Candelas, Colorado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Candelas |
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|---|---|
| Location | Arvada, Colorado |
| Coordinates | 39°51′58″N 105°10′10″W / 39.866033°N 105.169393°W |
| Status | Under Construction |
| Governing Body |
Cimarron Metro District Candelas HOA and City of Arvada |
Candelas is a very large planned community in Arvada, Colorado. A planned community is like a mini-city that is designed and built all at once. Different companies are working together to build homes here. These include Century Communities, Richmond American, and Village Homes.
There are also plans to build shops, restaurants, and other businesses in Candelas. This will create a lively town center. The official plans for Candelas were made public on April 21, 2011.
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Where is Candelas?
Candelas is located in the northwest part of Jefferson County, which is in Colorado. It is right next to the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge on its northern side.
The Candelas community is split into six main areas. These areas are called Parkview, Mountainview, Canyonview, Valleyview, Townview, and Skyview. They are arranged from east to west.
Finding Candelas on a Map
Candelas is in northwest Arvada, Colorado. You can find it on the north side of Highway 72. It's located between Highway 93 and Indiana Street.
The Rocky Flats Wildlife Refuge is to the north of Candelas. It shares a border with part of the community. There are two ways to get into the Refuge from nearby. People living in the area can use State Highway 93 to travel to Golden or Boulder.
Weather and Nature in Candelas
The area where Candelas is built can have strong weather. Sometimes, winds can blow faster than 80 miles per hour (135 km/h). In January 1982, very strong winds, partly caused by Chinook winds, reached over 140 miles per hour.
Besides high winds, the area also gets a lot of snow and cold in winter. There can be strong thunderstorms, which sometimes cause flash floods. Wildfires are also a risk in this region.
Candelas and Rocky Flats
Candelas is located south of where the Rocky Flats nuclear weapons factory used to be. Some environmental groups have worried that the area might still have harmful materials from the factory. They believe these materials were not cleaned up enough.
However, several government agencies say it is safe to live in the area. These include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy. They say there is no major risk.
An EPA report from June 3, 1997, said that tests showed the soil was safe. It said no more cleanup was needed. The report also mentioned that new homes were not allowed very close to the old factory site. It expected more homes to be built in areas like western Arvada.
The Jefferson Parkway Road
A new road called the Jefferson Parkway is planned. This road is important for Candelas to grow, especially for its business areas. The proposed road would go north to south along the eastern edge of the old factory site.
Some people are concerned that building this road might stir up contaminated soil.
How Rocky Flats Affected Home Values
In 1989, there were some issues at the Rocky Flats plant. During this time, the value of homes nearby went down.
Today, the average home value in the area is about $826,278. Experts think it might go up a little more in the next year.
People Who Disagreed with the Development
In 2013, some lawyers for the Candelas developers sent letters to people who spoke out against the project. One activist, Michelle Gabrieloff-Parish, had talked to local news about her concerns.
