Help keep our community beautiful
CPN resident Mariah D. picks up trash during a soccer game at Daniel’s Gate Park.
Article and photo by Tracy Dudley
About once a week there is a new pile of mysterious doggy droppings on my front lawn. How can responsible members of our community allow their pets to wander onto private property, do their business, and then walk away as if nothing happened? Even though the City of Castle Pines North (CPN) and the Castle Pines North Metro District take care of many routine clean-up tasks, it is still our duty as responsible citizens to make an effort toward keeping our community beautiful.
“We have 16 dog baggie stations along the trails we maintain, and there are about 8 other stations managed by HOAs. Still there are frequent complaints about doggy doody left behind. We have ordered 50,000 baggies for our stations, and we strongly encourage residents to clean up after their dogs,” said Charlie Fagan, Manager of Parks and Open Space for Metro District.
Fagan is also concerned about residents who dump grass clippings, potting soil, dead plants, or plant cuttings in open space. This adversely affects both the natural growth of plants and grasses and property values, as it causes unsightly blighted areas that take considerable time to grow back to their natural state after the debris has been removed.
In an effort to keep CPN clean, the city recently contracted a public works crew to drive around the main streets – such as Monarch and Castle Pines Parkway – and pick up any trash in right-of-ways, medians, and islands on a weekly basis. In addition, the CPN Metro District provides numerous trash cans along the trails and open space areas. However, there really are not any programs in place at this time to cover the individual neighborhoods themselves. This is where we most need to come together as responsible community members and pitch in to keep things tidy.
In Castle Rock, The Meadows neighborhood teams up with Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup to form an annual community cleanup day. For their annual “Trash Bash” in May, The Meadows encourages friends and neighbors to gather at 8:30 a.m., divide into teams, and head into the neighborhoods. Once community clean up is finished, they hold a celebration with prizes and other fun activities.
CPN Director of Public Works, Eric Guth, says the city is open to forming a cooperative effort where everyone comes together and participates in a community-wide cleanup. However, there are not currently any plans on the table for such an event, and concerned citizens are encouraged to submit direct requests to the city.
