Castle Rock Town Council Meeting – January 21, 2025

On Tuesday, January 21, 2025, the Castle Rock Town Council met at Town Hall Council Chambers, 100 North Wilcox Street, Castle Rock, Colorado. All seven council members were present: Mayor Jason Gray, Mayor Pro Tem Laura Cavey, Councilmembers Ryan Hollingshead, Kevin Bracken, Mark Davis, Max Brooks, and Tim Dietz. The council approved appointments, the consent calendar, several ordinances, a Gold Crown Foundation facility letter of intent, and the Town’s Transportation Safety Action Plan, and it gave direction on downtown development approvals and neighborhood notifications.

Council Comments and Directions

• Mayor Gray opened with personal remarks about loss and encouraged compassion and forgiveness.
• Councilmember Dietz raised concerns about the Design Review Board’s role in approving downtown development. Town Attorney Mike Hyman explained that the Downtown Development Authority and the Design Review Board have separate roles and that ordinances can be amended.
• Council voted 7-0 to direct staff to draft an ordinance making the Design Review Board advisory for developments of 10,000 square feet and above and requiring Town Council to decide those projects.
• Council voted 7-0 to direct staff to increase neighborhood notification distances from 500 feet to 2,500 feet for appropriate large developments.

Town Manager’s Report and Legislative Update

• Town Manager David Corliss provided calendar reminders and directed councilmembers to the monthly department reports, development services updates, quasi-judicial project updates, and residential unit data through December 31, 2024.
• Assistant Town Manager Kristin Read presented the 2025 legislative update. Council voted 7-0 to support staff’s recommended positions, including opposition to several state bills affecting home rule, elections, public meetings, municipal courts, police procedures, and housing, and support for bills on commercial vehicle mufflers, federal immigration enforcement, construction defect reform, open records response time, and municipal court bonds.

Consent Calendar

• Agenda accepted 7-0.
• Consent calendar approved 7-0, including:
  • RES 2025-006: contract amendment with Applied Ingenuity PM, LLC for 2024 emergency repairs to Castle Rock Water deep wells 31R, 27, and 227.
  • PROC 2025-001: proclamation for Bill Gernert Day, with presentation scheduled for February 4, 2025.
  • MIN 2025-002: minutes of the January 7, 2025 Town Council meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No unscheduled public appearances were made at the start of the meeting.
• Susan McAfee, a Castle Rock resident, expressed concerns about the hotel redevelopment project, saying she was not previously aware of it, questioned attaching a historic building to a modern structure, and worried about downtown parking.
• David Miles, a downtown resident and owner of 302 Wilcox Street, spoke in favor of the hotel project, stating the existing building is deteriorating and that restoration with new construction would help the property and downtown.
• Tammy Miller, a 15-year Cobblestone Ranch resident, described a 26,000-pound flatbed tow truck parked daily in her neighborhood, called it unsightly and dangerous, and objected to language that could allow indefinite parking while “on duty.”
• Larry Jacobson, representing West Side Investment Partners, spoke in support of the Gold Crown Foundation facility, citing its youth mission, facility needs, and the potential for 500,000 visitors per year to benefit Castle Rock sales tax.
• No public comment was offered on the Transportation Safety Action Plan, the liquor licensing ordinance, or the subdivision plat vacation ordinance.

Discussion Items

City Hotel Redevelopment and Financing Agreement (ORD 2025-001)

• This second-reading ordinance approved the financing agreement among the Town, the Castle Rock Downtown Development Authority, and White Development, LLC for the property at 415 Perry Street.
• Town Manager Corliss presented the item; the applicant and the Downtown Alliance executive director were present.
• Councilmember Davis clarified the agreement provides a 50% share of the Town’s sales tax for up to 10 years or up to $1,000,000, whichever comes first.
• Councilmembers spoke in support, describing it as an investment in downtown and a way to restore a deteriorating building.
• The motion passed 4-3: Yes – Gray, Hollingshead, Bracken, Brooks; No – Cavey, Davis, Dietz.

Gold Crown Foundation Facility Proposal (DIR 2025-004)

• Kevin Petty, Gold Crown Foundation’s president and executive director, presented a proposal for a 65,000-square-foot indoor field house and outdoor turf field on about 12 acres at Dawson Trails.
• The facility would include six regulation high school basketball courts, twelve overlapping volleyball courts, STEM/enrichment space, and an outdoor multi-purpose field.
• Estimated facility cost was about $30 million, with about $5 million additional land value; Gold Crown cited about $35 million total. The project would rely on private fundraising and a requested $12 million from the Douglas County Shareback Fund.
• Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Brauer noted the proposal received a positive review from the Douglas County Parks Advisory Board, but the Board of County Commissioners had not yet voted.
• Councilmembers asked about indoor turf, ice, lacrosse, construction bidding, and available flex space. Gold Crown said leagues would use about 30-40% of the facility, leaving about 60% for other groups.
• Council voted 7-0 to authorize the Mayor to sign a non-binding letter of intent for the lease or transfer of approximately 12 acres of town-owned land at Dawson Trails for a future competitive athletic facility.

CDOT Mobility Hub Study (DIR 2025-005)

• Colorado Department of Transportation staff presented a non-voting discussion on a potential I-25 mobility hub in Castle Rock, featuring Bustang service and connectivity options.
• Three potential sites were discussed: Brickyard/Plum Creek, Wolfensberger, and Walker/Pine Canyon.
• CDOT staff answered questions about land ownership, obligations, and cancellation. They stated the mobility hub would be a Bustang stop with no strings attached and opportunities to integrate with other transit plans.
• No formal council decision was made.

Transportation Safety Action Plan (RES 2025-005)

• Public Works Director Dan Sailer and Project Manager Jacob Vargish presented the plan.
• The plan identified a high-injury network covering 10% of town streets but accounting for 82% of crashes resulting in serious injury or fatalities from 2018 to 2022.
• It reviewed more than 100 intersections and identified 48 priority project locations where safety improvements would have the most impact.
• The plan used over 900 public and partner interactions, focused on speed management and the Safe System approach, and positioned the Town to apply for federal SS4A safety grants with over $2 billion remaining.
• Council voted 7-0 to approve the resolution.

Large Vehicle Parking Ordinance (ORD 2025-004)

• This first-reading ordinance amended rules for authorized emergency vehicles and large vehicle parking in the right-of-way.
• Staff explained the changes remove the ability to reset the 72-hour parking limit by moving a vehicle 1,000 feet and add progressive fines.
• Councilmember Bracken offered an amendment setting fines at $100, $250, and $500 for successive offenses and restricting tow trucks to active loading or unloading only.
• Council voted 7-0 to approve the ordinance as amended.

Liquor Licensing Authority Amendments (ORD 2025-005)

• Town Clerk Lisa Anderson presented a first-reading ordinance amending the roles of the Liquor Licensing Authority and Town Clerk.
• The ordinance would remove the requirement that the hearing officer be a practicing attorney, allowing Council flexibility in appointing someone with sufficient knowledge and experience.
• It also aligned Town code with 2024 state legislation by allowing administrative approval of licenses, two-year renewals for eligible licensees, and expanded tasting days and hours.
• Tasting days would increase from 104 to 156 per year, and tasting hours would expand from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. to 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
• Council voted 7-0 to approve the ordinance on first reading.

Subdivision Plat Vacation (ORD 2025-006)

• Town Attorney Mike Hyman presented a first-reading ordinance vacating four subdivision plats and three site plans from 1987 and 1988 that had been superseded by the 2022 Dawson Trails Planned Development Plan.
• The vacation was described as a housekeeping measure to clarify property records.
• Council voted 7-0 to approve the ordinance on first reading.

Key Outcomes

• Directed staff to draft an ordinance requiring Town Council approval for downtown developments of 10,000 square feet and above, with DRB advisory only; passed 7-0.
• Directed staff to increase large-development neighborhood notification from 500 feet to 2,500 feet; passed 7-0.
• Approved Historic Preservation Board appointments unanimously.
• Approved the consent calendar unanimously, including the Applied Ingenuity water well repair contract amendment, Bill Gernert Day proclamation, and January 7, 2025 minutes.
• Endorsed staff-recommended state legislative positions unanimously.
• Approved the City Hotel redevelopment financing agreement on second reading by a 4-3 vote.
• Authorized the Mayor to sign a non-binding letter of intent with Gold Crown Foundation for 12 acres at Dawson Trails; passed 7-0.
• Adopted the Transportation Safety Action Plan; passed 7-0.
• Approved the amended large vehicle parking ordinance on first reading; passed 7-0.
• Approved the liquor licensing ordinance on first reading; passed 7-0.
• Approved the Dawson Trails subdivision plat vacation on first reading; passed 7-0.
• The meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:45 p.m.