Recent Community Rumors/Questions

The tax on groceries constitutes an important source of revenue for the funding of services in the Town of Parker. For a detailed list of Frequently Asked Questions regarding this important issue, please visit our Budget Q&A project here on Let's Talk Parker.

The Town of Parker is happy to provide information about the zoning of property in Parker, as well as what types of uses could eventually be developed there (i.e. commercial, single-family residential, multi-family residential, etc.).If you have a question about what is being developed (or could potentially be developed) on a specific piece of property, please call our Community Development Department at 303.841.2332, email planning@parkeronline.org or visit us in person at Town Hall, 20120 E. Mainstreet and our staff can walk you through the process. This is especially helpful if you are purchasing a home in Parker near undeveloped land, which is likely planned for future development. View the Town’s Zoning Map to see how land in Parker is currently zoned.

Parker has a robust open space program. However, not all vacant land is what it seems. There are currently many undeveloped properties in the Town of Parker that are often mistaken for open space. What many people don't realize is that all properties within the Town limits, including these undeveloped areas, are already zoned. Zoning means that a property has been designated for a particular use or uses. Types of zoning include business, commercial, residential and industrial. Land can only be utilized for the purposes allowed under its zoning classification. You can learn about the Town's open space program on the Parker Forestry and Open Space webpage.

Municipalities fund day-to-day operations primarily through taxes and fees. In Colorado, most towns and cities are funded through sales and property taxes. The total sales tax in Parker is 8%; however, the amount of sales tax collected by the Town of Parker is only 3%. Other sales taxes include State 2.9%, RTD/SCFD 1.1% and County 1%. For example, a purchase of $100 in Parker would result in $3 being collected by the Town for sales tax. 

Property tax rates are expressed in mills, which are equal to $1 for every $1,000 of property value. The Town of Parker property tax mill levy is 2.602. A house that is appraised by the assessor’s office with an actual value of $600,000 pays $104.60 in Town of Parker property tax. Below is a table to illustrate this calculation: 

• Total Actual Value: $ 600,000.00; Taxable Actual Value is what property was appraised for by Douglas County Assessor
• Taxable Assessed Value: $ 40,200.00; Taxable Assessed Value is the Taxable Actual Value multiplied by the Residential Assessment Rate of 6.7% (per SB23B-001)
• Milly Levy: 2.602; Mill Levy
• Tax Rate: 0.002602; Tax Rate is the Mill Levy divided by 1,000
• Town of Parker Property Tax: $ 104.60

Recreation activities at Rueter-Hess Reservoir are managed by Douglas County. While the reservoir is, first and foremost, a key piece of the region’s drinking water supply, its 9,000-year history and rugged landscape make it a destination for outdoor activity year-round.

You can find more information about events and activities at http://www.RHRecreation.org.

Lots of things are happening in Parker! You can learn more about projects currently in Parker's development process by visiting ParkerCO.gov/Development.

Our Community Development staff is also available to answer questions about development in our community and can be reached at 303.841.2332.

The purpose of zoning is to regulate the use of land and the physical improvements to land located within the Town of Parker, without imposing undue burden on the land owner as provided by state and federal law. All land within the Town of Parker’s incorporated limits is zoned for specific uses. Land owners have a legal right to develop their privately owned land, as long as the development meets the Town’s current zoning requirements. The Planning Commission, Town Council and staff work to ensure that new developments meet the Town’s vision for growth and development, design standards and building code requirements. The Town Council and Planning Commission do not have the authority to deny a commercial development on a property that is zoned commercial, or a residential development on land that is zoned residential, as long the project meets the Town’s standards and requirements. If a developer is requesting to rezone property, for example changing the zoning of a property to allow for commercial use instead of residential use, the Town Council can vote to deny the request to change the zoning if Town Council determines that the project does not meet the nine criteria set forth in the Municipal Code, including consistency with the Parker 2035 Master Plan. The Town Council can ensure that developers meet the Town’s zoning standards and require that they provide adequate infrastructure and amenities such as parks, trails, open space and landscaping buffers. Parker also works hard to ensure that developments are of a high quality and pay their fair share for improvements that mitigate impacts on the community, for instance, contributing to road enhancements or expansions. You can view the Town’s boundary map to see which developments are occurring in the Town of Parker, as many of the projects under construction are located on our Town borders in Lone Tree and unincorporated Douglas County. You can also view the Town’s Zoning Map to see how land in Parker is currently zoned.

The Town of Parker Strategic Plan serves as a guiding document for the Town, outlining how we can best serve our residents in the future. Similar long-range planning documents include the Parker 2035 Master Plan, Parker Road Corridor Plan, Parker Parks and Recreation Master Plan, the Transportation Master Plan, and others, are available on the Master Plans and Guiding Documents webpage. 

Parker has comprehensive transportation network improvement plans in place. Since road projects can be very expensive, the Town must build them over time as funding allows. You can read more about our current capital improvement plans on the Capital Improvement Project Update webpage.

The Town knows our residents are busy, so we offer a wide variety of ways for our community to be informed about what is happening in Parker. Planning Commission and Town Council meeting agendas are available on the Town website at ParkerCO.gov/Agendas and regular Town Council and Planning Commission meetings are live streamed on the Town’s YouTube channel.