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Carbon Valley Parks and Recreation outlines renovation plan and a November ballot measure to expand capacity
Summary
Dean Rommel, executive director of Carbon Valley Parks and Recreation, told Frederick trustees the district will ask voters in November to approve a property‑tax measure to fund a new aquatics facility in Central Park (Firestone) and about $12–$13 million in renovations to the current Frederick recreation center to relieve severe capacity constraints.
Dean Rommel, executive director of Carbon Valley Parks and Recreation, told the Town of Frederick Board of Trustees that the district is proposing a November ballot measure to build a new aquatics facility and an activity/field‑house near Central Park in Firestone and to renovate the existing Frederick recreation center.
Rommel said the district now operates three main facilities — a 55,000‑square‑foot recreation center in Frederick, a gymnastics center across the street and a community center in the former Firestone town hall — and that rapid population growth has pushed use well beyond capacity. "We're sitting at about 43,000 residents" in the Carbon Valley district, Rommel said, and the district recorded roughly 183,000 paid visits in 2023 (he said the figure rises to about 200,000 after accounting for accompanying family members).
"People are using us," Rommel said. "It's just bursting at the seams." He described conceptual renovations for the Frederick rec center — expanding the fitness room, creating a teen room, adding an auxiliary gym and a longer track, and removing underused spaces to reclaim square footage — while also proposing a separate outdoor aquatics complex and indoor turf/activity space farther north to meet a stated goal of having a facility within a 10‑minute drive of 95% of the district's tax base.
On funding, Rommel said the plan would be paid for by a property‑tax increase if voters approve the measure. He provided the district's estimate of the tax impact: roughly $2.55 per month for every $100,000 of assessed value ("about $30.61 a year per $100,000," as he put it); using the district's stated average home value of $530,000, Rommel said the annual cost to that average home would be about $163 if the measure passes.
Rommel acknowledged prior failed special‑district elections and emphasized outreach: "We're not here to persuade any votes whatsoever," he said, but staff and trustees plan to inform residents and ensure seniors know about Weld County's senior tax‑exemption program. He also said the district will pursue grants where feasible but that available grant programs typically do not cover large capital builds.
Trustees and staff asked about grant and partnership options during a brief Q&A. Staff noted several ongoing partnerships (IGA usage for Frederick staff and other towns) and said grant funding is generally available for programming and smaller capital items but is not sufficient to fully fund a major new facility.
Rommel closed by noting the district faces registration caps for youth sports next season unless capacity grows, and he urged the community to review posted materials and the district's website for details.
The presentation began at the trustees' meeting and was followed by questions from trustees and members of the public; no formal board action followed the presentation itself.
