Castle Rock Town Council Meeting - August 18, 2026

The Castle Rock Town Council met on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the Town Hall Council Chambers. The meeting covered a wide range of topics including the proposed removal of the Design Review Board (DRB), a censure motion against Councilmember Mark Davis, annexation and zoning of town-owned parcels, approval of a King Soopers grocery store and fueling station, amendments to the Castle Meadows Metropolitan District service plan, an ordinance regarding school land designations, a public nuisance ordinance, zoning code amendments, and an update on the Comprehensive Master Plan 2040. Several votes were taken, and public testimony was heard on multiple issues.

Consent Calendar

• Items 7–11 were approved unanimously: Resolution 2026-089 (first amendment to services agreement with Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture for the Sports Development Center); Resolution 2026-090 (third amendment to IGA with Douglas County for Highway 85 wastewater system); Resolution 2026-091 (third amendment with W.W. Wheeler for Reservoir Nos. 1 and 2); Resolution 2026-092 (Purchase and Sale Agreement with Findlay Family Properties for Plum Creek to Rueter-Hess Pipeline); and Minutes from July 21, 2026.

Public Comments & Testimony

• David Miles (resident and business owner): Presented text messages allegedly from Councilmember Mark Davis offering to drop the Design Review Board (DRB) and help with building approvals and town alleyways in exchange for pulling a recall effort. He called for Councilmember Davis's resignation, an independent investigation, and a Colorado Open Records Act request for relevant communications.
• Amy Winshu (resident): Criticized the DRB's lack of meetings (only 1 in 2026, 3 in 2025, 5 in 2024) and delayed minutes, and questioned the board's composition and connection to elected officials.
• Aaron Kane (Superintendent, Douglas County School District): Highlighted the district's record graduation rate, top metro-area scores, and lower staff turnover; expressed commitment to partnering with the town on growth, infrastructure, and school safety.
• Harry Young (resident): Expressed support for Councilmember Davis, arguing the recall is an attack on democratic process; urged council to prioritize moderate growth and infrastructure capacity over high-density development downtown.

Discussion Items

• Motion to Remove DRB Discussion from Agenda: Councilmember Brooks moved to postpone item 17 (discussion on removing the Design Review Board and reallocating responsibilities) to after the election, citing the need for more community input. After debate, the motion passed 6–1 (Bracken dissenting).
• Censure Motion Against Councilmember Davis: Councilmember Hollingshead moved to censure Davis for unethical behavior related to text messages described in public comments. Councilmember Brooks argued for due process, stating he had just seen the messages. The first roll call vote was 3–4 against (Hollingshead, Bracken, Gray in favor; Davis, Brooks, Deeds, Cavey opposed). The town attorney noted Davis could recuse, and on a revote with Davis recusing, the vote tied 3–3 (Hollingshead, Bracken, Gray in favor; Brooks, Deeds, Cavey opposed), so the motion failed.
• Annexation and Initial Zoning of Town-Owned Parcels (Items 12 & 13): Staff presented the annexation and rezoning to Public Land District 1 for four groups of parcels totaling 16.12 acres (Home Street, Maher Ranch tank site, Founders Corner, Terrain Remnant). Both ordinances passed unanimously.
• King Soopers Grocery Store and Fueling Station (Item 14): Applicant presented a 12.1-acre site in Dawson Trails Planning Area E2, including enhanced west-side landscaping, parking reduction of 19.5% (to ~4 spaces per 1,000 sq ft), and three neighborhood meetings. The site development plan was approved unanimously.
• Castle Meadows Metropolitan District Service Plan Amendment (Item 15): The district sought a first amendment increasing public improvement costs to $73.9M, debt issuance to $86.3M, and maximum debt service mill levy from 50 to 64.044 mills (aggregate from 60 to 74.044 mills) to align with Dawson Trails and cover inflation. The resolution passed unanimously.
• School Land Designation Ordinance (Item 16): An ordinance to amend Section 16.08.120 establishing a process for the town to remove school-designation from 13 parcels it owns (never dedicated to the school district). The school district requested delay and expressed concerns about loss of resources. The ordinance passed 5–2 (Hollingshead and Bracken opposed).
• Public Nuisance Ordinance (Item 18) and Zoning Code Amendments (Item 19): Staff presented a new Chapter 8.01 for nuisance abatement (deferred maintenance, trash, etc.) and a series of zoning code updates including home occupation modernization (e.g., permitting personal services like hair salons), clarification of plat vacation, definitions, parking table reorganization, and other cleanup. Both ordinances were approved on first reading unanimously.
• Comprehensive Master Plan 2040 Update (Item 20): Staff introduced the upcoming update process, budgeted for consultant services (~$250,000), with a 12–15 month timeline including broad community engagement. Council directed staff to proceed with issuing an RFP, passing unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Motion to postpone DRB discussion to after election passed (6–1).
• Censure of Councilmember Mark Davis failed (first 3–4, then 3–3 tie).
• Annexation and zoning of 16.12 acres of town-owned parcels approved (unanimous).
• King Soopers site development plan approved (unanimous).
• Castle Meadows Metro District service plan amendment approved (unanimous).
• Ordinance to create process for removing school land designations from town-owned parcels passed (5–2).
• Public nuisance ordinance and zoning code amendments approved on first reading (unanimous).
• Direction given to proceed with Comprehensive Master Plan 2040 update (unanimous).