Castle Pines Area Sends Four Delegates to GOP Convention

Five women from Castle Pines North, Castle Pines Village and Charter Oaks will soon be packing their bags for Minneapolis. Keri Brehm, Crista Huff, Charcie Russell and Kendall Unruh were all elected to be delegates to the Republican National Convention. Susan Malone was elected as an alternate. The five were elected from among 385 statewide candidates at Colorado State Assembly on May 31. Twenty-two delegates and 22 alternates will be represent Colorado at the Republican National Convention, September 1-4.

Crista is District Captain and Keri is Assistant District Captain in District 6. Kendall, Charcie and Susan are all elected precinct people in their respective neighborhoods.

A coalition of statewide representatives from the McCain, Romney, Gulianni and Huckabee campaigns endorsed the four delegates on the "Unity Slate" at the State Convention . In addition, they received the endorsement of the Republican National Coalition for Life. The women have all been active in national, state, and local politics for some time.

Note: I hope to update this blog from the convention in Minneapolis since I will be traveling as a guest of one of the delegates. Be sure to check back for updates or click the subscribe button at the bottom of the page.

City Opposes T-Mobile Cell Site

A cell tower proposed for the corner of Monarch and Daniels Gate was recently denied by the City of Castle Pines North. "The site was designed to provide vastly improved coverage to the residents and Emergency 911 needs of T-Mobile subscribers in northern Castle Pines North," said Matt Butler, Senior Project Manager for T-Mobile.

The City Attorney, relying on a 20-year old document known as the Castle Pines North Development Guide, stated in a letter to City Planner, Sam Bishop that "a cell tower is not a permitted use in the Open Space under the Castle Pines North Development Guide." The City Attorney's letter went on to explain that "facilities of a public utility" are distinct from "utilities services and facilities."

Castle Pines North Metropolitan District Manager, Jim McGrady explained the proposal at the District's monthly meeting on Monday. The cell tower, disguised as a street light, was to have been installed in the right-of-way with underground cabling to a nearby well site. T-Mobile was prepared to substantially improve the well site by adding landscaping, a stone veneer wall and paving the entry to the site. Now it appears these improvements will have to wait, along with the improved phone service.

The City Attorney's narrow reading of the Development Guide may have cost the community an opportunity to improve it's notoriously poor cell phone coverage. Instead of relying on legal nuances in outdated documents, this community would be better served by public officials who found ways to get things accomplished.