Castle Rock Town Council Meeting Summary – September 16, 2025
Castle Rock Town Council Meeting – September 16, 2025
The Castle Rock Town Council met Tuesday, September 16, 2025, at 6:00 PM in Town Hall Council Chambers, 100 North Wilcox Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, following a 5:00 PM council dinner. All seven 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 read a Constitution Week proclamation, approved a consent calendar and multiple resolutions, heard substantial public comment on downtown building heights, introduced the 2026 proposed budget, and adjourned at 10:21 PM.
Council Comments and Proclamations
- Mayor Gray recognized the Finance Department’s 27 employees and its national awards, including the GFOA Triple Crown. He asked council to make Friday, December 26, 2025, a paid holiday for town staff; a motion by Councilmember Bracken, seconded by Councilmember Hollingshead, passed 7-0.
- Councilmembers offered remarks on community tragedy and division, the Heroes Gala, upcoming community events, public safety and motorized-vehicle enforcement, and a paint recycling event. Mayor Pro Tem Cavey reported the recycling event diverted 41,720 pounds of paint, including 38,971 pounds of latex and 2,749 pounds of oil-based paint, and raised $4,400 for the Douglas County High School lacrosse team.
- Mayor Gray read Proclamation 2025-012, declaring Constitution Week September 17–23, 2025.
Unscheduled Public Appearances
- Dana Bonham, a Castle Rock resident and self-described DCGOP representative, spoke about free speech, the recent killing of Charlie Kirk, political division, local vandalism, and her faith. Council took no action.
Town Manager’s Report
- Calendar reminders and monthly department reports were submitted for the record.
- Dan Sailer, Public Works Director, reported on emergency bridge repairs on Castle Oaks Drive. The bridge will close October 11–28, 2025, during Douglas County fall break, with seven-day-a-week work, a detour, and police/fire coordination. Councilmember Cavey requested a mailed notification in addition to online outreach.
- Mark Marlowe, Castle Rock Water Director, provided a downtown infrastructure update: about 100 downtown customers, less than 100,000 gallons per day used, a downtown peaking factor of about 1.6 versus about 4 elsewhere, and existing levels of service being met. The $3.5 million Front Street water main project will add a third downtown feed in 2026. He noted older infrastructure, including sewer pipe from 1936, and stormwater needs such as East Plum Creek/Sellers Gulch confluence stabilization.
Consent Calendar
- The council approved the consent calendar 7-0: RES 2025-106 (W.W. Wheeler & Associates, Inc. amendment for Castle Rock Reservoir Nos. 1 and 2); RES 2025-107 (S.J. Louis Construction, Inc. price amendment for Sedalia Lift Station Phase 2 design); RES 2025-108 (Tallgrass Colorado Municipal Water, LLC amendment in the Lost Creek area); RES 2025-109 (three-year sole source Master Services Agreement with OpenGov Inc.); Proclamation 2025-013 for Fire Prevention Week October 5–11, 2025; and the September 2, 2025 meeting minutes.
The agenda was accepted earlier by a 7-0 vote.
RES 2025-110 – Castle Rock Collaborative Campus Development Agreement
- Stephanie Fujii, president of Arapahoe Community College and the Sturm Collaboration Campus, requested an extension of the Building Two benchmark from 2025 to July 2032. She cited serving 800–1,000 students per term, a 42,000-square-foot campus, 400 work-based learning experiences, more than 10,000 students served since 2019, the largest concurrent enrollment partnership among Colorado’s 13 community colleges, more than 100 degrees and certificates, U.S. Space Command membership, and a NASA workforce hub designation. Frank Gray of the Castle Rock Economic Development Council spoke in support. Council approved the resolution 7-0.
2025 Third Quarter Council Community Grant Program
- Finance Director Trish Muller presented seven applications totaling $6,500, noting the program’s annual budget of $16,000 and remaining Q3/Q4 funding of $4,500. Public comment was heard from Erin Freeman of the Parkinson Association of the Rockies, who said the organization’s Castle Rock classes and support groups serve about 100 people, and Todd Warnke, president of the Douglas Land Conservancy, who noted the organization was founded in Castle Rock 38 years ago. Council voted 7-0 to add $3,500 to the Q4 budget, then voted 7-0 to award $1,000 each to Heroes Hall Foundation, Parkinson Association of the Rockies, and Mane Mission, and $500 each to Douglas Land Conservancy and CV Ballers Club.
RES 2025-111 – Gold Crown Fieldhouse Joint Resolution
- Town staff and Gold Crown representatives presented plans for a 65,000-square-foot youth competition fieldhouse on 12 acres at Dawson Trails, near the planned Costco, with a project estimate of about $24 million and $7.5 million in Douglas County participation. Gold Crown representatives Bill Hanlik and Tara Leipheimer and Castle Rock resident Jim Pinello spoke in support; an estimated $13–14 million annual regional economic impact was cited. Gold Crown said it currently serves about 18,000 kids and expects to serve 25,000–30,000. Council approved the joint resolution 7-0.
RES 2025-112 – Alexander Way Metropolitan District Service Plan
- Town Attorney Mike Hyman presented the service plan for an approximately 77.96-acre district east of Silver Heights, north of Alexander Place, and west of Diamond Ridge Estates. Key features include a maximum 50-mill debt service levy, 60-mill total property tax levy, a 35-year debt period, and a 5-mill regional levy paid to the town. No public comment was offered. Council approved the resolution and IGA 7-0.
Downtown Building Heights Discussion
- Development Services Director Tara Vargish explained the current overlay: the downtown core allows four stories/60 feet with a one-story variance, while north and south areas allow six stories with additional variance opportunity. The option under discussion was reducing all overlay areas to four stories. Outreach included an August 21 open house with about 35 attendees, 319 feedback submissions, and a non-scientific feedback form; comments were split. More than 20 residents, property owners, and business owners spoke. Many property owners and businesses opposed the change, citing property rights, lost investment value, parking garage feasibility, density, and economic vitality; some residents supported lower heights to preserve Castle Rock’s small-town character, views, and manage traffic/parking. Council discussion was divided: Councilmember Davis said he did not want a “15-minute city” and offered compromise at five stories; Councilmember Bracken criticized the process and warned of litigation; Councilmember Brooks proposed extending the core boundary and focusing on the southern section rather than cutting heights; Councilmember Dietz emphasized parking and taxpayer interests; Councilmember Hollingshead and Mayor Gray saw no need to change. No vote was taken on height changes; council voted 7-0 to extend the meeting past 9:30 PM.
ID 2025-104 – Introduction of the 2026 Proposed Budget
- Town Manager Dave Corliss introduced the balanced 2026 proposed budget, which will be considered at future meetings. Highlights included a modest 3% budgeted sales tax growth assumption, unchanged mill levy of 0.92, public safety additions, Fire Station 156 on Castle Oaks Drive, an I-25/Dawson Trails interchange ahead of schedule, $2.5 million more for pavement maintenance, the new sports complex opening in 2027, Brickyard redevelopment steps, increased commercial use tax allocation to a proposed new open space fund of about $700,000 in 2026, a first phase of Lost Canyon Ranch improvements at about $2 million, water rate increases of 4–5%, rising system development charges, one additional zoning inspector, and a comprehensive plan update. Councilmember Brooks cautioned about reliance on retail sales tax, and Mayor Pro Tem Cavey sought more grant-program guardrails.
RES 2025-113 – Lost Canyon Ranch Open Space Master Plan and Management Plan
- Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Brauer presented the 681-acre property and plans; the acquisition connected over 4,000 acres of open space. The plan recommends no dogs or bikes at this time, initial trailheads at Creekside with about 40 parking spaces and Cattleman’s with about 120 spaces and 7 ADA spaces, and phased improvements. The plans themselves have no budget impact; the first phase is about $2 million. Council approved the resolution 7-0.
RES 2025-114 – Timberline TrailCraft Contract for Lost Canyon Trails
- Jeff Brauer requested a sole source construction contract with Timberline TrailCraft LLC for Lost Canyon trail construction due to the unique terrain and standardized trail design. Staff described approximately 15 miles of interconnected trails, also later referencing 16 miles of trails. The construction cost is about $781,787.48, and with a 10% contingency the total authorization is about $859,965.48; work is targeted to be mostly complete by summer 2026. Council approved the resolution 7-0.
Key Outcomes
- All votes during the meeting were unanimous 7-0.
- The council approved the December 26 paid holiday, the agenda, the consent calendar, RES 2025-110, RES 2025-111, RES 2025-112, RES 2025-113, RES 2025-114, the Q4 grant budget increase, and the 2025 Q3 community grant awards.
- The 2026 budget was introduced for discussion and no adoption occurred.
- Downtown building heights were discussed without a formal vote; future discussion may continue.
- The meeting adjourned at 10:21 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Yeah, I think so. Thank you. Thanks everybody for showing up tonight. Before we get really started. You know, I don't know how everyone else has been feeling. But I've been uh my heart's been heavy for the last few weeks, last week in general, but actually um for a lot longer than that. Not sure about how long, but it's but it's but it's been really a few years for me. Um but uh I think this last week has been kind of just uh overshadowed everything else and and uh you know I spoke with my my pastor uh today uh for a while. Um but it's just been you know hard for the last few years, but especially the last week or so is it has kind of culminated for at least me and I think that for a lot of other people across the country. You know, we think about it microne um about ourselves, you know, it's a lot of us are a lot of our things are going through a lot of stuff personally, right? Uh whether it's cancer or divorce or loss of job, uh family or or your siblings or your your kids, your parents, uh we might lose those. You know, it's hard. Um, you know, I just signed uh a document for uh a family who lost their daughter um in uh town staff lost a daughter to a track tragic horrible accident, a freak accident really. Um it's my privilege um to write the letter, but it's also done with sadness. Um you know it's just one of those things that that uh whether it's personal or family, town employee. Uh we can go on to the state with uh uh Evergreen just last week. We can go on to the state with uh we had a suicide by a Denver police officer this last week. Uh we had a couple other suicides unfortunately during suicide prevention month, which is sad as well. Um of course outside our state um with Utah and the assassination of Charlie. Sorry, uh and um it's just been rough. And um I'm just just want to and you know the all the school shootings across the country, politicians in the last few months, and of course for years and years we had the attempted assassination of uh Ronald Reagan in 1981, the assassination of JFK in 1963, and so many more across the world and across our country. Um this tragic. And it's one of those things I just think that we forget how short and how hard our lives can be personally and for our town for our community, for our state and for our nation. And I just wish that we could uh come together and not um be divisive and respect each other's will and respect each other's personality and opinions, whether you agree with them or not. Um I would like to see Castrock be a light in this darkness we've had lately. Um be a beacon of light where civil discourse and love of our country and our community can be something that we look forward to and appreciate and move forward. Um what I'd like to see is a moment of silence. If you guys should stand with me for our loss of our loved ones, their families, their grief, and all those who have gone before their f before their time. Please rise. Thank you. Please be seated. We'll do a couple comments. Um we'll now start with the invocation and and town council, and we'll get to council comments after uh just give me a second, please. I got Heavenly Father, we ask your guidance, your wisdom, and support as beginning this meeting. We gather here today, did intent doing good work. We seek to represent fairly in those who have given us this task, help us get engaged and meaningful discussion and give us clarity and strength to do our best skills and judgment. Please bless this community, residents and businesses and visitors. Please help us do this in your good wit good name. Amen. Next, I have a roll call. Councilmember Hollingshead. Here. Councilmember Bracken. Present. Councilmember Davis. Here. Councilmember Brooks. Present. Councilmember Deeds. Here.
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