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Council delays vote on new development

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Contributed by: Joseph Kirchmer/YourHub.com on 6/18/2008

A vote on a proposed development that would add nearly 200 new homes to an area southwest of Castle Rock was put on hold June 17 in order to give the public more time to comment.

Council will take up the issue again at a regularly scheduled town council meeting on July 15. In the meantime, residents who live nearby will be notified of the project and when the vote on it will take place.

Stephanie Shivar, of Castle Rock, opposes the project and requested to delay the vote. She said the town notified her the day before the proposal was scheduled to go to vote, which didn't leave her enough time to organize for speakers to show up at the council meeting.

"I feel it is very important for all the members of our community to have the opportunity to voice their opinion," she said.

Mayor Randy Reed largely echoed those concerns.

"I'm very concerned about the perception of doing the right thing," Reed said. "This is obviously a very big issue to the people living adjacent and I don't think we really notified them like we should have."

The proposed development, which would be called Hillside at Castle Rock, was approved 5-2 on first reading in November. The two who voted against the proposal -- Hank Lacey and Katie Kruger -- are no longer on council.

The development, which is being advanced by Wolfensberger Property Group LLC, would be located at Wolfensberger and Coachline roads in an area in unincorporated Douglas County. If approved, the area would be annexed into the town of Castle Rock.

Initial plans for the 52-acre site would allow for up to 190 household units, which would consist of a mix of town homes and patio homes, according to Miles Grant, owner of Wolfensberger Property Group LLC. The homes would be a little more upscale and likely would be designated as an age-restricted community for people 55 and over, he said.

The planned development sets aside approximately 130,000 square-feet for retail and office space, as well as 20.5 acres for open space. The area designated for open space would help preserve the flanks of a prominent butte in the area.

The proposal initially came under fire at a Nov. 27 town council meeting where several residents voiced their concerns over the impact the development could have on wildlife and traffic in the area. There also were concerns the development would impede views of the butte and the town's trademark rock formation.

Grant said he's been working closely with the town for the past five years on honing the development. The first proposal, presented in February 2004, called for 100 single-family homes but was adjusted to fit into the town's 2020 Vision, which calls for more mixed-use developments in town.

"Our goal is to be something the community will appreciate and use," Grant said. "We're not trying to shove anything down anyone's throat. We're trying to be very attentive to what the town wants and I think the design of this plan is very much tailored to that."

The staff for the town of Castle Rock is recommending approval of the project, citing, among other things, the development fees and tax revenues that would be created.

A memorandum from Jason Reynolds, the town's project manager of development, states, "The proposed housing, a mix of patio homes and multi-family, will help the town provide a broad range of housing types and create options for different household types, ages, and income ranges within the community. Finally, the open space dedication helps preserve and protect a significant ridgeline in town."

Council, however, has become sensitive about the sometimes unforeseen consequences of new developments. The town recently voted to periodically halt all commercial applications in order to adjust its zoning regulations, largely due to concerns over commercial and industrial development that abut residential areas.

Though the suspension doesn't apply to existing commercial applications that were in place before the vote, council members referenced the issue during discussion.

The proposal is scheduled to be up for second reading at 6 p.m. July 15 in council chambers at town hall, located at 100 N. Wilcox St., in Castle Rock.

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