Golden Run...

• Is designed as Colorado's premier place to live, work, shop, recreate, relax, interact, and play -- all closer to where people sleep and all without always using cars -- with a special emphasis on meeting the complete range of needs of Senior Citizens and their families.

• Is a fresh approach for "Smart Growth" in Erie -- a 330-acre, Urban Village project designed to positively influence the other 33,000 acres in the Erie Planning Area and help set new standards for development across Colorado and the nation.

• Is a human-scale, walkable community with convenient links to nearby Old Town Erie which utilizes the kind of density needed for community, retail, and commercial "critical mass."

• Is a community for all generations and all ages which also 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.

• Will be an economic engine for the Town of Erie that adds many older citizens with solid incomes (but few demands for municipal or school district services), along with office and retail employees who will spend their money in Erie.

• Takes advantage of the fact it is the Town of Erie's final large-scale Economic Development opportunity in Boulder County to attract those businesses which require a truly convenient Boulder County location.

• Is only 3 to 48 minutes away from key destinations such as Denver (28 minutes), Boulder (14), Broomfield (9), Eldora (52), Estes Park (54), Fort Collins (43), Greeley (42), Lafayette (3), Longmont (12), Louisville (11), and both Denver International Airport (34) and Jeffco Airport (18) - thanks to being located within easy reach of Colorado Highway 287, the Northwest Parkway (C-470), E-470, and Interstate 25.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND AMENITIES

• Is a human-scale, walkable community, located very close to Old Town Erie and having neighborhoods with direct links to Erie's Downtown and other neighborhoods (especially Arapahoe Ridge, Canyon Creek, Country Fields, Erie Commons, Meadowsweet Farms, Orchard Glen, and Vista Ridge, among many others).

• Will deploy an extensive multi-modal trail system as a set of amenities to the entire Erie community, consisting of over 5 miles of new, well-maintained walking paths, hiking trails, running and jogging paths, equestrian, and bicycle paths (valued at over $4 million) - all with appropriate separations so everyone is comfortable when using these facilities.

• Offers the opportunity to connect Golden Run directly to Old Town Erie and to join multiple Erie neighborhoods as well as create an extraordinary link, via Golden Run's trail system, to the neighboring City of Lafayette - hence, providing new economic and social opportunities for all Erie citizens.

• Will provide resources to fund critical Town needs through a special foundation created by Golden Run.

HOUSING

• Includes a full range of living options 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 Erie community for their entire lives.

• 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 Erie 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.

SCHOOLS & EDUCATION

• 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 needs of Erie's Golden Run residents - all while finding ways to work with and support the St. Vrain Valley School District by using Golden Run resources to fund critically-important projects in both school districts.

• 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 all Erie children and families can benefit.

EMPHASIS ON SENIOR NEEDS

• 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 five clustered 150- to 250-unit "Senior Villages" as the core of the community.

• Will offer a full range of living 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 Erie 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

• Begins with the historical assumptions of Erie's most recent 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.

• Will have streetscapes that include traditional grids that echo Old Town Erie 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 neighborhood in Erie , 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 to avoid the homogeneous look of many typical subdivisions and to create the kind of variety Erie 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 Erie.

SERVICES

• Uses the latest technological advances so no additional Town services will be required beyond those already planned in the existing Comprehensive Plan.

• 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 Erie's community "fabric" together to assist Erie 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 Erie and its many municipal neighbors so as to change the culture of competition and promote cooperation and sharing instead.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

• Is the last 330-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 by the Town of Erie and may be the last 330-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 Town of Erie.

• Accepts the reality that some businesses require a Boulder County location and exploits that requirement by offering the only opportunity in Erie 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 Erie on the Boulder County side 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 all of Erie).

• Uses to its and the Town's 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 Erie 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 Erie 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, offer Erie the 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 for the Town of Erie not only by adding 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 Erie is solely due to the design of Golden Run and how important that design is to them.

• Offers Erie'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 to Erie for the Town to concentrate on landing employers so as to create economic stability in what today is a "bedroom community" and offers the Town one of its best long-term opportunities to help create a sustainable employment base due to its design and location.

• Will provide economic development leadership for the County Line Road corridor and, as a result, generate significant property and sales tax revenue for Erie.

• Is proposing to bring 1.4 million square feet of retail, office, and other commercial and employment space to Erie as a center for jobs and other business activity focused on employers and businesses which thrive when people can live nearby their establishments and locations.

• Offers the largest "internal" geographic economic development opportunity for Erie and, therefore, is a critical component of Erie's future financial security and sustainability by being part of the answer to the retail and other commercial "border wars" which will occur in coming years.

• Will generate substantial sales tax revenue by attracting citizens in neighboring municipalities by offering unique retail configurations which, while focused on the needs of Erie citizens, already are projected to be attractive to certain similar demographic groups in neighboring communities (this is particularly critical to Erie's long-term economic health as it about to be surrounded by retail stores and other commercial development located in neighboring communities).

• Will be a model of Economic Sustainability for the Town of Erie and for other 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

• Is environmentally-sensitive , incorporating ambitious pace-setting standards for energy conservation, solar power, recycling, composting, and transportation planning for all modes of travel (foot, wheels, bus, and auto).

• Promotes one aspect of self-sustainability by providing extensive community gardens as a major amenity to help meet a range of the needs of all Erie citizens.

• 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 Erie's wildlife to enjoy.

• Will be integrated into and use designs compatible with the adjacent +/-700 acres of Boulder County Open Space, to the greatest extent possible.

• Is sponsoring a "Tree For Every Child" program which will result in the planting of approximately 10,000 trees on Golden Run in the next ten years.

SPECIAL NEEDS

• 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

• 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 Erie 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 Erie.

• Is a "Win/Win/Win" opportunity for the citizens of Erie, the Town of Erie, the future residents of the Golden Run community, and the sponsors of Golden Run which is the product of years of collaboration (rather than telling Erie what should be done, Golden Run set a new standard when it formally began its effort by working with Erie citizens in 1998 in a series of public meetings held to help design the plan submitted for approval to the Town of Erie in February of 2000; the plan has been revised based on the further input of Erie citizens and Town officials).

• Already has set a new standard of openness and demonstrated its belief it full disclosure by posting its complete Annexation application and petition on the Web at the same time it filed its application with the Town of Erie in February of 2000, and has posted revisions and updates since that time in the same spirit of full public access.

• Is unique in that its primary proponent owns and lives on the property , has been a contributing member of the Erie community for almost two decades, has been a resident of the area for nearly four decades, and has been a long-time and very public proponent of community viability - including both economic and environmental sustainability.

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© 2005 by Golden Run, LLC. All rights reserved. This Web site and all the information on it is the product of a significant and ongoing effort made and paid by Golden Run, LLC. This all is owned by Golden Run, LLC and is the proprietary property of the company. This material is being made available for the evaluation of the project by the citizens of Erie in an effort to set new standards of development for Erie, for other Colorado communities, and across the nation. Any use other than that specified herein is strictly prohibited. This strict prohibition includes the prohibition of copying, reproduction, transmission, or other conveyance of any material herein, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of Golden Run, LLC. For such consent or for additional information, please contact Golden Run in care of Carl Oldham, General Manager, at either carl@goldenrun.com or (303) 497-0610. Thank you for your interest, your time, and your consideration, and for respecting these restrictions.