acres of open retail zoned land available.

The Woodmoor Center (where the library is) is disgusting. Ugly white roof, rutted, cracking, damaged driveway....ugly.

Oh, and another thing, a bank here, a bank there, a bank everywhere. How many banks does a community need?

Highway 105 through Monument is ugly. No theme, no balance, no consistency. It's a guy wearing a brown shoes, black pants, a blue belt, a green and yellow checkered jacket, a belt and suspenders and an orange derby.

The region is loaded with high end homes but when you drive on the I-25 through Monument you see trailer parks, junky buses, an abandoned hotel...it's gross. How about planting some trees around this garbage to hide it. (Would you enjoy sitting in your living room with a view of a lifted toilet seat cover through an open bathroom door?)

Parks? Hardly any. (Fox Run Park is an exceptional stand out - gorgeous. Could use better playground equipment and real toilets.)

Total lack of infrastructure. No community outdoor pools. It's snowing outside, where do you take the kids? McDonald's Playland, that's about it.

The Woodmoor Pines Country Club has had the community by the (tennis) balls forever since they were the only game in town. (Example: $6/hr PER KID for child care while mommy is at the gym. What a rip off! Child care is free at the YMCA.) Now the the new YMCA is being built (and the Flying Horse Club) should add some competition. Good Bye Woodmoor Pines CC...

I'm still smoking ****ed off about the school money not being voted for. What kind of message does that send our educators? (Ya, I know LP dropped the ball with that school board director and the whole eminent domain thing with the high school.)

On the positive side, the community is virtually crime free. I am a ultra frequent patron of the library. The Monument Branch library staff are outstanding. The people in the community are great: the high school students (a culture of volunteering and friendliness), proprietors, police, fire department...all nice wholesome people. The Lewis Palmer School District has achieved a wonderful academic reputation, high SAT scores, high ACT scores, proactive parents, high college admission rates. The community is loaded with ex Air Force officers, many of whom are Air Force Academy graduates - some seriously sharp individuals. Highly educated, healthy and athletic. I am fortunate for my kids to have the peers they do. The region is naturally beautiful: Pine trees, hills, untouched landscape, foxes, deer, horses, longhorn cattle, birds...all with the Rampart Range and Pikes Peak in the background. Fresh air all the time. Driving on County Line/Palmer Divide Road, Roller Coaster Road or Higby Road is fantastic, pretty, scenic, nice homes. Gorgeous. It's a great place to live with easy access to both Denver and Colorado Springs for jobs. These are the reasons we chose to live here. A fantastic new YMCA is just about ready to open. New stores and modern and planned shopping facilities have appeared in the past few years. There are a lot of great things too.


Ugly Woodmoor Center. Love the visible utilities on the roof. What a POS.

[El Mac]

Wow. Guess I could cancel my purchase at the last minute...

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Charles

Folks, we're talking about one of the higher median income and median house price zip codes, 80132 in Colorado.



I'm still smoking ****ed off about the school money not being voted for. What kind of message does that send our educators? (Ya, I know LP dropped the ball with that school board director and the whole eminent domain thing with the high school.)

It's mind boggling that these (11/4/2008) results come from a community loaded with educated, wealthy, proactive parents:

"LEWIS-PALMER SCHOOL DISTRICT 38
QUESTION 3C: Would provide up to $2.7 million to maintain class sizes, preserve elementary reading teachers and student support services, increase teacher compensation to more competitive levels.

THE VOTE: 56 percent opposed and 44 percent in favor with 100 percent of the vote counted.

REACTION: John Mann, D-38's school board vice president said: "The funding was intended to put some critical programs in place, and enable us to keep our salaries competitive. There's no exit polls, but I believe that the economy didn't help."

I wonder if John thinks the economy is any better ten miles south:

"ACADEMY SCHOOL DISTRICT 20
QUESTION: 3A asked voters for permission to move about 2.5 mills from the bond fund to increase the operating fund by about $14.5 million without increasing taxes. Eighty percent of the money would go toward increasing teacher salaries and adding teachers. The remainder would go toward curriculum and technology upgrades, security, maintenance and upgrades to support increased enrollment and to increase a reserve fund.
With the apparent approval of the measure, the district still will pay off the bonds in December 2027 as scheduled. Based on growth and assessment estimates, the move will add about $3 million to the general fund the first year, $8 million the second and up to $14 million a year thereafter.

THE VOTE: 53 percent of votes in favor and 47 percent opposed with 100 percent of the vote counted.

REACTION: Superintendent Mark Hatchell said he was "nervous but hopeful" as he and other D-20 staffers and volunteers waited as the vote tally trickled in. He lauded the 350 volunteers who helped get the district's message out to voters."

from

Top Stories: SCHOOLS: Districts asking voters for financial help | voters, district, asking : Gazette.com

[Mike from back east]

During our 31 years is Fairfax County, VA, the school system was more sacred than anything else on the ballots. Bond issues for new schools always passed by huge margins, usually 70% or more in favor of them.

I agree with Charles that it's incomprehensible for school issues to fail unless they're outright dreadful initiatives. Something else must be behind the failure of 3C, but there's no point in speculation on my part.

[fishwiz]

I agree with you Charles!!!!!!!! Everytime I pass the "Woodmore Center" where the library is - I about puke. I am only here for family and the good schools- and am bummed that the mill levy didn't pass. You made me laugh tho!

[lalahartma]

You can always go eat in Palmer Lake.

[CSNative]

I could go off on a rant about the extremism of the GOP in El Paso County, and the harm that their self centered idealogy is inflicting on society... but I'll refrain.

[lalahartma]

Originally Posted by CSNative

I could go off on a rant about the extremism of the GOP in El Paso County, and the harm that their self centered idealogy is inflicting on society... but I'll refrain.

I agree! Lived there for a while, friends still do.

[heididawg]

I am moving to El Paso County for that reason. If you don't like where you live you should move. Hey, you would love Asheville, NC (check it out) that's where I am moving from as fast as I can and not looking back.

Originally Posted by CSNative

I could go off on a rant about the extremism of the GOP in El Paso County, and the harm that their self centered idealogy is inflicting on society... but I'll refrain.

[Bullitt007]

Originally Posted by CSNative

I could go off on a rant about the extremism of the GOP in El Paso County, and the harm that their self centered idealogy is inflicting on society... but I'll refrain.

Oh, so that's the reason...as if democratic controlled counties are all that much better. Oh well, everyone is entitled to their opinion.