Castle Rock Parks & Recreation Annual Report 2011 Contents

environmental stewardshiP 4

trails 5

open space & natural resources 6–7

recreation 8–10

parks 11

post partners 12–13

golf 14–15

financial overview 16–17

mile high million 18

looking ahead 19

Produced by Castle Rock Community Relations in cooperation with Castle Rock Parks and Recreation Designed by: Kristin Accola Written by: Kristen Trbovich Edited by: Kristin Accola Cover photos: Junior Golf at Red Hawk Ridge (front cover) by Kristin Accola and department mascot Chucky the Beaver with kids at Mitchell Gulch Park (back cover) by Lisa Sorbo Photos by: Kristin Accola, Jeff Brauer, Annette Hayden, Linnea Magee, Mark Sims, Jeff Smullen, Lisa Sorbo and Barbara Spagnuolo

Castle Rock Parks & Recreation 2 Annual Report 2011 Another year comes to an end, and I am pleased to look back on 2011 for the Castle Rock Parks and Recreation Department. As we move into a new phase of planning Welcome and developing for our Town’s future, it is important to keep our natural resources at the forefront of our designs, actions and daily practices. You will see the department’s environmental stewardship, and the processes that we’ve adopted to keep Castle Rock beautiful and friendly to all its inhabitants, highlighted in this year’s annual report.

In addition to our green efforts, Parks and Recreation has completed some exciting projects and expanded existing programs. Our POST Partners program continues to grow, with more than 1,500 volunteers logging more than 6,000 hours of service in the Town’s parks, open space and trails. Our recreation programs saw an average participation increase of 3 to 4 percent – and as much as 30 percent – over 2010.

While we grow, it is important for us to keep in touch with our residents and make sure we are meeting expectations. In a recent community survey, the Parks and Recreation Department was well represented, with positive feedback. 97 percent of respondents ranked the quality of our parks, playgrounds, trails and open space “OK” to “excellent.” In addition, all recreation programs surveyed received the same rank more than 89 percent of the time. As we move forward, we will continue our conversations with the community and do our very best to meet the needs and desires of our residents. We are committed to service, innovation, community, teamwork and fun. In 2012, we look forward to hearing the public’s ideas regarding Castle Rock’s largest park project to date, Mission statement Philip S. Miller Regional Park, located at the southern end of To enhance the quality of life and well-being of the residents The Meadows. This year starts the planning process for this of Castle Rock by acquiring and developing parks and trails park, and we want to find out what amenities you would like and preserving open space and offering quality programs to see. Keep an eye out for open houses and opportunities and facilities designated to meet the needs of our community. to provide feedback and input on this very exciting project.

Castle Rock Parks and Recreation is leading the way in health, Vision statement As the Town of Castle Rock’s population continues to grow, wellness and recreational opportunities for our community. We so does the demand for more parks, recreation programs are always thankful to those who volunteer and participate for and facilities, golf opportunities, interconnected trails and their support, time and contributions. Castle Rock Parks and a need to set aside greater amounts of open space. Recreation works hard to create a sustainable, fun environment for everyone in Town, as well as those who come to visit. You To address these challenges, the department will make the are invited to experience all of the wonderful opportunities public a partner; streamline operations to make them more available through Castle Rock Parks and Recreation. efficient and service-oriented; maximize the use of alternative funding sources; and place an increased emphasis on Sincerely, seeking opportunities for regional and local cooperation.

Rob Hanna Castle Rock Parks & Recreation Parks and Recreation Director Annual Report 2011 3 environmentalstewardship

Castle Rock’s natural resources are very important to us. A key aspect of our job as a department is to maintain and protect these resources for the enjoyment of our community now and into the future. We have taken many steps toward environmental stewardship, adopting practices that will keep Castle Rock beautiful and friendly to all its inhabitants.

Project Green Everything we do can be wrapped into this Townwide initiative, started in 2008. This includes many practices, ranging from small, daily, electricity-saving steps to being part of the Mile High Million Tree Initiative. You’ll find that many of our projects and programs listed in this report are environmentally focused and include education and modeling best practices for the community.

Some Parks and Recreation Project Green efforts in 2011: • The Parks Division converted the bluegrass on the west bank of the Town’s Police Headquarters building to a water-saving xeric design, incorporating wildflowers and reducing water usage by 80 percent in that area. • The division mulched more than 1,100 Christmas trees in 2011, which yielded abound 90 yards of free mulch for the community and parks. • The Parks Planning Division has used recycled tires for all the synthetic fields it has built since 2006 and has kept more than 100,000 tires out of landfills. • POST Partners and the natural resource specialist led local scouts in riparian habitat restoration. The scouts placed willow cuttings along areas of Sellers Gulch that were lacking vegetative cover for wildlife. • More than 30 native cottonwood and willow trees along East Plum Creek were painted this year with a paint-sand mix to prevent beaver girdling and felling in order to protect the tree canopy for migratory songbirds and other wildlife. Many nonnative trees were left unpainted as food and dam-building materials for the beaver population. • Volunteers at the April Stool’s Day event removed 20 gallons of animal waste from our open space areas, preventing it from being carried into our waterways after storms. • Our Recreation Guide is published on recycled paper, using soy-based inks.

Castle Rock Parks & Recreation • The printer in the Parks Planning Trailer uses waste-free 4 Annual Report 2011 soy-based ink cartridges. trails

Trail projects Ridgeline Open Space trail expansion With the popularity of the soft-surface trail system at Sellars Gulch Trail low-water crossing at Lewis Street Ridgeline Open Space, staff began developing a master The project included trail and channel improvements on the plan for the site to increase overall trail mileage from an 8-mile trail network to more than 13 miles of soft-surface, Sellars Gulch drainage located at the end of Lewis Street. singletrack and concrete trails. This project added 5 miles With the completion of the project, trail users now are able of soft-surface, singletrack trails to the existing system. to safely cross over Sellars Gulch using the newly installed box culvert. The project also included the installation of an • Contractor: Progressive Trails access ramp from Lewis Street to the Sellars Gulch Trail. • Construction began in November 2010 and was completed Trees and wetland vegetation were planted to enhance in April 2011 wildlife habitat as part of the project. • Project budget: $70,000

•  Partnership with Utilities Department To assist users in navigating the new trail system, staff • C ontractor: Sabell’s Enterprises designed a wayfinder map and directional post system for • C onstruction began in January 2011 and was completed Ridgeline Open Space. The posts were manufactured in in May 2011 June 2011, and staff installed them that same month. • Project budget: $134,038 Staff has received very positive feedback about the Ridgeline trails as being one of the best trail systems along the Front Range. The success also was recognized by event organizers of the Rocky Mountain Endurance Series and the State High School Mountain Bike Championship, both which chose Ridgeline for their 2011 races.

Castle Rock Parks & Recreation Annual Report 2011 5 onaturalpen sp resourcesace & Open space 2011 A permanent conservation easement was granted to Douglas Land Conservancy for Hidden Mesa Open Space. The Town, in conjunction with Douglas County Open Space and Natural Resources, helped make this happen in an effort to keep Hidden Mesa protected for years to come.

The following excerpts were taken from comments by a trail user regarding an early evening hike at Gateway Mesa Open Space:

“We set out on the trail and, I have to tell you, it was absolutely amazing. The spectacular views and the extremely well-marked trailhead were far more than I could have asked for. The trail was filled with joggers, people walking their dogs and others just out and about with their significant others and families, on an evening stroll – out enjoying the same amazing scenery I was there hoping to capture. Thank you for creating and maintaining such an amazing area to free yourself from the hustle and bustle of the day-to-day life of the large cities. With this spectacular resource being so close to Denver, Parker, Castle Rock and Franktown, I will definitely be returning to the area frequently to capture the different seasons, as well as utilizing the area as a small day trip getaway with friends and family.”

2011 wildlife activity • Flooding and tree felling from beaver activity along East Plum Creek required continued maintenance along the East Plum Creek Trail in the Downtown area. Responses included: • Installing diverter devices in dams near the Fifth Street overpass to alleviate trail flooding. • Painting several native trees in the area with a sand-paint mix as protection from girdling and felling. The sand-paint mix applied to approximately 30 trees in the area in early 2011 has proved effective as a protection against beaver activity. • Several coyote incidents occurred in The Meadows and along East Plum Creek Trail (near the Meadows Parkway trailhead) this summer and fall. Coyotes are found throughout Town. Although coyote attacks on humans are rare, wildlife officials, as well as Castle Rock animal control officers, did investigate a few of the reports.

Castle Rock Parks & Recreation 6Annual Report 2011 Environmental education The natural resource specialist expanded environmental education programs and presentations to the general public, scout troops and school groups to involve more than 1,000 individuals. Topics included native birds, Earth Day, Arbor Day, riparian habitat conservation and open space values and benefits. • A second annual Wildlife In Your Backyard (now known as Wild In Our Town) educational presentation was offered to the general public. Since public interest continued for a second year (attendance at this event increased from the first year), all cooperating agencies have agreed to host the event again in 2012. • An educational brochure on rattlesnakes in Castle Rock was developed for public information and awareness. The objective of this brochure is to provide specific information on the local venomous and nonvenomous snakes found in our area, including species identification, safety tips, benefits of snakes and facts and myths about rattlesnakes. • Parks and Recreation partnered with the Castle Rock Museum to provide display materials and free guided hikes for the museum’s educational exhibit of Birds of Plum Creek. During the three-month display, 451 visitors passed through the exhibit and learned about local songbirds, waterfowl and raptors found along East Plum Creek.

Colorado Bluebird Project The Colorado Bluebird Project successfully increased its efforts for the fifth year in a row in 2011. • Overall, 82 volunteers – including four local school partners – spent 230 hours monitoring 90 boxes at 15 different sites and watched as adult birds successfully raised 306 little birds in those boxes. • Specific breeding bird data: 127 Tree Swallows, four Violet-green Swallows, 59 Mountain Bluebirds and 116 Western Bluebirds, but no confirmed Eastern Bluebirds. • Expansion sites in 2012 may include Red Hawk Ridge Golf Course and Plum Creek Park.

Castle Rock Parks & Recreation Annual Report 2011 7 Recreation

New programming 2011 marked the first year for the summer Rock Rec Camp. With Douglas County Schools transferring to a traditional school schedule, the Youth Division started this new program to give kids a place to go, play and learn during the summer. The program was a huge success, with more than 225 participants in June and July. In addition, the Athletics Division offered an adult flag football league, and the Aquatics Division started an adult multisport program.

Special events • Hike It! Bike It!, hosted at Ridgeline Open Space on the newly expanded Stewart Trail system in celebration of American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day, saw almost 100 hikers and mountain bikers in attendance. • Tri the Rock youth triathlon continued in its sixth year at Butterfield Crossing Park and Pool. Three-hundred ninety- five kids from all over the Denver metro area came out to show their stuff, making Tri the Rock one of the largest youth triathlons in the state. • Two-hundred seven dogs attended the year-end Pooch Plunge pool event, and their loving owners donated more than $575 to the Denver Dumb Friends League Buddy Center. • Just more than 1,000 daddies and daughters shared a wonderful evening at the annual Daddy Daughter Ball in 2011, marking an 8 percent attendance increase over 2010. • The second annual Pedal the Moon was another success, with 100 riders – up 25 percent from the inaugural 2010 event.

Castle Rock Parks & Recreation 8 Annual Report 2011 Athletics • Youth sport participation increased 9 percent over 2010, mostly due to increased participation in baseball and soccer. • A new adult flag football program was successfully added in fall 2011. The teams played under the new lights at Rhyolite Regional Park, leaving the fields open for youth programs during earlier times in the day. • $101,000 in permit fees was collected in 2011, up 7 percent over 2010 • The division continued to host large-scale athletic events and tournaments in Castle Rock, bringing in economic benefits of many visitors to Town.

Sponsorships and donations • $2,000 in individual team sponsorships • $18,000 in division sponsorships; thanks to Dick’s Sporting Goods, Imagetek Photography, Play It Again Sports and Plumbline

Aquatics • Group lessons – 3,825 swimmers, up 4 percent over 2010 • Private lessons – increased revenue by 8 percent, with the addition of punch passes for repeat customers • Stroke and conditioning classes – 204 participants, a decrease of 64 from 2010 • Adult education remained steady at 53 participants • Cruisers youth swim team remained at capacity, with 223 swimmers in 2011

New programs Aquatics added Multisport Swim Training in June. This adult- focused program helps novice and competitive swimmers get in additional practice with peers. Members of this program have since formed a triathlon club and will be hosting a masters swim meet in Castle Rock.

Fitness • Fitness class attendance increased in 2011 to 53,341– a 2 percent improvement over 2010 • SilverSneakers visits were up 32 percent over 2010, the largest increase of any offering at the Recreation Center • With the addition of a dedicated cycle studio in the fourth quarter of 2010, we were able to ramp-up cycle programming in 2011 and offer many more classes.

Giving back • In 2011, the Fitness Division partnered with the Douglas/ Elbert County Task Force in a fall food drive. Participants in fitness classes donated 257 pounds of food. • The division held a fall “Support the Troops” drive. Recreation Center visitors donated enough items to send seven full Castle Rock Parks & Recreation boxes to people serving active duty overseas. Annual Report 2011 9 Youth Total cost-recovery projection for the Youth Division is 100 percent.

Adventure Club preschool • A high-quality, affordable, state-licensed program, Adventure Club serves 195 families. • The program meets Colorado’s Early Childhood requirements and recommendations. Twice-a-year assessments provide concrete evidence of learning and allow instructors to develop an individual learning plan for each child. • Member of the Colorado Association for the Education of Young Children. • Adventure Club had 81 prekindergarten students and 48 preschool students in 2011. All morning sessions were serving at full capacity.

Youth programs and Tykes Toyland • Currently, 25 classes are being offered for ages ranging from 12 months to 12 years. These classes serve about 550 children per year. • Tykes Toyland drop-in childcare continues to run at full capacity daily.

Rock Rec Camp • Activities included at least one field trip per week, crafts, games, sports and experiments. • An average of about 40 kids per week participated in the camp during June and July.

Birthday parties Birthday parties increased 27 percent over 2010, with 362 parties. In addition to leisure pool parties, new jumping castle, dodge ball and basketball parties were incorporated.

Recreation Empowerment and Active Living The Special Needs Club planned more than 24 exciting and fun-filled events for participants in 2011. Including a cooking class, miniature golf, camping trip and third-annual ski trip to Winter Park, the program hosted approximately 200 visits.

Admissions Daily visits to the Recreation Center • Total visits – 4 percent increase over 2010 • Senior visits – 20 percent increase over 2010 • Youth and adult visits – remained the same as 2010 Pass and admission revenue for the Recreation Center • Total revenue – 2 percent increase; total $1.07 million Castle Rock Parks & Recreation 10 Annual Report 2011 Completed projects parks Wrangler Park • Budget: $1.07 million • Contractors: Norris Design and Colorado Designscapes

About 75 percent of park construction was completed in 2011. Amenities, planned to be constructed on about half of the 9-acre property, will be themed to go with the park’s name. Amenities will include playgrounds, tennis court, walking trails, picnic pavilions, a synthetic turf practice field and landscaping designed to blend into the surrounding terrain.

Keeping Castle Rock beautiful

In 2011, the Parks Operations Division maintained 265 acres of developed parkland, 2,645 acres of open space, 10.3 lane miles of medians and more than 500,000 square feet of planting beds. In addition, the staff maintained more than 4,000 trees, including trimming, mulching, watering, removal and planting replacements.

Wondering about water? Plants and grass need water to grow. The Parks and Recreation Department manages the water that is used to keep our parks, facilities and streetscapes alive and thriving. By using the latest technology, we are able to use water as efficiently as possible. In addition to adding xeric landscaping in lieu of turf, the Town saves 12 million gallons of water every year through the use of artificial turf fields at Bison, Butterfield, Gemstone, Matney, Metzler Ranch Community and Rhyolite Regional parks.

Irrigation components These components are used to communicate with sprinklers and help to use water in the most efficient manner.

• 95 percent of systems run by Maxicom Central Control (*watering schedules based on evapotranspiration) • 55 irrigation clocks in the field • 18 phone lines talking to controllers in the field • 12 radio link communication sites • 15 flow meters managing flow • 10 rain cans collecting rainfall

*Evapotranspiration is a measure of the amount of water loss occurring from soil evaporation and plant transpiration. It is used to determine a plant’s true watering needs.

Castle Rock Parks & Recreation Annual Report 2011 11 ppartnersost

In keeping with the Town value of “maintaining a strong sense of community and small-town community character,” the POST Partners program in 2011 engaged more than 1,500 volunteers (a 25 percent increase over 2010), who generously gave time and energy to help at one or more of our parks, open spaces and trails. More than 6,000 volunteer hours were contributed to the program, a 27 percent increase over last year, equating to more than $128,000 in resources and labor. To see a complete list of projects and volunteers, visit CRgov.com/postpartners.

2011 program highlights • The creation of a POST Partners vehicle wrap, installed on an existing Town vehicle. The vehicle now not only delivers tools and supplies to job sites but also increases awareness and promotes the program. • A generous donation from Dutch Heritage Gardens in Larkspur helped all Town flower beds and street planters bloom like never before and led to the development of flower boxes for the Downtown Merchants Association. • With the assistance of 60 volunteers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in The Woodlands, the Town was able to reallocate $10,000 of funds that had been budgeted to disassemble and demolish existing park structures toward upgrading playground equipment and adding amenities at Castle North Park. • POST hosted the inaugural Earth Day conservation project of cutting willows from East Plum Creek and replanting them in an overgrazed area of Sellars Gulch. The event was specifically targeted to help both Girl and Boy scouts achieve their conservation-related badges and had more than 70 participants. • Over summer and fall, three different groups’ efforts contributed to improvement of the Castle View Picnic Area at Rock Park. • Garrett Shreffler and his Boy Scout troop worked on refurbishing the existing picnic tables on site as well as building picnic pad sites for them to sit on. • Ethan Johnson and his troop worked on closing some of the old trails for reclamation and erosion control and signed the new trails leading to the picnic sites. • Lastly, Plum Creek Community Church youth group helped finish up the reclamation, erosion control and restoration of the area. Now, visitors to Rock Park

Castle Rock Parks & Recreation can enjoy a picnic in the scenic and remote areas 12 Annual Report 2011 of the park, as well as in the pavilion. 2011 highlights, continued • As part of our April Stools Day campaign, POST Partners purchased six new dog waste bag-distribution stands for Rock Park, Memmen Ridge Open Space, East Plum Creek Trail, Mitchell Creek Canyon Trail and Gateway Mesa Open Space. Stands were purchased with the support of local sponsors Tails Up, Got2Go Petsitting, The Pick-up Artist, Bark!, Boomdoggles and Camp Bow Wow. • A trail maintenance group at Rhyolite Bike Park called the Dirt Crew was developed in partnership with the Bike Park’s sponsor, Castle Rock Bike & Ski. At the end of the year, the group had three trained crew leaders, 43 members and 34 active participants.

Sponsors and contributors Thank you to everyone who makes all our events and projects happen. Their combined financial support totaled an estimated $5,200 in 2011.

Donations and contributions (April Stools Day, Festival of Trees and Ridgeline Wranglers): Bark! Doggie Daycare, Castle Rock Bike & Ski, Castle Rock Eye Wear, Castle Rock Recreation Center, JSG Property Maintenance, National Trails Day, Pick-up Artist, Red Hawk Ridge Golf Course, Rest Assured Pet Care, Tails Up and Woodlands Academy.

Memorial trees: American Cancer Society-Survivor Tree (Metzler Ranch Park), Black Hills Energy-Power of Trees Program (Metzler Ranch Park), Sandra Snider (Woodlands Bowl) and Sunny DiGirolamo (Native Legend trailhead at Paintbrush Park).

Eagle Scout project contributors: Boy Scout Troop 316, Castle Rock Kiwanis, Castle Rock High Noon Rotary, Castle Rock Rotary, Chick-fil-A, Glen Breneman (log cutter), Home Depot, King Soopers, Lowes, Rock Depot, Walmart and 15 private contributors.

Castle Rock Parks & Recreation Annual Report 2011 13 golf

Red Hawk Ridge is working toward an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Certification.T his effort includes reducing maintainable acreage, along with habitat and wildlife management. • An Eagle Scout is making bat boxes for the course to reduce mosquitoes. Bluebird boxes also will be placed on the course in conjunction with the Colorado Bluebird Project. • Course staff tests the soil annually and maintains records of all fertilizer and pesticide applications to demonstrate minimizing usage. • The staff has created vegetative buffers around all of the water bodies on the course to help filter out runoff – an important part of protecting the ponds.

Fun facts

red hawk ridge golf course •There are more than 6 million holes on our greens after aeration. It takes 50 tons of sand to fill them in. •Our customers hit about 1.1 million range balls in 2011. Our staff subsequently picked up and washed each one.  •Our staff changes pin locations daily, totaling approximately 4,000 holes cut on our greens each year.

Castle Rock Parks & Recreation •Including league play, residents played 13,167 rounds 14 Annual Report 2011 of golf in 2011. •In 2011, 12,397 rounds of golf were booked online. Operations Maintenance • The volunteer program continued to help enhance golfers’ • In 2011, staff continued the process of leveling and enlarging experience in 2011. Many volunteers returned from 2010, tee boxes around the course, which included the gold tee on and several new helpers came on board. Twenty volunteers #7, the black tee on #15 and the red tees on #17 and #18. worked at Red Hawk Ridge and put in 3,294 hours. Overall, • Staff added several drainage lines to improve the program saved the course more than $30,000. groundwater issues on our 18th and 16th holes. • Money and time continue to be the biggest barriers to playing • Other projects included the addition of stone steps on the golf. To address the needs of our players, Red Hawk Ridge 11th tee box and repainting the tunnel wall exposures. has some new programs/offerings to provide variety: • The 17th hole was modified again this season to create • 9-hole rates: hosted 1,942 9-hole rounds U.S. Open-style conditions during June. The areas around • Family golf rate: 433 golfers took advantage of this the green were shaved down to collect golf shots away from special and enjoyed late afternoon golf with their families. the green. Staff also was able to firm up the putting surface • Tournament play is a critical part of our business and, in and achieve speeds of 12 feet by double-cutting and rolling. 2011, we took a big step forward with our tournament/group In addition, the rough was grown up to 6 to 8 inches to give bookings. Overall, contracted tournament revenue grew by patrons a taste of tournament golfing conditions. 43 percent over 2010, and rounds grew by 37 percent. • In 2011, beverage cart revenue grew by 3.1 percent, tournament food and beverage revenue grew by 42 percent and total food and beverage revenue grew by 9.2 percent. • The Clubhouse Grill happy hour is beginning to become a local favorite and is offered during the golf season every Wednesday through Sunday from 4 to 7 p.m. • The grill also continued to compete for lunch business by offering a $4.95 lunch special. This special proved to be Castle Rock Parks & Recreation the best seller in 2011, with 1,212 entrees sold. Annual Report 2011 15 financialfinancialoverview

The Parks and Recreation Department operates on three funds: the Community Center Fund, the Parks Fund and the Golf Course Fund. The Community Center Fund is used to operate the Recreation Center, aquatics facilities and recreational programs. It receives revenue through sales tax, building-use tax, motor vehicle tax and user fees. The Parks Fund is used for park, open space and trail maintenance and administration. It receives revenues from the Town’s General Fund. The Golf Fund operates on user fees.

Parks, open space and trails Tax used per resident for services 2011 2010 Parks revenue $196,367 Recreation programs $5.66 $8.27 Expenditures** Recreation Center (including all pools) $26.03 $29.00 Parks administration $794,284 Developed parks *$42.49 $38.00 Developed parks $1,524,613 Open space $2.49 $3.25 Open space $124,273 Streetscape/trails $8.07 $8.01 Streetscape/trail maintenance $402,892 Golf (funded by user fees) $0.00 $0.00 Total expenditures $2,846,062 Based on a population of 49,949 48,231

Youth Programs/ Lessons Fitness $20,329 Recreation Golf Driving Range $63,785 Youth, Teen Revenues $98,560 & Toddler $323,537 Revenues Special Interest $92,285

Food and Beverage $362,084 Athletics $432,213 Pro Shop Sales $148,113 Greens Fees Taxes $1,338,668 $1,747,806 Other Income Expenditures $107,630 Golf Carts $336,128 Fees and Other Revenue $1,569,901

Golf Operations Debt Service $469,683 Expenditures $639,053 Management Fees Transfer to Golf Administration $213,396 $80,000 Fitness $194,437 $239,590 Youth, Teen Food and Beverage & Toddler $326,274 $413,623 Maintenance $747,934

Debt and Financing Cost per round $219,660 Recreation Center Debt service $19.68 Special Interest $2,576,442 $79,679 Athletics Administration $5.99 $461,743 Golf operations $14.46 Maintenance $23.03 Total cost per round $63.16 Unaudited financial information *Includes addition of Wrangler Park over 2010.**Parks, open space and trails expenses are budgeted in the General Fund. A portion of the sales tax in the General Fund is marked for these expenses. Castle Rock Parks & Recreation 16 Annual Report 2011 Capital funds Capital funds are used for specified projects. All the funds may not be entirely used every year, so the balances in the accounts are rolled over from year to year to ensure the dedicated money will be available only for the particular projects related to that fund.

Recreation Capital Fund This fund accounts for the construction, expansion and improvement of recreation facilities and other capital needs related to recreational services. The primary source of revenue for this fund is development impact fees collected when a building permit is issued. 2011 actual expenses: $679,498 2011 revenue: $264,461

2011 projects • Recreation Center expansion project debt payment (final payment) • New boilers for Recreation Center

Parks Capital Fund This fund accounts for the construction, expansion and improvement of Town parks. The primary source of revenue for this fund is from development impact fees collected when a building permit is issued. 2011 actual expenses: $2.17 million 2011 revenue: $1.26 million

2011 projects • Wrangler Park • Burgess Memorial Pool improvements • Philip S. Miller Park planning • Rhyolite Regional Park improvements

Conservation Trust Fund The Conservation Trust Fund has been used for open space purchases and the development and renovation of qualifying parks, recreation facilities and parks infrastructure. This fund receives revenues from the Colorado Lottery based on a per capita distribution; the Douglas County Open Space Tax Shareback, based on motor vehicle registration in municipalities; and recreational license fees from pavilion and field rentals. 2011 actual expenses: $239,641 2011 revenue: $768,149

2011 projects • Castle North Park improvements • Park and trail signage • Irrigation upgrades • Arbor Day event • Equipment

General Fund (trail improvements) The Town’s General Fund is used for a variety of government services, including some Parks and Recreation projects. Projects from the fund this year include annual trail improvements and construction and various park improvements. This fund receives $500,000 annually from the Town’s Transportation Fund in addition to outside contributions for trail construction and improvements. 2011 actual expenses: $822,809 2011 revenue: $500,000

2011 projects • Hangman’s Gulch Trail • Sellars Gulch Trail • Annual trail improvements

Castle Rock Parks & Recreation Unaudited financial information Annual Report 2011 17 milemillion high

Tree by Tree – The Mile High Million During his 2006 annual State of the City address, then-Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper announced an ambitious tree planting program, with a goal of adding one million new trees in the Denver metropolitan area by the year 2025. The effort is called Tree by Tree – The Mile High Million.

Why trees? Trees are a gateway to creating sustainable communities. They clean our air, produce oxygen and beautify our neighborhoods. Trees provide natural cooling to buildings and pavement, resulting in lower energy bills and increased longevity of street surfaces. Trees yield additional economic benefits such as enhanced real estate values, higher sales in business districts and increased productivity among employees. Research even links trees to important social benefits such as reduced crime, higher test scores and faster hospital recovery times.

Current tree count 249,999 The Town of Castle Rock has planted 1,425 trees since becoming part of the program in 2006.

• 100,000 trees over 10 years will offset nearly 50,000 pounds of air pollution in Denver alone. • One million planted trees over 40 years will remove nearly 300 million pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Arbor Day In April, Parks staff celebrated the Towns 25th National Arbor Day at Mitchell Gulch Park. Staff, volunteers and more than 90 students from Flagstone Elementary School worked together to plant 12 trees. The students then listened to an educational presentation by our natural resource specialist.

More trees Staff also contributed in helping plant a Memorial Tree at Paintbrush Park and a 6-foot pinyon pine tree for a second- grade class at Flagstone Elementary School on Earth Day.

Castle Rock Parks & Recreation 18 Annual Report 2011 Philip S. Miller Park The Philip S. Miller Legacy Project Committee recommended using monies from a trust endowed to the Town by Miller, a late looking local banker, toward creating community gathering structures ahead at the future park. Youth and community activities were of great importance to the Millers, and this park will offer great opportunities for a variety of events, programs and interaction.

Town Council voted unanimously on Jan. 11, 2011, to name the 225-acre park, planned near the west end of Plum Creek Parkway, Philip S. Miller Park. There has been a lot of behind- the-scenes activity on the Town’s next, highly anticipated park, including surveying, geotechnical engineering and preparing construction documents necessary to get the first phase of the park ready for public review and approval. In December 2011, BHA Design was awarded the design contract for Philip S. Miller Park. Moving forward, the Parks Planning Division will be looking for public comment and feedback regarding the amenities for this very exciting project.

Burgess Memorial Pool Renovations to the pool, constructed in 1967, began in October 2011 and are scheduled to be complete in May 2012. Upgrades includes a new slide, pool shell, zero-depth entry, bubblers, a lazy river, an updated bathhouse with a party room and new locker rooms.

Spin bikes The Recreation Center will purchase 24 new spin bikes for the spin studio, which opened in 2011. The popularity of the studio led to the purchase of the bikes (the old bikes will be traded in). Look for the upgraded spin bikes in early 2012.

Hangman’s Gulch Trail This project will further develop the Town’s main east/west spine trail by connecting the East Plum Creek Trail to The Woodlands trail system. The project will be phase-developed over two years.

Hudick Excavating, a local contractor, was awarded the contract to construct Phase 1. The project will include four drop structures, two creek crossings, wall structures and a 10-foot-wide concrete trail from Front Street to Woodlands Boulevard at the Castle Rock Recreation Center, at which point the trail will connect to The Woodlands trail system. Construction began in December 2011 and is expected to be completed in August 2012.

Phase 2 design will be completed in early 2012 and will continue the trail west and along Hangman’s Gulch, where it will link to the East Plum Creek Trail. Phase 2 construction Castle Rock Parks & Recreation is expected to begin in 2012, upon final approvals. Annual Report 201119 Castle Rock Parks & Recreation 2301 Woodlands Blvd. Castle Rock, CO 80104 303-814-7444 CRgov.com/parks