CAB MONTHLY NEWSLETTER | April 2023

GET READY FOR SPRING

Springtime is back in Sterling Ranch! Living close to the foothills and open space, you will see wildlife emerge and become more active. Whether it’s the beautiful sounds and sites of birds or our resident foxes and coyotes, all are becoming more active in warmer weather. Other larger and more dangerous wildlife is becoming more active as well. Bears are coming out of hibernation and, in many parts of the Front Range, are strolling into neighborhoods looking for food. According to news reports, bears have already been spotted in Boulder, Morrison, and Colorado Springs. Last year, residents of Sterling Ranch spotted a black bear and her cubs close to the community.

According to CBS Denver, mid-late April is when the female and cubs venture out and look for food. Wildlife officials remind people to secure trash bins, bird feeders, and other human-provided food sources. “Every time a bear gets a treat, a bird feeder, a hummingbird feeder, trash, it teaches the bear that people mean food,” said Mark Lamb, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Manager for South Park and West Metro Denver area. “While a nuisance bear getting into trash might be relocated if caught early, a bear that injures a person is put down.”

Communities can do better by becoming more bear aware. Tips to prevent human-bear conflict include:

Keep garbage in a garage or well-secured enclosure.
Only put out the trash on the morning of pickup; bring empty cans back inside before dark.
Clean all garbage cans regularly to keep them odor free. The scent of ammonia can deter bears.
Take down all bird feeders. Bird feeders are a major source of bear/human conflicts – 397 conflicts because of them in 2019 alone. Birds have naturally available food sources during the spring, summer, and fall. Don’t let your bird feeder become a bear feeder.
Don’t leave pet food or stock feed outside – never provide food sources for wildlife.
Clean all BBQ grills.
Keep garage doors and windows closed and locked, especially between dusk and dawn.
Don’t leave attractants such as snacks, food wrappers, gum, or scented hand lotions in your car; always lock vehicle doors.
Review CPW’s Bear proofing Your Home Fact Sheet and conduct a home audit to be sure you are not attracting bears to your property.
Talk to your neighbors and kids about being bear aware.

Get in the habit of being animal responsible. It may seem like extra effort at first, but soon it will become a habit, and you will be making Sterling Ranch a better place for both the people and the wildlife that live here. For more information about Living with Bears in Colorado, visit https://cpw.state.co.us/bears.

CAB NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

CAB NEWS

IRRIGATION START UP

BrightView crews have begun checking irrigation lines throughout the community. Irrigation will be turned on in April. Reminder emails will be sent out closer to the start-up. If you see a sprinkler that is spraying incorrectly, please submit it to Sterling Ranch 311.

LANDSCAPING CLASS

New to the community? Have questions on what to plant? Join Bethany Williams, Director of Architectural and Community Standards, for an informational class about backyard landscaping. This class is for all Sterling Ranch homeowners who want to get the dirt on designing and installing their yards. You can learn about water-wise practices, pre-approved plant lists, planting requirements, your irrigation controller, and the Design Review Committee submittal process.

Join us for this in-person class on Tuesday, April 11, at 6:00 PM to learn about completing your backyard. The class will occur at the Overlook Clubhouse, 7853 Piney River Ave, Littleton, CO 80125.

DESIGN REVIEW SUBMITALL INFORMATION

As the weather improves and everyone is back to planting and enhancing their properties, please remember to plan ahead for all Design Review requests.

Top tips to help with the review process:

Review and understand the community rules and regulations in the Sterling Ranch Code of Rules.
Allow for a 30-day review of plans. Plans are reviewed in the order received.
If a complete submittal is received after the end of business day on the Monday before a Design Review Committee meeting, it waits until the following meeting.
Help ensure a 30-day turn-around by submitting a complete request. Most often missed information in homeowner submittals causing review delays are: height, material, and location details for patios, decks, fire pits, hot tubs, landscape screens, utility sheds, garden boxes, and trampolines.

Please be patient through this process! The CAB team is working very hard to review and process each submittal from homeowners and home builders promptly.

Landscaping rear yards must be installed within 120 DAYS after your house closing date, subject to the winter deferral period. The winter deferral period is from November 1 to April 30, and the completion window begins again on May 1. Please submit your completed landscape applications and design packets to residentsubmit@sterlingranchcab.com for review and get ready to plant in May!

NEW HOMEOWNER ORIENTATION

Join the CAB for a New Homeowner Orientation! Learn about the different features of the CAB and how we can best serve you.

Topics To Be Reviewed Include:

Who is the CAB, and what is our role in Sterling Ranch?
CAB Water Bill and CAB Quarterly Assessments
Lifestyle Events and Communications
Landscaping and Compliance
Technology Overview

WANT TO BE A LIFEGUARD?

STERLING RANCH 311

Sterling Ranch 311 is the best and most efficient way to report or request services in the community. Please make sure this is your first form of communication regarding any needs or concerns.

Residents can directly report or request services on the Sterling Ranch CAB Submit Your Feedback webpage or by following the QR code below.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

Meeting dates, times, and locations are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information on meetings, see the Community Calendar.

Pricing Committee Meeting – Monday, April 3, 11:00 AM. This meeting is held virtually.

Community Standards Committee Meeting - Tuesday, April 4, 5:00 PM. This meeting is held in person at the Overlook Clubhouse.

Resident Advisory Committee Meeting - Wednesday, April 5, 5:00 PM. This meeting is held in person at the Overlook Clubhouse.

Design Review Committee Meeting - Thursday, April 6, 9:00 AM. This meeting is held in person at the Overlook Clubhouse.

Construction Committee Meeting - Wednesday, April 12, 10:00 AM. This meeting is held virtually.

Finance Committee Meeting - Thursday, April 13, 10:00 AM. This meeting is held virtually.

Design Advisory Committee Meeting - Thursday, April 13, 5:00 PM. This meeting is held in person at the Overlook Clubhouse.

SRMD No. 7 Meeting - Wednesday, April 19, 12:00 PM. This meeting is held in person at the Overlook Clubhouse.

CAB Board of Directors Meeting - Wednesday, April 19, 1:00 PM. This meeting is held in person at the Overlook Clubhouse.

LIFESTYLE EVENTS

UPCOMING EVENTS

Eggstravaganza

Saturday, April 1

1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Providence Park

Registration Closed

Community Egg Hunt

Monday, April 3 - Sunday, April 9

Sterling Ranch

MORE INFORMATION

Cancelled - Live Music with Jazz du Jour

Friday, April 7

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

Sterling Center

MORE INFORMATION

Active Minds

Topic: Indonesia

Tuesday, April 11

10:00 AM

Overlook Clubhouse

Board and Brush Event

Thursday, April 13

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Highlands Ranch Board and Brush

Registration Required

Bingo

Thursday, April 20

6:30 PM

Sterling Center

The Simple 7 Habits Method

Thursday, April 20

6:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Overlook Clubhouse

Registration Required

Storytime with Douglas County Library.jpg

Storytime with Douglas County Libraries

Monday, April 24

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Sterling Center

Community Clean-Up Day

Saturday, April 29

9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Sterling Ranch

More Information

Trivia Night

Wednesdays

7:00 PM

Sterling Center

CHECK OUT THE CALENDAR OF EVENTS HERE!

STERLING RANCH CLUB INFORMATION

The CAB website's community calendar hosts all the latest and greatest event information and registration links. Be sure to sign up for notifications when new events get posted so you can be the first to know and register!

EVENTS HAPPENING NEAR BY

ROXBOROUGH AND STERLING RANCH WILDLIFE COALITION

Our community has created a newly formed group called the Roxborough and Sterling Ranch Wildlife Coalition. To learn more about the group, receive educational posts, and see what this group has in store, please follow our social media pages by clicking or scanning the QR code!

As a way of introducing ourselves, our mission statement says it all:

We believe we are fortunate to share the land, water, and sky with an impressive diversity of wildlife. That it is our duty to serve and protect this delicate relationship and balance in our community. We strive to bring awareness to all who live in the Roxborough and Sterling Ranch area so we can all live together in nature.

With your involvement, we can live in a safer, more peaceful environment allowing us to live, appreciate, and work around and within the nature that surrounds us. Not only does this help the community, but it helps us all thrive.

It’s up to us to keep this balance thriving and alive, and we appreciate your help in this endeavor. We also seek advice and ideas to move our mission forward.

Our first Bear Aware Night will be held at 6237 Roxborough Drive, Littleton, CO 80125, on April 13th at 6:00 PM. Please join us to learn more about the group and ways to prevent "nuisance" bears. Presentations will be provided by Rocky Mountain Wildlife Alliance, Colorado Parks, and Wildlife, as well as Denver Audubon. People of all ages are invited!

We look forward to engaging more with you and our community in an effort to keep wildlife and ourselves safe!

Whether you love art, music, festivals, food, or just people-watching, there is something for everyone. We have compiled a list of fun, interesting, and family-friendly events nearby for you to explore: