OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Castle Rock Town Council Meeting – May 20, 2025: Brickyard Urban Renewal, Pine Canyon Annexation, and Home Rule Support

Town Council — Tuesday, May 20, 2025
BodyCastle Rock, Colorado
SessionTown Council
DateTuesday, May 20, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:58:32

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

In a meaningful discussion, give us clarity and strength to do our best skills and judgment.

0:04

Please bless his community, residents, businesses, and visitors, and help us to continue doing good work in your name.

0:11

Amen.

0:13

Roll call order.

0:16

Councilmember Hollingzad.

0:18

I show as absent is he online by any chance.

0:23

No.

0:23

Okay.

0:24

Councilmember Bracken.

0:25

Present.

0:26

Councilmember Davis.

0:27

Here.

0:27

Councilmember Brooks.

0:28

Present.

0:28

Councilmember Deeds.

0:29

Here.

0:30

Mayor Pro Tem KV.

0:31

Here.

0:31

Mayor Gray.

0:32

Here.

0:34

Thank you very much.

0:35

Please rise for the presidents.

0:44

America.

0:45

To the Republic for which it stands.

0:49

Under God.

0:51

Liberty.

0:52

Justice for all.

1:00

I'll start off with council comments.

1:02

A few two things I wanted to kind of go over.

1:05

One, it's uh it's uh mental health awareness month, and uh, you know, with school getting out, a lot of kids and and adults are having have issues with the with the summer times not always as pleasant and fun as it should be, and and our I just want to make sure that we all kind of take that in mind.

1:23

Uh a few a couple other things I wanted to uh uh to uh talk about was one we had our our first um kickoff event for Festal Park, our first uh music event this weekend went really well.

1:34

Um I kind of want to piggyback that a little bit because I had a uh resident reach out and tell me how um how much they appreciate I say there was a couple that reached out and told me how they appreciate um the police at our events that um they're always very very pleasant to be around and and it they're approachable and they feel safe with the with the large police presence at uh at all our events, and so that was good to hear.

1:59

Um even more than that, I got a a Highlands Ranch resident who reached out and said that um how impressed they were with the CRPD.

2:06

What happened was her daughter um was hit from behind a high speed on I-25 just north of the Plum Creek Interchange.

2:16

Um in that exchange, her daughter rolled her car three times.

2:20

Um, and it was the person in the vehicle who hit her, it was a hit and run.

2:25

And um they ended up uh getting message from CRPD that they had cameras on it.

2:32

Um it's one of the reasons why I have we have um so many cameras in town is is so we can catch people doing things that aren't great.

2:39

Um they got cameras on it and they and they were able to get that that footage to State Patrol.

2:44

Um they were able to uh do some good work there.

2:47

So I just want to little kudos to our police force and and and our downtown events and and of course mental health health awareness month.

2:55

So I do appreciate it.

2:56

And with that, uh Councilmember Bracken.

3:01

Yeah, thank you, Mayor.

3:02

Just um a reminder from last meeting, just the you know, the construction that's happening around town is is all positive.

3:11

And uh my personal road has been torn up for uh for a couple weeks now, and it's uh it and it's a little bit of maneuvering, a little bit of walking, but in the long run, it's gonna be good.

3:27

I'm dealing with it just like everybody else, and uh please just be mindful of the the improvements that we're making uh rather than the nuisance that we're creating.

3:37

So uh the improvements should should outweigh that outweigh that in the future.

3:41

So thank you, Mayor.

3:42

Thank you, Councilmember Bracken.

3:43

Councilmember Davis.

3:45

Yeah, so I'd like to address the water issue uh real quick.

3:48

Um we've gotten a lot of complaints that uh the development that's going on in this town, the growth that's going on in this town that we just don't have enough water.

3:56

Uh Mark Marlowe and his team has explained quite a few times about um getting water from uh different reservoirs all over Douglas County, uh all the way up to Weld County into Kansas.

4:09

Um they're thinking 10 to 20 years ahead of time or ahead of uh of now thinking about all the future developments that we're going to have, and we're just thankful that uh their team is thinking that far ahead to get uh the developments.

4:25

And we've all known that you know if we close the gate behind us when I moved here in 2006, and you know, we all love this town, we all love the the what some people call open space, that it's actually owned by somebody and they have the right to sell that and develop on it, and we just are thankful for all the years that we've had all the cows here in town.

4:46

Uh we all love the open well, what we call open space.

4:50

Um, but we're just thankful to those people that own that and uh haven't developed it yet.

4:56

So just kudos to those.

4:58

Thank you.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Land Use██████████████████████████████████████38%
Procedural█████████████13%
Parks and Recreation██████████10%
Water And Wastewater Management███████7%
Traffic Management██████6%
Legal and Judicial█████5%
Public Engagement███3%
Trail Management███3%
Elections██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Castle Rock Town Council Meeting – May 20, 2025

The Castle Rock Town Council met on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 6:00 PM in Town Hall Council Chambers. The meeting included proclamations, appointments, a resolution supporting Douglas County's Home Rule initiative, extensive discussion and approvals related to the Brickyard urban renewal and sports development center, and the annexation and zoning of the 533.445-acre Pine Canyon property. The council also approved a site development plan for 256 single-family homes in Dawson Trails and updated the Castle Rock Water Chase Drain policy.

Consent Calendar

  • ORD 2025-015 – Second reading of an ordinance amending the zone district map for 826 Park Street and 200 Wolfensberger Road Planned Development Plan and Zoning Regulations (previously approved 6-0 on first reading).
  • RES 2025-046 – Approval of a Utilities Infrastructure Reimbursement Agreement for sanitary sewer service connection with Cornerstone Presbyterian Church.
  • MIN 2025-010 – Approval of the May 6, 2025 Town Council meeting minutes. All consent items were approved unanimously (6-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Steve Rivoir (resident) asked for specific objectives of the county Home Rule initiative and where to find information. Council directed him to Douglas County’s website and the May 6 meeting recording (9 minutes 50 seconds in).
  • Christine (resident) questioned the number of multifamily units in Dawson Trails (none in this phase) and the location of schools. Mayor Gray noted that of 13 dedicated school sites in Castle Rock, only one had the land returned to the developer.
  • Steve Snodgrass (resident) presented a document (Exhibit A) arguing that the Pine Canyon development should be reduced in size. He cited staff memos from 2024 expressing concerns about impacts and noted that a comprehensive traffic study and pipeline setback analysis are incomplete.
  • Randy Reed (resident, representing the Woodlands HOA) requested a new 2025 traffic study, questioned the water supply (stating the project is water-short by over 200 acre-feet), and urged the council to require a lower density (originally 1,200 units, now 1,800).

Discussion Items

  • Proclamations – Mayor Gray read proclamations for National Public Works Week (May 18–24, 2025) and Ducky Derby Month (June 2025).
  • Appointments to Boards and Commissions – Councilmember Dietz emphasized the importance of attendance. The council approved the appointments as presented (6-0).
  • Resolution in Support of Douglas County Home Rule Initiative (RES 2025-060) – Councilmembers Brooks and Dietz spoke in favor of local control. Town Attorney Hyman reported that a district court had denied a preliminary injunction against the home rule election, allowing voters to decide. The resolution passed 6-0.
  • Chase Drain Policy Update (ID 2025-063) – Mark Marlowe, Director of Castle Rock Water, explained that chase drains are only effective for dry-weather water issues, not for ice/snow. The current program covers 100% of costs (approx. $4,500 each), but staff proposed a new $1,500 fee for homeowners who want immediate installation (town still covers $3,000). Councilmembers noted the need to clearly communicate limitations, especially for north-facing yards. No vote was taken; the update was for information.
  • Brickyard and Sports Development Center Process (ID 2025-066) – Town Manager David Corliss and developer Tony DeSimone (Confluence Companies) provided an overview. Key points: The 31.1-acre former ACME Brick site will include up to 466 residential units (reduced from 583), a 125-room hotel, a 45–60 lane bowling alley, retail/restaurant space, and a 145,000 sq. ft. sports and recreation center. The town will finance the recreation center via certificates of participation (~$75 million). Tax increment financing (TIF) from five taxing entities (Town, County, School District, Library, Cemetery) will fund $31 million in public infrastructure. A trail connection from downtown to the Miller Activity Complex is part of the project.

Key Outcomes

  • URA Meeting (Castle Rock Urban Renewal Authority)
    • Approved minutes of October 15, 2024 (6-0).
    • Approved resolution designating a public place for posting meeting notices (6-0).
    • Approved resolution authorizing tax increment revenue agreements with each taxing entity (6-0). Note: Minutes state “failed” but roll call was unanimous and the chair declared passage; the transcript confirms approval.
  • RES 2025-061 – Approved the Tax Increment Revenue Agreement between the Town and the URA for the Brickyard plan (6-0).
  • RES 2025-019 – Approved the Brickyard Urban Renewal Plan, finding the area blighted, and amending the URA board composition to add four positions (county, school district, special district, mayoral appointee) (6-0).
  • ORD 2025-018 (First Reading) – Approved the Public Finance Agreement among the Town, CD-ACME LLC, Brickyard Metropolitan District No. 1, and the URA (6-0).
  • ORD 2025-019 (First Reading) – Approved a sales tax credit of 2.4% (60% of the town’s 4% sales tax) within the Brickyard, offset by a public improvement fee, through 2050 (6-0).
  • RES 2025-062 – Approved a site development plan for 256 single-family homes (on 53.27 acres) in Dawson Trails Filing No. 2, Tracts O and H, located south of Territorial Road and west of Dawson Trails Boulevard (6-0). The plan includes a neighborhood park and trail connections.
  • Pine Canyon Annexation and Zoning (Three Ordinances)
    • ORD 2025-016 (First Reading) – Approved annexation of 533.445 acres (JRW Family Limited Partnership) located on both sides of I-25 (7-0, with Councilmember Hollingshead joining at 9 PM).
    • ORD 2025-017 (First Reading) – Approved initial zoning as a Planned Development with up to 1,800 units (800 single-family, 1,000 multifamily/attached), 600,000 sq. ft. of business/light industrial, a resort spa, and 33% open space. Viewplane protections and no over-lot grading in forested areas were included (7-0).
    • ORD 2025-020 (First Reading) – Approved the Annexation and Vested Property Rights Development Agreement, vesting site-specific development plans through December 31, 2050. Key provisions: dedication of ~757 acre-feet of groundwater to the town, a 10-year clock for school site dedication, developer-funded traffic improvements, and a requirement to update traffic studies at each site development plan (7-0).

Additional Notes

  • The meeting was extended past 9:30 PM to complete the Pine Canyon items.
  • Councilmembers expressed mixed feelings about the Pine Canyon approval, noting the difficulty of the decision but citing benefits of town control over infrastructure, water, and traffic.
  • The town attorney reported on state-level litigation: a district court ruled in favor of the county on home rule; Governor Polis vetoed HB 1147 (municipal court sentencing) but issued an executive order tying state grants to compliance with housing bills; six cities filed suit against the state over transit-oriented development and parking mandates.

Meeting Transcript

In a meaningful discussion, give us clarity and strength to do our best skills and judgment. Please bless his community, residents, businesses, and visitors, and help us to continue doing good work in your name. Amen. Roll call order. Councilmember Hollingzad. I show as absent is he online by any chance. No. Okay. Councilmember Bracken. Present. Councilmember Davis. Here. Councilmember Brooks. Present. Councilmember Deeds. Here. Mayor Pro Tem KV. Here. Mayor Gray. Here. Thank you very much. Please rise for the presidents. America. To the Republic for which it stands. Under God. Liberty. Justice for all. I'll start off with council comments. A few two things I wanted to kind of go over. One, it's uh it's uh mental health awareness month, and uh, you know, with school getting out, a lot of kids and and adults are having have issues with the with the summer times not always as pleasant and fun as it should be, and and our I just want to make sure that we all kind of take that in mind. Uh a few a couple other things I wanted to uh uh to uh talk about was one we had our our first um kickoff event for Festal Park, our first uh music event this weekend went really well. Um I kind of want to piggyback that a little bit because I had a uh resident reach out and tell me how um how much they appreciate I say there was a couple that reached out and told me how they appreciate um the police at our events that um they're always very very pleasant to be around and and it they're approachable and they feel safe with the with the large police presence at uh at all our events, and so that was good to hear. Um even more than that, I got a a Highlands Ranch resident who reached out and said that um how impressed they were with the CRPD. What happened was her daughter um was hit from behind a high speed on I-25 just north of the Plum Creek Interchange. Um in that exchange, her daughter rolled her car three times. Um, and it was the person in the vehicle who hit her, it was a hit and run. And um they ended up uh getting message from CRPD that they had cameras on it. Um it's one of the reasons why I have we have um so many cameras in town is is so we can catch people doing things that aren't great. Um they got cameras on it and they and they were able to get that that footage to State Patrol. Um they were able to uh do some good work there. So I just want to little kudos to our police force and and and our downtown events and and of course mental health health awareness month. So I do appreciate it. And with that, uh Councilmember Bracken. Yeah, thank you, Mayor. Just um a reminder from last meeting, just the you know, the construction that's happening around town is is all positive. And uh my personal road has been torn up for uh for a couple weeks now, and it's uh it and it's a little bit of maneuvering, a little bit of walking, but in the long run, it's gonna be good. I'm dealing with it just like everybody else, and uh please just be mindful of the the improvements that we're making uh rather than the nuisance that we're creating. So uh the improvements should should outweigh that outweigh that in the future. So thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Councilmember Bracken.

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