Questions & Answers

1. What is RidgeGate?

RidgeGate is Denver's most exciting, New Urbanist community, bringing the convenience and vitality of urban living to the edge of metro Denver. RidgeGate includes residential and commercial uses in an open space setting to create a live-work-play walkable community.

2. Where is RidgeGate located?

Located at I-25 and south of Lincoln Avenue in Lone Tree, Colorado, RidgeGate is nestled against the bluffs that create the natural edge for metropolitan Denver. RidgeGate will offer the culture and connectivity of an urban environment balanced with ample open space and sweeping views of its natural Colorado setting. It is located within the highly regarded southeast corridor in close proximity to the Denver Tech Center, Centennial Airport (10 minutes) and Denver International Airport (30 minutes).

3. What is smart-growth and why is RidgeGate considered a smart-growth community?

Smart growth is the design of new communities that balance economic, environmental, social/housing and transportation elements within their physical design and provide a more responsible and efficient means to accommodate growth.   RidgeGate will be a mixed-use community, designed to integrate mass-transit (including light rail), a wide variety of homes, and a mix of retail uses, offices, schools, parks and recreation - all within close proximity. A network of bike paths and walking trails will connect all areas of RidgeGate with its neighbors, helping reduce traffic and fostering a sense of community. All homebuilders selected to build at RidgeGate meet the Colorado Homebuilders' Association Built Green requirements. Built Green-certified homes have better energy efficiency and reduce pollution, healthier indoor air, reduce water use, help preserve natural resources, and have improved durability.

4. What are the public transportation options?

RidgeGate is a transit-oriented community with easy access to downtown Denver, the Denver Tech Center, Denver International Airport, and other nearby amenities via surface and rail transportation. The community is pedestrian, bicycle and mass transit friendly with parks and retail areas located near residential areas to encourage walking. RTD has one light rail station at Lincoln Avenue and I-25 and will eventually have two light rail stations in RidgeGate, including an "end-of-line" station at the future RidgeGate Parkway interchange. This will enable residents and employees to get on a train and be in downtown Denver in 25 minutes once the system is complete. Currently RTD provides Call 'N' Ride bus service throughout the RidgeGate neighborhoods.

5. How many homes will be located in RidgeGate?

When completed, the RidgeGate community will have approximately 12,000 homes and a wide variety of commercial and office development. In RidgeGate's West Village (the square mile of RidgeGate west of I-25) 2,500 homes are planned to be built over the next several years. A wide variety of housing options will be available in the West Village including single-family homes, patio homes, mansion homes, condominiums, apartments, and town homes.

6. How long will it take to complete RidgeGate?

RidgeGate's West Village will be built over the next 10-15 years. Additional development in the eastern portion of RidgeGate will follow with an estimated build-out period of 40 to 50 years. This relatively slow build-out is the result of RidgeGate's desire for quality over quantity. 

7. How much commercial development will there be?

When complete there may be as much as 20-23 million square feet of retail and office use that will include shopping, dining, civic, educational and entertainment facilities. RidgeGate's West Village will include approximately 5 million square feet of commercial use.

8. What is completed in the community?

The Sky Ridge Medical Center, a major regional medical campus with a Level III Trauma Center, 190 beds and 235,000 square feet of medical offices, opened within RidgeGate in August 2003. The Sky Ridge Medical Center employs more than 1,000 people and is a magnet for other businesses on adjacent land, providing substantial tax and enhanced opportunities for economic development for state and local governments. The Lone Tree Recreation Center, a $14 million, 54,000-square-foot recreation center built by South Suburban Parks and Recreation District, on land provided by RidgeGate, opened in May 2004. The first phase of Lincoln Commons, RidgeGate's mixed-use shopping district that includes a new Super Target, opened in October 2005. And almost 300 homes are now occupied in RidgeGate's first neighborhoods.

9. What is under construction?

More than 750 new homes, ranging from apartments and brownstone-style town homes to single-family detached homes, are currently under construction in RidgeGate’s second phase of residential neighborhoods.

10. Is there a Homeowners' Association?

Yes, it is known as the RidgeGate West Village Community Association. Per the Community Charter for The RidgeGate West Village, the Association provides for a flexible system of standards and procedures for the development, expansion, administration, maintenance and preservation of the community. Within its structure is the basic service for the fiber optic communication network to your home, financial management of the community including insurance on the common areas, maintenance of the common areas, monitoring the property for compliance, long range planning for the future replacement of capital assets, and management services for the daily operations of the community including the collection of assessments.

11. Are fees charged to the homeowner for services provided by the Association?

Yes. Every owner within the RidgeGate West Village Community Association will pay a base assessment rate. This fee covers all costs incurred for all owners in the community such as maintenance of the common areas, the base fee for the 1.5-megabit data (internet) connection and ISP to your home, insurance on the common areas, as well as costs incurred for the management of the community. Depending on where you live, you may also pay an additional fee for services provided to a particular area, known as a "service area."

12. What is the Fiber to the Home Network?

RidgeGate is truly a connected community, with a soon-to-be-announced fiber rich digital broadband network that will exceed the quality, capacity and services of any other network in the greater Denver market. This voice, video and data infrastructure will provide connectivity to every home, classroom, health care site, and office in the community. This state-of-the-art network recognizes that the networks of the future will use the quality and capacity that only fiber optics can deliver. The RidgeGate Homeowners' Association will ensure that all homes are actively connected when occupied. In addition to this unique high-speed Internet access amenity, standard telephony, cable television and video entertainment services are also part of the network plan. RidgeGate residents will receive the highest quality video entertainment with a full menu of video on demand and High Definition programming.

13. How will I find out about what is going on within the community?

Good communication between the Board of Directors, the Management Company, the Metropolitan District and of course, your neighbors all lead to building an outstanding community. Newsletters will be distributed to all homeowners with updates on events and issues within the community. Homeowners will automatically be added to the distribution list at closing. In addition, since all homes will be equipped with the "fiber to the home" network, it is anticipated that communication via the computer/internet will be implemented which will make the operations of the Association more efficient.

14. Is trash service included in the monthly assessment?

Actually, the City of Lone Tree provides trash service to your home at no additional charge. Once your closing date has been established, efforts will be made to work with the City, the management company and the trash provider to ensure that service is started to your home immediately after you have closed.

15. Does my landscaping have to be approved by the Community Association?

Yes. Any exterior change to your home will require approval by the Design Review Committee including the addition of your landscaping. Landscape completion deadlines will be provided to you both prior to closing and in your welcome packet. An application and a landscape plan must be submitted and approved by the Design Review Committee prior to installation.

16. In what school district is RidgeGate located?

The highly regarded Douglas County School District. With the continuing growth within the City of Lone Tree and Douglas County, it is recommended that you contact the Douglas County School District office as to exact school location, transportation to and from schools as well as other services the District may offer such as before and after school care.

17. How can I contact the Community Association for questions?

Hammersmith Management, Inc manages the RidgeGate at West Village Community Association. All questions and concerns regarding the Community Association or your Service Area should be directed to the Hammersmith office at 303.980.0700 or via their website at www.e-hammersmith.com.

18. What other housing choices will be in RidgeGate?

The build out of the West Village is estimated to include over 2,500 homes of all types, ranging from rental apartments to a variety of attached home types (condominiums and town homes) to a variety of single family home types (both small and larger lots) with pricing ranging from the mid-$100s up to $1 million plus.