About
Sterling Hills West Metropolitan District, was organized pursuant to Title 32 of the Colorado Revised Statutes. The District is located within the City of Aurora Colorado. In accordance with the District’s Service Plan which was approved by the City of Aurora in 1999, the Districts owns and maintains (i) three public parks within the District’s boundaries, (ii) the grass strips (parkways) on both sides of Sterling Hills Parkway between South Tower Road and East Wesley Drive, (iii) the parkway along the south side of East Wesley Drive from a point near the intersection of East Iliff Avenue to near the intersection with South Fundy Way and (iii) the parkway on the north side of East Villanova Place from Sterling Hills Parkway to south Ensenada Way. The District also owns and operates a storm-water detention pond located to the south of Sterling Hills Parkway and between East Water Place and South Tower Road. The District has a license but not an obligation to landscape parts of the XCEL property located along South Tower Road and adjacent to the District’s boundaries. To support its approved activities, the District levies property taxes on the approximately 1,500 residences located within the District’s boundaries.
History
Sterling Hills Metropolitan District was approved by the City of Aurora in 1999 at the request of a developer, Gateway American Properties, LLC, to fund the construction of essential infrastructure to serve as the foundation for the development of communities within the District's boundaries. The District's Service Plan provides for the construction, operations and maintenance within the District's boundaries of:
- Roads including curbs, gutters, street side lighting, traffic safety devices and sidewalks.
- Water and wastewater systems
- Stormwater drainage systems including drainage ditches, culverts,and tunnels.
- Parks and landscaping.
The District's Service Plan calls for ownership of most infrastructure, including roads, public sidewalks, traffic safety systems, water mains, sewer lines and the storm water system, once completed, to be conveyed to the City of Aurora. With the exception of the stormwater detention pond located near to the intersection of Sterling Hills Parkway and South Tower Road as well as three parks and some landscaping along Sterling Hills Parkway, East Wesley Drive and East Villanova Place, all improvements are now owned and maintained by Aurora.
The Service Plan specifies that the District will own, maintain and operate the parks, recreational improvements, entry monuments and some landscaping along Tower Road, Sterling Hills Parkway and the south side of East Villanova Place.
The District's public improvements were initially funded by general obligation bonds. The payment of these bond obligations is funded by mill levy property taxes assessed on all property within the District's boundaries The District has the authority with voter approval to issue additional general obligation bonds but currently has no plans to do so.
District maintenance operations are funded by mil levy property taxes.
