The following articles are from several newsletters published in 1997 by Author and Historian Alan Kania and others:

Pinery Recollections

What's A Pinery?

     "While Colorado was still a territory, prospectors and settlers arrived in search of gold. Soon metropolitan Denver became the home for those who found the locality to be valuable as a supply depot for miners seeking their fortune in the foothills west of Denver."
     "To build the homesteads and businesses of pioneer Denver, it was necessary to import all the materials. Wood became a very precious commodity. Settlers arriving on the stagecoach lines southeast of the townsite remembered traveling past forests of Douglas Fir and Ponderosa Pine, ideal wood for building the houses of   Denver City, Montana City, Auraria, and Highlands."
     "These forested areas were call 'Pineries' and were found along the Cherry Creek. Some of those closest to present-day Parker became the main source of lumber for Denver City. The hillsides of 'The Pinery" were cleared of all but the youngest saplings in the 1860's."

Terracor and Senior Corp.

     "Nearly a century later Terracor, a Utah development corporation, announced plans to build a premier housing development on the site of once forested land. To bring people to the homesites, Terracor staged hot-air balloon races in 1976-77 on the knoll where Mountain View Elementary School now stands. Other community events included a bicycle race that challenged contestants on the hills throughout The Pinery."
     "The Pinery development was begun in 1971 but Denver's soft real estate market forced the developer, Terracor, to declare bankruptcy on November 4, 1982. At that time, the acreage comprising Pinery I was segregated from the undeveloped and unplatted areas of The Pinery."
     "'Terracor's successor in interest, Senior Corp., took title to the undeveloped acreage and became the Master Developer for the area."
     "During this period, there was little public or private money available for development of amenities promised by Terracor. However, a hard-working and dedicated group of residents, organized by Steve and Luanne Unks, raised about $10,000 for materials and developed The Pinery Park that is available for group sports and individual use."

Some Personal Recollections

     We digress at this point to share some personal memories supplied by Don and Ann Andersen who have lived in The Pinery since August of 1973.
     "There was no school bus to come into The Pinery to pick up the school children. Pat Thomas, one of the early residents, drove a Pinery van and picked up all the children (in one load) to take them to Northeast Elementary which was the only school out here then. We do not believe there were any older children but if there were they would have gone to Douglas County High School in Castle Rock."
     "There used to be hot air balloon races every summer for several years. They would assemble for takeoff where Mountain View school is now located. This was a sales promotion of Terracor, developer of The Pinery."
     "Originally the roads were not paved in The Pinery and as they contained much clay, when it rained they were very, very slippery. It was an occasion when you saw a car drive along Lakeview after dark! We had no telephone service in The Pinery for several months. Then we had eight-party lines. You learned to make all your phone calls during school hours because you could never get in when the teenagers got home from school. We then graduated to four party lines."
     "We had parties in The Pinery where everyone came. On New Years Eve everyone wanted to go out but there were no babysitter available so we all took our children to one house and hired a babysitter for them all."

Terracor and Senior Corp.

     In 1982, The Pinery Homeowners' Association entered into an agreement with Terracor and Senior Corp. Under the Assumption Agreement, Senior Corp. agreed to assume the liabilities of Terracor to homeowners in the area. In satisfaction of some of those obligations, Senior Corp. agreed to transfer certain properties to the association or a proposed Pinery Metropolitan District to assist in maintaining the quality of The Pinery development.
     The residents of The Pinery began to notice new amenities developing. A year after Senior Corp. took over, a new storage area across Parker Road was completed, providing 80 storage spaces for boats, trailers and campers.
     The next year, the Lake Committee, a volunteer group of homeowners, assumed full responsibility for maintaining Bingham Lake and the surrounding area. The committee stocked the lake, patrolled it to see that unauthorized persons and vehicles did not violate the owners' rights, and maintained the area. An annual fishing derby for children became a popular summer event.
     With development of The Pinery, a new fire station was added to the Parker Fire Protection District. The grand Opening of Station #3 was held on June 23, 1984. At the same time, the fire department contributed $5,000 to The Pinery Homeowners' Association Park Committee for the construction of a toilet facility for the adjacent playground and park.
     Through the joint efforts of The Pinery Homeowners' association, the Parker Fire Protection district, Don Andersen and The Pinery Property Protection Committee, the Denver Southeast Water & Sanitation District, and the Douglas County Parks and Recreation Department, new permanent facilities for separate toilets for men and women, plus locked storage space were built.
     With the assistance of Douglas County and Senior Corp., $710,000 was dedicated to the replacement and / or repair of major arterial and secondary roads during the summer of 1985. The following year the county provided an additional $120,000 to the road repair program. As a result, the entire length of Pinery Parkway was resurfaced with a three-inch overlay of asphalt.
     The Lake Committee stocked 700 large mouth bass, several hundred Kamloops rainbow trout, and white amur and exotic species of grass carp to feed on the weeds in the lake. Funds were used to repair the dock, remount signs, and construct road barriers and fences. New picnic tables were added on the dam, assembled by Andrew Rapley, a Boy Scout working on his Eagle Scout award.
     As houses filled the hillside, the water pressure began to dwindle. Thanks to the Denver Southeast Suburban Water and Sanitation District, the residents of Filing 7 benefited from Pump Station No. 4, improving the water pressure for 400 homes in the eastern area of The Pinery and greatly improved fire protection for the entire area.

The Preserve

     "Senior Corp. submitted a rezoning plan to Douglas County commissioners for its 37-acre parcel known as Filing 10. The plan called for 57 dwelling units to be built on 1/2 to 3/4 acre sites. The Pinery Homeowners' Association and an ad hoc committee of homeowners called PHOOEE! (Pinery Homeowners Outraged Over Excessive expansion), organized by Fred Rossiter, appealed to the commissioners and urged that Filing 10 be declared "open space." On November 17, 1986, The Pinery Homeowners' Association and PHOOEE! appeared before the county commissioners in opposition to Senior Corp's application for the rezoning and development of Filing 10.
     PHOOEE! had generated over 700 signatures, 240 letters, and countless phone calls in protest to the developer's request. Even a letter from Governor Lamm was submitted. In light of the magnitude and breadth of the protest, Senior Corp. asked for a postponement of a decision from the commissioners.
     Shortly afterwards, The Pinery Homeowners' Association, PHOOEE! and Senior Corp. were delighted to announce that a compromise had been reached. Senior Corp. agreed to dedicate the 37 acres of land of Filing 10 as open space and perform a density transfer of approximately 2,312 dwelling units from the east side of Parker Road to the west side.
     The land of Filing 10 became known as "The Preserve", a magnificent 37-acre Open Space Park right in the center of The Pinery. It is densely treed with ponderosa pine and scrub oak and is heavily vegetated with mountain mahogany, purshia, mountain grasslands and wildflowers. It will serve as a haven for man and animal alike who seek refuge from the pressures of everyday life. Only limited passive use is allowed on the land. The intent is to maintain the land in its natural state and preserve the habitat and the herd of deer, red fox, and other wildlife that live there.
     A community cleanup committee participated in clearing away barbed wire perimeter fencing and open pit "forts," and trash was removed.

Saving the Open Space

     The developer planned to change the status of an open-space parcel of land adjacent to Thunderhill Road. First the land was proposed for condominiums, then as a golf course, as an equestrian riding path, and finally as estate property.
     A group of Pinery residents who live on Thunderhill Road adjacent to the open space presented a petition which requested further review of the design of Filing 22, with the objective of minimizing the negative effects of the new homes on existing homes, specifically with regard to erosion, drainage, and slope control.
     It took more than three years, but the developer finally declared it as open space.

The Good Old Days

     We moved to the Pinery in July 1974. Our homeowners' group had no dues or office. We met in the gym at Northeast School and took up a collection each meeting to cover the cost of the gym rental and incidentals.
     Postal routes were limited and we didn't get mail at our house but were served at a mailbox we put up at the intersection of Hillside and Hillpark. Our Denver Post was also delivered to that spot each evening.
     In about the summer of 1976 (not sure of the year) we had a huge grasshopper invasion. They ate holes in screen doors and even ate the young spruce trees residents had planted.
     We all got together and organized a control program with each of us spreading poison in our own yards and in the many vacant lots around our houses.
     Only part of the Pinery had telephone service and it was three months before we got a line. To use a phone we had to go to the Clubhouse or the Pinery Maintenance Office which was on the west side of Highway 83.

Pinery Residents Support Firefighters

     A fire district short-fall resulted in cutting back community services. The staffing of Station 3 of the Parker Fire Protection District was reduced to two out of every three days. The Pinery Homeowners' Association felt and students at the three schools that are located within The Pinery. The funds very strongly that The Pinery must have full-time service to protect the life and property of our residents were raised and the Parker Fire Protection District returned to full staff shortly afterward.

Assumption Agreement Resolution

     Since 1986, The Pinery Homeowners' Association and Senior Corp. had difficulty in reaching accord over the assumption agreement. The agreement assumed certain responsibilities to The Pinery Homeowners' Association made by Terracor.
     Three years later, the litigation came to a close with the following benefits transferred to the homeowners:

• $25,000 to finish the walk-out basement of Fire Station 3 to be used as The Pinery Homeowners' Association office space and as a public meeting facility.
• The existing 1.5 acre recreational vehicle storage facility plus 4.5 additional adjacent acres; 1.5 of the 4.5 acres will be improved at Senior Corp's expense, doubling the storage capacity and doubling the rental revenue for the homeowners' association.
• The 7.7 acre community-use parcel behind Northeast Elementary School along Pinery Parkway and 11.5 acre parcel at the northwest corner of Bingham Lake, currently zoned as multi-family, with restrictions limiting its use to parks and/or open space.
• Two new playground/picnic areas would be built; improvement to be paid by Senior Corp., not to exceed $161,000.
• Perpetual use of Bingham Lake and the park sites for all Pinery residents.

Cherry Creek Trail.

     Construction of the highly anticipated Cherry Creek Greenway Trail in the Spring of 1990 was welcomed by residents throughout Douglas County. Pinery resident Merle Grimes, Cherry creek Trails Coordinator, is helping The Pinery Homeowners' Association and Senior Corp. link the residents of The Pinery and High Prairie Farms to the southern end of the trail via a tunnel under Parker Road. Editor's Note: The Pinery Connector Trail was dedicated on June 4, 1994.

Metro District Service Plan.

     In 1988, an attempt to create a Metropolitan District in The Pinery was voted down by the residents of the development. Two-and-a-half years later a new Metro District service Plan was introduced. The plan provides for enhanced park and recreation services, enhanced safety protection services, and generates funds for improved covenant enforcement. A community survey, conducted by The Pinery Long-Range Planning Committee, found that the majority of homeowners wanted greater enforcement of the covenants, increased safety protection, and improved park and recreation in The Pinery.
     Other benefits of the Service Plan would provide assistance in linking The Pinery to the Cherry Creek Trail, improve the aesthetics and fire safety of the open space land, promote community sporting events and other public activities.
     The District would receive conveyance from the homeowners' association of the land obtained in the assumption agreement resolution with Senior Corp. and other open-space properties owned by the Homeowners' Association.
     Additionally, the District proposed to supplement safety protection facilities within The Pinery for pedestrian and vehicular safety. Editor's Note: The second Metro District proposal failed to pass by 34 votes out of a total 862 votes cast on December 4, 1990. Since Mr. Kania's "History of The Pinery" was completed, former developer Senior Corp. sold its Pinery holdings to several other builders and developers, including Great Gulf Group which is developing The Timbers.