PARKER, Colo. — Small town charm with a big city feel — that is how many describe Parker, a Douglas County town about 20 miles southeast of Denver.
With a population of about 72,000, Parker is known for its historic Main Street, locally owned shops and rapid growth that is changing the landscape.
As part of Denver7 Your Voice, we sat down with people who live, work and play in Parker to find out what matters most to them.
Falling in love with Parker
"I ended up coming to Parker for Parker Days, and I just fell in love with it. It was so cute, I just had a really good feeling about it,” said Brandi Santangelo, a high school teacher who moved to the town about two and a half years ago. "I love the schools. The kids here that I teach are amazing — just sweet, kind, bright kids."
Patricia "Parker Patti" Kane said family and community were what drew her here.
"I chose Parker because, really, it’s a small town with a big heart," she said.
Emma Mays went to middle and high school in Parker and returned after college.
"It’s a place to live. It has pros. It has cons. Some days the cons feel a lot bigger than the pros," she said.
Growing pains
Mayor Joshua Rivero said the town has been deliberate in planning its growth.
"We’re definitely growing, but we’re growing smart and we’re growing slower than most communities," he said, saying the town is almost completely built out. "We're done. We're not going to grow anymore. What we see going on by the reservoir, that's it. Parker will be built out. So, now our 2050 master plan, our comprehensive plan, is being written, and that is about regrowth. That is about maybe that old strip mall become something new. What does that look like?"
Mike Aragoncillo, owner of Thrive Kickboxing in Parker, sees opportunity in expansion.
"I’m excited about the growth. There’s a lot of new things developing, new housing neighborhoods, new apartments, new retail spaces," he said.
Others said the growth also has challenges.
"It’s growing a lot, lots of traffic," said Malcolm Schneider, a Parker resident, construction worker and painting business owner.
"At five o’clock, you can really take a long time to get off of C-470 or I-25 and make it into Parker," said Daniel Clem, co-owner of Convict Coffee Company.
Kane said some wonder about the direction growth is taking.
"How do we grow Parker without destroying the small town feel? People would say, how many nail salons and car washes can you have in Parker?" she said.
The price of Parker
Affordability came up in almost every conversation.
"Everything’s just expensive. It’s all so expensive," Schneider said. "That’s my biggest thing, making good money so that me and my family could eat."
Mays said finding work has been difficult.
"It’s been hard for me to find a job," she said. "Sometimes it feels like you have to know somebody, and I just don't know the right people, and then you get lost in a sea of applications."
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Santangelo has lived that struggle.
"I think affordability is important, and I just know that because I lived it, and I know what that’s like, that struggle to have to work multiple jobs," she said.
Mayor Rivero said state laws are limiting housing options.
"We need more housing choices. Those housing choices need to be owner-occupied condominiums. Unfortunately, with current state law, that is an incredible challenge," he said.
The faces of Parker
Some here say community connections are their favorite part of living in Parker.
"What am I excited about? Mainly, my businesses. The country, still to this day, is the best country to start a new business. You don’t have to pay any mafia or the government and pay them off, which is what’s going on in Russia right now," said Eugene Miroshnikoff, who immigrated from Russia 20 years ago and now runs two businesses.
Rivero, who owns Fika Coffee House in addition to his mayoral duties, said the town rallies around small business.
"When my business was first opened, we were burglarized. The town stepped up and they just give you a big hug, and I cannot think of a better place to have a small business than Parker," he said.
Politics also came up in conversation.
"It’s just that Douglas County generally is really well known for being a deeply red place. Lauren Boebert is our representative, and she says really hateful things about a lot of people, and when you know that so many of your neighbors voted for that, it’s hard to reconcile that with the community that you go out and live in every day," Mays said.
Santangelo also spoke on political differences.
"I just feel like sometimes in Colorado, if you don’t think the same way, then people kind of shun you for thinking differently," she said.
Kane described a different kind of division.
"I’m on the board of my HOA, and it’s a large HOA, and there’s a lot of differences and people aren’t listening well to each other," she said.
Good news wanted
When asked about news coverage, Mays said she'd like some more good news.
"I wish sometimes that there was more of an effort to show the positive, like substantially positive things, not just like fluff pieces of like a squirrel goes water skiing."
Clem said he looks for uplifting stories.
"I’m always looking for people that are choosing to make a difference in their community, especially against odds," he said.
"This type of news I love. So what you guys are doing here is awesome," Aragoncillo said.
Kane said she also looks for stories that show the good in others.
"How kind people are," she said. "Go to the Parker Task Force food bank. There is a good-hearted community here."
In these Denver7 | Your Voice stories, we want to hear from you about what matters most in your community. We hope to hear what makes our communities special, the challenges facing them, and everything in between. Have an idea or want to share your thoughts? Fill out the contact form below.
