Castle Rock Town Council Meeting July 21, 2026: Gold Crown Fieldhouse, Drought Stage 2, Pipeline Infrastructure, and More

The Castle Rock Town Council met on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the Town Hall Council Chambers. The meeting covered a wide range of topics including council comments on license plate readers and community events, approvals for the Gold Crown Fieldhouse project, a drought watch declaration, significant pipeline infrastructure contracts, and a six-month moratorium on commercial drone delivery hubs. Key votes were largely unanimous, with occasional discussion topics like nuisance code modernization scheduled for later consideration.

Consent Calendar

• Ordinance 2026-021 (Second Reading): Approved the Second Amendment to the 2026 Fiscal Year Budget, making supplemental appropriations. Passed 6-0.
• Resolution 2026-080: Approved an Equipment and Services Agreement with Ideal Fencing Corp, LLC for fencing at Castle Rock Reservoir Nos. 1 and 2. Passed 6-0.
• Minutes 2026-019: Approved the July 7, 2026 Town Council Meeting minutes. Passed 6-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

• John Lont (resident): Spoke in support of partnering with nonprofit trail organizations, citing an example where Conifer High School built trails for $71,000 that would have cost $239,000 using only a for-profit company. He urged transparent decision-making and noted that many successful trail systems in the Front Range use nonprofit partners. He also expressed concern that Castle Rock is losing sales tax revenue to Colorado Springs due to uncrowded trails there.

Discussion Items

• Flock License Plate Readers: Councilmember Max Brooks initiated a motion for staff to prepare a report on license plate reader data collection, privacy concerns, and alternative companies like Axon (recently adopted by Douglas County). Discussion emphasized that the Castle Rock Police Department uses the system effectively and that data sharing with CBI is necessary for regional coordination. The motion passed unanimously, with Councilmember Laura Cavey providing technical context about data storage and contractual 30-day deletion requirements.
• Gold Crown Fieldhouse Project (Resolutions 2026-081 & 2026-082): Two resolutions were introduced together but voted separately. Resolution 2026-081 approved a three-party Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between the Town, Douglas County ($7.5 million contribution), and the Gold Crown Foundation. The town will provide a deed of property with a reversionary interest for 10 years. Resolution 2026-082 waived up to $1,000,000 in development impact fees and land use fees for the project. Kevin Petty, Executive Director of Gold Crown Foundation, presented the project update: a 6-court facility (with potential Phase 2 expansion) targeting a groundbreaking in April 2027 and opening in April 2028, expecting 600,000 annual visitors and programming for 15,000 youth. Total project cost is $35 million plus $10 million land value; currently $23.3 million raised (including $5 million from Gold Crown and $18.3 million from gifts), with a $11.7 million gap partly addressed by the fee waiver and other prospects. Both resolutions passed unanimously.
• Firefighter Union Recognition (Resolution 2026-083): Recognizes the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 4116 as the employee organization for certain fire department employees for non-binding consultation. It establishes formal communication processes with the fire chief, town manager, and HR, but does not provide collective bargaining. Matt Osborne, union president, spoke in support, noting the department's 25th anniversary and the collaborative approach. Councilmembers praised the fire department's service. Passed unanimously.
• Election Coordination (Ordinance 2026-022 & Resolution 2026-084): Ordinance 2026-022 directs the November 3, 2026 municipal election to be conducted by the Douglas County Clerk and Recorder as a coordinated election, adopted on emergency first and final reading. Resolution 2026-084 approves the IGA with the county for election administration; cost is approximately $1 per active registered voter (about 59,000 active voters in Castle Rock). Both passed unanimously.
• Commercial Drone Delivery Moratorium (Ordinance 2026-023): Imposes a six-month moratorium on the submission, acceptance, processing, and approval of applications for commercial drone delivery hubs, adopted on emergency first and final reading. Council indicated this allows time to develop regulations, with the possibility of extension. Passed unanimously.
• Nuisance Code Modernization (Discussion 2026-019): Staff presented proposed updates to nuisance regulations, home occupation rules (last updated in the 1990s), and related code amendments. The new ordinance would provide a step-by-step process for abatement, including liens. Council supported the direction and requested a comprehensive final ordinance for the August 18, 2026 meeting. One resident spoke in favor, citing challenges with HOAs not addressing issues.
• Cantril School Restoration (Resolution 2026-085): Approved a construction contract with Deep Roots Craftsmen for exterior restoration of the historic Cantril School building, including roof replacement, window restoration, masonry repair, and water intrusion mitigation. Contract amount is $1.6 million with a town-managed 20% contingency ($1.9 million total). Work expected to take about a year. Passed unanimously.
• Drought Watch Stage 2 Declaration (Resolution 2026-088): Declared Stage 2 drought conditions within the Castle Rock Water service area, effective August 1, 2026. Mark Marlowe, Water Director, cited 40% of Douglas County in extreme drought, above-average temperatures, and water use exceeding 18 million gallons per day for over 30 consecutive days. Commercial customers will move from three to two watering days per week; residential customers from every third day to two days per week. The town can adjust the stage if conditions improve, with council confirmation within 21 days. Passed unanimously.
• Plum Creek to Rueter-Hess Pipeline Contracts (Resolutions 2026-086 & 2026-087): Approved sole-source contracts: a construction contract with Global Underground Corporation ($3.8 million plus $342,000 force account) for the south phase, and a professional services agreement with Providence Infrastructure Consultants ($5.89 million total authorization) for design and construction services. The pipeline, which will allow water to flow in both directions, is critical to filling Castle Rock's water rights in Rueter-Hess Reservoir; the south phase must be completed by February 2027 due to impending development on easement parcels. Both passed unanimously.
• Eminent Domain for Pipeline Easements (Ordinance 2026-024): Amended the 2023 ordinance authorizing eminent domain for the Plum Creek to Rueter-Hess Pipeline to update legal descriptions. Staff indicated negotiations are ongoing for remaining easements (7 permanent, 6 temporary), with a preference for voluntary agreements. Any future filing for a specific property would require another council hearing. Passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• All consent calendar items approved 6-0.
• Motion to review Flock license plate reader data and policies passed unanimously.
• Gold Crown Fieldhouse IGA and fee waiver both approved unanimously.
• Firefighter union resolution approved unanimously.
• Election coordination ordinance and IGA approved unanimously.
• Six-month drone delivery moratorium approved unanimously.
• Direction to staff to bring nuisance code ordinance to August 18 meeting.
• Cantril School restoration contract approved unanimously.
• Drought Stage 2 declared unanimously; effective August 1.
• Sole-source pipeline contracts and eminent domain ordinance approved unanimously.
• Council recessed into executive session at approximately 8:00 PM to discuss legal advice on recreational facility operations, with no reconvening planned.