Welcome
Hello and welcome to the Geos Neighborhood. If you’re new here, we’ve set up this page to acquaint you with the neighborhood and the area surrounding it. This includes information and links that we think you’ll find useful when moving into your new home. While we recommend you read all the info on this page (there may be details you didn't know), you can also use the Contents box to scroll down to a topic of interest.
The first step for new homeowners to get to know the community, and for all of us to get to know you, is to sign up for an account here on Geos.life (Join Now). Geos.life is the official resident portal providing forums, calendar, directory, and library of governing documents. It’s where important information about the neighborhood is posted, where you can get answers to your questions from other residents, and where to find contact info if you still need help. You’ll need to be logged in to view most pages (including some of the linked pages below) but accounts are only available to homeowners, residents and those providing services to the Geos Neighborhood.
For prospective Geos homeowners, you’ll find some useful information about the neighborhood here and you can find more by visiting the the builder’s home sales websites at: Dream Finders Homes. And you can learn about the Geos Neighborhood Metropolitan District including required notices and documents, by visiting: geosmetro.specialdistrict.org.
Geos is managed by MSI, a professional management company. If you need assistance with billing, covenants, design review, or other issues you can contact: Jennifer Smith, Community Manager at 720-974-4138 and JSmith@msihoa.com or the MSI office at: MSI, LLC, 11002 Benton St. Westminster, CO 80020-3286, phone 303-420-4433, FAX (303) 420-6611
The Geos Neighborhood was envisioned to combine traditional village living with advanced building designs. Community members enjoy a pedestrian-friendly lifestyle with front porches, tree-lined sidewalks, mixed-use zoning, built-in open spaces and close access to the Ralston Creek Trail. Modern building practices and solar orientation reduce energy requirements while solar panels allow homes to produce much of the energy they consume. This approach to sustainability extends to water conscious and edible shared landscaping as well as community gardens.
Currently, Geos has different “blocks” in various phases of completion. At the eastern end of the neighborhood, Block 10 is mostly complete with 28 families in their homes and just a few lots remaining for future construction. The middle quad of Blocks 1-4 were purchased by Dream Finders Homes with construction of 91 homes speeding along. Infrastructure is in and plans are done for for Blocks 5-7, and their 93 homes, along the west side. And finally, planning is underway at the southeast edge for the approximately 34 units in Blocks 8-9. That’s a total of about 257 units when the community is completed.
If you’d like to learn more about the history of Geos and how we got where we are, please check out The Story of Geos, written by the town architect.
The Geos Neighborhood is actually the Geos Neighborhood Metropolitan District (GNMD). A metropolitan district is a form of local government set up to fund and oversee construction of the infrastructure, such as the roads and utilities, necessary for a home development. A metro district can also, as it does in Geos, perform functions that you may associate with a home owners association (HOA) such as providing services, covenant enforcement, and design review.
A Board of Directors elected by residents and owners of property within Geos, administer the functions of the District. Currently, there are three homeowners and two developer/owners on the Board who meet, at a minimum, yearly in November but also hold “special meetings” as necessary throughout the year. The easiest way to be notified of these meetings is to sign up for new post notifications in the Geos.life forums, but you can also see them on the Geos.life homepage, posted on the bulletin board along Juniper Ct., and on the District’s website.
There is no HOA in Geos. The District provides those functions but has formed the Homeowners Advisory Committee (HAC) to manage day-to-day tasks within the community. These volunteers are organized into several subcommittees including Finance, Grounds Maintenance, Social & Communications, Sustainability, and Utilities. They keep everything running and advise the Board when issues crop up or changes need to be made. All homeowners are encouraged to become part of the HAC and help support the neighborhood. If you’re interested, please visit the contact page and get in touch with the HAC Chair.
To learn more about metro districts and why cities have turned to them to build communities, please visit this page: Why a Metropolitan District?
Geos has set aside space for a community garden in the Joyce Lane alley. This single-plot communal garden is cared for and for the benefit of those who have joined the Community Garden group. While participation is open to all residents, availability is limited. Please contact the Community Garden coordinator from the contact page for additional details. A second community garden is planned to be located in the south west part of the community (Block 7).
Other options include the Arvada Gardeners Community Garden located at 9195 West 57th Ave. (north side of 57th and Garrison), which manages 140 individual plots on City land, and Denver Urban Gardens, which comprises 190+ community and school-based gardens across six counties in Metro Denver.
As stated above, there are covenants and other restrictions placed upon the properties in Geos. When you purchased your property, you should have received a copy of, or a link to, the Master Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions of Geos Neighborhood. If you ever need to refer to it, or any of the governing documents, they can all be found on the library page. If you have any questions or see a problem, you can contact the correct person by going to the contact page or use the Contact Us form.
Property owners are responsible for maintaining the landscaping on their property by removing weeds, pruning trees, shoveling snow, and cleaning away rubbish and yard waste. Be aware that your property may extend past your fence, for example the area between your fence and the sidewalk. Owners must also maintain the “improvements”: fences, steps, benches, retaining walls, and the home itself.
The GEOS Neighborhood Metropolitan District is responsible for upkeep of the common areas including parks and pathways. The District also maintains the City of Arvada’s street side landscaping (the area between the sidewalk and street curb, as well as the “corner plazas” between the sidewalk and the homeowner’s lot at the street corners). These areas will be maintained and weeded by a landscaper hired by the District and overseen by the HAC.
To make these “areas of responsibility” easier to understand, Geos has put together a flyer with an illustration showing how each block is laid out: Block 2, Block 4, Block 10 (other Block flyers coming soon).
Irrigation: The District provides irrigation to common area landscaping. This automated irrigation system is turned off from October to May, therefore, residents are asked to water trees and other plantings in the common areas next to their properties in Winter during dry periods.
Please be aware that trailers, boats, recreational vehicles, vehiclular accessories, and inoperable vehicles may not be parked or stored in the community except in a garage or for temporary loading. Also, while commercial vehicles may be parked in public parking areas or in a garage, they can not be parked on a residential lot. Finally, washing a vehicle in public is fine, but maintenance or repairs must be done out of sight, in a garage.
There is limited parking in the Geos Neighborhood and it's therefore expected that if you have a garage you will use it for parking. Using a garage for storage or other uses instead of for cars is not allow by the Master Declaration and Geos Design Book (page 20). Note: The single and double parking spaces in the Juniper Lane alley of Blocks 1-4 are not public parking; they are deeded to owners of specific homes and therefore reserved for their use.
Geos’ follows the City of Arvada ordinances regarding pets (dogs require a license from the City for instance). It’s important to understand that given our small lots with homes so close together, some pet’s behavior that wouldn’t be an issue or noticed in some communities may cause a nuisance to your neighbors here. Persistent or loud barking is prohibited at all times so you may not be able to leave your dog home alone (especially outside) if they are prone to barking. Dogs also be leashed in public spaces (see below for off-leash dog parks). Cats also may not be a nuisance to other animals, people, or property if allowed to roam unsupervised.
While the City allows both chickens and bees to be kept on residential property, neither are allowed in the Geos since no property in the neighborhood meets Arvada’s setback requirements (at least 25 feet from any home or property line). The City allows pot-bellied pigs as pets as long as they are licensed, harnessed when outside, and under 70 lbs., among other requirements.
The Regional Transportation District (RTD) provides Arvada with its mass transit options. Unfortunately, bus service along Indiana St. has been discontinued. According to the RTD System Map, the closest bus stops to Geos are now located near W. 64th Ave and Ward Rd. RTD’s FlexRide (previously named Call-n-Ride) does not serve Arvada.
RTD's Rail service runs between the Wheat Ridge-Ward Station and downtown Denver’s Union Station using the “G line.” From there, travelers can connect to other rail lines (including the train to Denver International Airport) and bus service (including the Free MallRide and Free MetroRide). If you want to drive to a rail stop and park, the closest “park n ride” is the Olde Town Transit Hub operated by the City of Arvada at the Olde Town Arvada Station.
Public schools are provided by Jefferson County’s Jeffco Public Schools. The assigned neighborhood schools for Geos are Van Arsdale Elementary, Drake Middle School, and Ralston Valley High School. Another elementary school that’s about the same driving distance away (closer if you prefer to walk or bike along the Ralston Creek Trail) is West Woods Elementary but you’ll need to enter the ‘choice’ enrollment lottery to select that school.
Electricity: Owners are billed (monthly) for electricity directly from Xcel Energy.
Water/Sewer/Stormwater: Owners are billed (bimonthly) directly by the City of Arvada for water, sewer and stormwater services on their Utility Bill.
Trash/Recycling: Owners contract directly for trash and recycling with the City of Arvada who sends a Utility Bill bimonthly. You may choose not to participate in Arvada’s program and contract with a different provider (or no provider), but Arvada does require all owners to pay at least a “minimum service fee” that provides funds for their “bulky item drop off events” (see below). Note: Electronics, computers, lead-acid batteries, oil, paint, and tires may not be thrown away in the regular trash service; please see “Hard to Recycle” below for options.
Trash is picked up weekly (Wednesdays) while recycling is pick up biweekly. Bins should be placed along the alleys by 7 am on collection day. Bins should be spaced out without obstructing sidewalks, parking spaces, or garages. Municipal Code requires that receptacles may not be out for longer than 24 consecutive hours per week and must otherwise be secured on an owner's private property. Receptacles may be stored in the side yard, back yard, or in a garage. Receptacles may not be stored beyond the front plane of the residence (no bins in the front yard) or beyond the back plane of the garages (no bins left in the alley or in front of the garages).
Bulky Item Trash: The City of Arvada provides “bulky item drop off events” for large items, branches and leaves, at various times of the year. These are available to all residents within the District.
Composting: The District has contracted with Compost Colorado to provide biweekly compost collection (Fridays). Several specially marked receptacles are located along the alleys and require a code to open.
Hard to Recycle Items: There are a few companies who provide recycling and disposal of items that cannot be thrown in the trash. The closest is Sustainability with locations in Arvada and Broomfield. Another is Eco-Cycle in Boulder, which also operates a ‘reuse’ center of used or left-over building materials. To recycle household hazardous waste such as batteries and electronics, visit Rooney Road Recycling Center in Golden.
Internet/TV: Blocks 1-4: TDS pre-wired Blocks 1-4 for cable but there may be a delay during construction before they will activate certain customers (contact TDS directly for more info). Comcast is currently wiring the neighborhood north of Geos and may provide service to Geos later this year. Wireless home internet providers include T-Mobile (which may have reached capacity and may no longer accept new customers in Geos), Metro by T-Mobile, Verizon, and Starlink. TV satellite dish services include Dish and DirectTV. TV is also available free of charge using an antenna — we have a clear view of the major network station transmitters to our south-southwest (enter your address at AntennaWeb for specifics).
Block 10: Quantum Fiber provides bulk, Internet service to all homes in Block 10 through a contract with the District. Owners pay a required monthly fee to the District for this "940 Mbps-plan" service (speeds may vary). Quantum Fiber has provided a modem/WiFi router to all homes that stays with the home during ownership changes. TV is available via an antenna and also through a satellite dish: Dish, DirectTV.
It’s the owner’s responsibility to remove snow from sidewalks adjacent to their property. This can include sidewalks in front or beside a home as well as the corners, mailbox areas, common areas, and sidewalks across from a green space. The Arvada Municipal Code requires snow, ice and slush to be removed from sidewalks within 24 hours after the end of a snowfall. See the “areas of responsibility” flyers for illustrations showing which sidewalks each home is expected to shovel: Block 1, Block 2, Block 3, Block 4, and Block 10.
The District does not currently shovel any sidewalks — owners are expected to shovel all sidewalks in the community. The District does employ a contractor to plow the center portions of the alleys but this is only done only when the depth of snow requires it (generally four-plus inches of snow). If you see any landscape or snow removal issues, please contact the Community Manager.
The City of Arvada plows main, arterial, collector and essential streets (such as Indiana St.) but does not routinely plow the streets within the Geos Neighborhood. The City does plow a loop from Indiana St. west along W 69th Ave. (not to be confused with W 69th Pl.), south along Joyce St. and back east along W 68th Ave.
Property owners within the Geos Neighborhood pay both taxes and fees to support the operations and obligations of the District.
Property taxes are paid through a mill levy added to property tax bills. For example, your home’s yearly Jefferson County Real Property Tax Statements will include a line item for Geos. The mill levy is currently 48.498 mills (2024 value). To figure the amount of tax, you need to follow this formula: Actual Value x Assessment Rate [6.765% in 2023] x Mill Levy / 1000 = Property Tax. The money raised through property taxes (minus about $36,000 per year for operations) is obligated to repay bonds that funded the community’s infrastructure and common areas.
Owner Fees are due each month and pay for the services provided to residents including landscape maintenance, common area upkeep, alley snow removal, utilities, billing, as well as legal and accounting costs for these services. The fee is currently $45 per month per home (homes in Block 10 pay an additional $8 for bulk Internet service). Download the Owner Fees flyer to see a complete description of fees.
Your title company may or may not include a pre-payment of a partial or full-month of owner fees during closing. Please fill out the contact information form and return to the District's accountants (if not done so at closing) so an invoice can be sent to you with more information about how to pay going forward. Visit the contact page and message the District’s accountant if you have any questions.
Apex Center: pool, water playground, ice rink, rock climbing wall, walking/running tracks, weight conditioning, Pilates, more.
Bicycling. Arvada allows bicycles (including class 1 and 2 e-bikes) on trails (max speed 15 mph) see trail brochure and trail etiquette. Jefferson County Open Space allows e-bikes class 1 and 2 on paved trails but only class 1 on ‘natural’ trails.
Boat Usage in Lakes in Arvada
Disc Golf Courses
Dog Park in Arvada, Westminster Hills Open Space Off-Leash Area
Equestrian Facilities
Fishing in Arvada
Golf Courses
Recreational Activities in Arvada
Skate Parks
Trails and Open Space in Arvada (see also Parks and Trails Brochure Map (PDF) and Jefferson County Open Space.
YMCA: pool, gym, fitness programs, playground, steam room, gymnasium, meeting rooms, cycling studio, camps, kids and teen programs.
While we attempt to keep this list as up to date as possible, we are not responsible for errors. Please follow the links for the latest information. If you see an error or would like something added, please contact us.
