GREAT MOMENTS AND PEOPLE IN THE HISTORY OF ROXBOROUGH PARK
This paper is to record the significant events and people that caused them in the early days of Roxborough Park. These events chronicle the early euphoria, later despair, enormous efforts of Roxborough Park property owners and residents, resurgence of hope and gradual elimination of obstacles that have made Roxborough Park the bustling growing community that it is today.
21 NOVEMBER 1971
Articles of Incorporation and By-laws of the Roxborough Foundation issued by the Colorado Secretary of State
Dr. Loren Miller, Vice President
5 JANUARY 1972
11 Electors voted to form the "Roxborough Park Metropolitan District" to furnish water, sewer and fire protection to the 3100 acres of the former Helmer Ranch.
Don and Joyce Selbie, Electors
12 JANUARY 1972
District Court of and for the County of Douglas declaring the "Roxborough Park Metropolitan District" duly organized. The "Service Plan" was approved.
Don Selbie, Director
15 FEBRUARY 1972
The contract with Aurora for 3100 feet of water for 50 years and the purchase of the water treatment plant was signed by the president of the Roxborough Park Metropolitan District.
22 FEBRUARY 1972
10 Electors voted to authorize up to $8 million in bonds to be issued for the purpose of building a water and sewer system. $2.3 million for water. $5.1 million for sewer.
Joyce Selbie, Elector (Don was not there)
1 MAY 1972
$2.515 million in General Obligation bonds for the Metro District were issued and sold.
15 JUNE 1972
Elmo Duval hired as District operator. Asked for a truck.
March 1973
Dale Brockmeir appointed as the Metro District Lawyer.
10 APRIL 1973
$2.83 Million in GO bonds issued and sold by the Metro District.
JUNE 1973
Elmo got his truck. It is still parked in Otto's driveway as a result of a psychological bidding war.MAY - OCTOBER 1973
First occupants in order of arrival: Dick and Jean Lamar, John and Bonnie Hartman, Butch and Jean Thomas, Don and Joyce Selbie, Tom Hobbs, and Merle and Char Nauman.
Jason Hartman was born. Roxborough Park's first non-import.
NOVEMBER 1973
Don Selbie elected as president of the board of the Metro District. (The first non-Woodmoor officer)
JANUARY 1974
The Rocky Mountain News informed the world that Roxborough Park had no sewer or water. Over the years we continued to get more totally negative support from the newspapers than we received factual reporting.
31 JANUARY 1974
The Woodmoor Corporation declared bankruptcy.
12 FEBRUARY 1974
Jean Lamar elected to the Board of the Metro District, now there are two non-Woodmoor directors.
FEBRUARY 1974
The Roxborough Park Property Owners Assoc. formed to look after the interests of the residents and property owners in the Woodmoor bankruptcy proceedings.
Active members: Otto Haney, Bill Leipold, Paul Willowby, Dick, and Butch Thomas
APRIL 1974
Two 8 party telephone lines installed. The ladies soon learned to use them as interphones.
MAY 1974
District election held at the Lamar home. 19 votes cast.
Major decision to continue the installation of the water and sewer facilities in view of the Woodmoor bankruptcy. If continued, the board members could be sued for fiduciary irresponsibility. If the construction had been discontinued, the board would have killed Roxborough Park for decades, if not permanently.
Don Selbie, Pres.; Jean Lamar, resident; Dick Thomas, former project director for Roxborough, now property owner; Bob Peterson, Woodmoor employee; John Bice, Woodmoor employee (not present)
15 JULY 1974
Articles of Incorporation issued for the Roxborough Park Property Owners Association.
18 FEBRUARY 1975
Betty Jones hired by the Metro District as Ms. Everything. For some strange reason, she wanted a typewriter and filing cabinet.
1 MARCH 1975
Don Selbie resigned (new job at the Pentagon). Otto Haney appointed to the District Board.
15 MARCH 1975
Don Selbie and Jean Lamar appointed to the board of the Roxborough Park Foundation. They were picked because the Woodmoor man only knew Don Selbie. It was a gesture from the Woodmoor Corporation. It was not going to continue to support the Foundation and thought that the residents of Roxborough Park might, someday, with luck, want and need to have a home owners association. Don Selbie paid the annual fee to the State of Co. until the Foundation was reestablished.
13 MAY 1975
John Bice resigned from the Metro District board. Bill Leipold appointed to fill his place.
FALL 1975
Budget preparation for 1976 revealed that the Metro District would have to certify a mill levy of 215 to pay the interest on the bonds. The 1977 projection was over a thousand mil levy assuming no growth and few property owners paying the 1976 tax bill. The board said "we will not so certify". The County said "oh yes you will or we will replace you with a board that will". The Property Owners Assoc. threatened to sue if the 215 mil levy was certified. The obvious answer was to declare bankruptcy and restructure the debt. Obvious but illegal.
10 OCTOBER 1975
Bob Peterson resigned from the Metro District board. Hamilton Duncan appointed to replace him. The board that faced this dilemma was: - Dick Thomas, Pres.
- Otto Haney
- Jean Lamar
- Bill Leipold, Secretary-Treasurer
- Hamilton Duncan
- Betty Jones, District Factotum
- Dale Brockmeier, Attorney
In the next 20 months, this board requested and obtained injunctive relief from the having the county issue tax bills at the 215 mil level, lobbied the state legislature into allowing a special district to file for bankruptcy, filed for bankruptcy, prepared three separate plans for recomposition, persuaded the bond holders to agree with the final plan, and continued the construction. Roxborough Park was blest to have had these gifted people looking out for their interests.
However, all of their efforts would have failed except for Brad Wolff. Judge Matsch would not approve any plan submitted by the District m\unless it included provisions for the continuing development of Roxborough Park. Unless there were to be a continuing infusion of money so that at least most of the Woodmoor planned development could be completed, people would not build in Roxborough Park. Any rearrangement of bond payments would be futile.
Brad Wolff, consultant to Princeville, one of the large creditors to Woodmoor, convinced the large creditors to loan an additional $2.5 million to a newly formed company called the Roxborough Development Corporation. The money was to be used to pave Roxborough Drive, extend electric lines as needed and build two tennis courts when a location could be found. The debt to be paid as RDC sold the properties that were still owned by the creditors after the Woodmoor extinction. RDC was to pay tap fees and standby fees to the Metro District only when the properties were sold.
Judge Matsch made his approval of the Metro District's plan of recompostion contingent upon the above mentioned creation of the RDC.
Otto Haney was appointed the Metro District's representative to the Board of Directors of the RDC.
20 JULY 1976
The formation of a volunteer fire department was discussed by the Metro District Board.
15 MARCH 1977
First meeting fo the Roxborough Park Foundation Board of Directors since the Woodmoor bankruptcy. Don Selbie and Jean Lamar appointed:
- Otto Haney
- Ken Holms
- Tom Hobbs
- Brad Wolff
- Don Laurie
to the board in accordance with the By-laws of the Foundation.
This board with the help of Betty Jones and Dale Brockmeir rewrote the covenants and the by-laws over the next two years to eliminate the vestiges of the Woodmoor Corporation. Meetings were held several times a month for hours at a time. The revised covenants were submitted to the electorate at the annual meeting held on the 28 of Feb. 1980 and were adopted.
During this same period, the Foundation board commenced road maintenance, snow removal, landscaping and collection assessments. The board visibly started Roxborough Park out of the appearance of abandonment and started making Roxborough Park a superb place to live.
MAY 1978
The Foundation Board established the Architectural Control Committee. Brad Wolff, Bill Leipold, and Mike Knoll were the first to have the pleasure of manning that committee.
FEBRUARY 1980
The Metro District approved the purchase of a Brush truck, the hiring of a fire fighting consultant, and the obtaining, training, and equipping of volunteers for the Roxborough Volunteer Fire Department.
24 MARCH 1980
Bill Leipold was appointed Fire Commissioner by the Metro District Board.
20 MAY 1980
Gene Abair elected to the Metro District Board and appointed Fire Commissioner.
JUNE 1980
Brush truck delivered, equipment delivered, and volunteers obtained. Training was on-going for: - Gene and Maryann Abair
- George and Marilyn Bostwick
- Page Deville
- Otto Haney
- Ken and Barbara Holm
- Betty Jones
- Paul Jones
- Loren and Willi Miller
- Bill and Sharon Stolz
- Tom Trumble
- Dick Wehrman
- Kennerson (consultant and trainer)
Gene Abair was made "Fire Chief"
DECEMBER 1980
The Foundation Board voted to pay for the engineering required to pave Ramparts Range Road from the tee junction of country road 5 and 7 if the County would then pave it.
Dr. Duncan was our commissioner at that time. He persuaded the other commissioners to allow him to spend the entire county's 1981 paving budget on the above stretch of road against the opposition of the county road superintendent. (I believe that this was the last stretch of gravel road paved entirely with county money)
SEPTEMBER 1982
Don Selbie resigned from the presidency and from the Foundation Board. Otto Haney was elected to the presidency and has remained as president through today. And so ends the beginnings of Roxborough Park. Since that time many more have joined in supporting and nurturing the Community of Roxborough Park. But without the above mentioned group there would not now be a community to be supported. The key actions which insured the survival of this community in the face of the Woodmoor debacle were: - The decision to continue the construction of the water and sewer facilities when hope for continual development was nearly non-existent.
- The formation of the Roxborough Development Corporation following Judge Matsch's ultimation against any plan of recomposition which did not insure continued development. Without the Judge's pressure on the Woodmoor major creditors, Brad Wolff's RDC would not have happened.
From the memories, minutes and mumblings:
Don Selbie
3 Sept. 1992
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