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Fact or Fiction - Development

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1. What is being done by the Town to ensure that the (Promenade) developer is delivering what was promised?

Looking at the vision book for the Promenade, it appears that Alberta is leaving out A LOT of the amenities that were promised to create this "High Class" shopping experience and we are being left with a shopping center we can find anywhere else that is nothing special. What has been completed so far is just a fraction of what their documents show for area's that are completed already. What is being done by the town to ensure that the developer is delivering what was promised as many people I've talked to are disappointed with what has been done so far. I've tried contacting Alberta directly but they ignore all communications and their website has broken links that don't work.

Town staff in late March 2018 met with the Promenade Development Team to discuss existing conditions and review specific site design and landscape elements identified in the Council-approved Promenade Vision Book.  The project is 60 percent complete and ahead of the initial 5-year schedule. The existing and proposed tenant mix, pedestrian gathering areas, and ongoing improvements to emphasize the “mountain to prairie” architecture and landscape material theme will be completed with each phase of the project. The development team noted that landscape improvements and pedestrian gathering areas will undergo further development in the spring and summer of 2018 and beyond. The tenant mix is consistent with the commercial needs of the community and initial presentation to Council, including additional sit-down restaurants and retail sales options. View a current site map, including updated businesses, at CRgov.com/Promenade. 

2. Do Water Closets require HVAC duct per building code? The toilet room in our master bathroom is extremely cold. It does not have HVAC; it only has a fan.

The short answer is no. Town Code does not require conditioned air. Exhaust air may be required, and the conditioned air is drawn in from that. However, a supply air can be run to bathrooms. It just isn’t required.

3. What is happening on the corner of Lake Gulch Road and Oman. The property has been fenced in for over a year now after the apartment complex purchased the land and torn down the house?

Town Council approved a rezoning of the property in May 2016 for multifamily housing.  The project is delayed because the applicant is questioning the requirement to install road and utility improvements within the time frame noted in the Council-approved development agreement.  

4. Who owns the horses seen west of Santa Fe on each side of North Meadows?

This land is owned by Castle Rock Development Co. The horses belong to a private owner leasing that land.

5. Hi there. There's a post on Castle Rock Talk (Facebook) about a gas station and liquor store going in at the intersection of Plum Creek and South Lake Gulch Road. Is this correct? Or not so much?

The short answer is that there is no formal development application at this time. However, Town staff has had informal conversations with a development team proposing to build a gas station and small strip mall at the corner of Plum Creek Parkway and Gilbert Street. The development team has also submitted a Preliminary Project Application to the Town to request information from the Town about possibly developing this area. The preliminary application is not a formal land use application. Instead, it is a way for the developer to find out the uses that are currently allowed on the site and the process for moving forward, should they choose to do so. (View that application on our Development Activity Map - http://gis.crgov.com/hyperlinks/external/IYBY/BaldwinParkEstates_2.pdf   )  

Commercial uses are allowed; however any development of this area would be required to go through a public hearing for Interface Regulations, to be in compliance with the rules required on commercial properties next to residential uses.  At this time, that developer is still looking at what they would need to do before submitting and have not yet made a formal land use application to the Town, and there are currently several issues related to infrastructure, traffic and other things that need to be evaluated and resolved before the idea could move forward.

To see other preliminary applications and projects currently going through the Town’s development process, see our map at CRgov.com/DevelopmentActivity.

6. Will the Festival Park Commons project be moving forward? What is the approximate timeline for the development?

The proposed Festival Park Commons project is a result of a request for proposals the Town distributed in 2017 to develop a public parking structure in the existing parking lot south of Town Hall. The chosen developer is still working on concepts, including redevelopment of the three other lots south of Town Hall into the plan, and a formal land use application has not been submitted to the Town. A schedule has not been proposed at this time.

7. Hi! Can you provide an update on the Promenade shopping area? It looks like we are building more than we can fill...

Hi! Can you provide an update on the Promenade shopping area? It looks like we are building more than we can fill. Several store fronts, including the one by TJ Maxx and around other areas have been empty for a long time and yet land is still being cleared. There also has not been any action on the old King Soopers and now talk of the development of Millers Landing. This is very concerning to many residents.

The Promenade at Castle Rock is in its third year, and built-out is expected to take about five years. The developer, Alberta Development Partners, decides which businesses will go in various locations, based on the market. The area is about 40 percent completed. You can learn more about coming businesses on Alberta’s Promenade at Castle Rock webpage.

8. Why is the Castle Rock Promenade not at all like what was proposed to citizens (i.e. upscale shopping/dining, walkable, hearths, farmers market, etc.)?...

It’s just a cluster of fast food shops, discount stores, mini-malls and parking lots.

The Promenade at Castle Rock is in year three, of a five-year build-out plan, and there’s about 40 percent left to go. The types of businesses going into the development are market-driven and determined by the developer, Alberta Development Partners. You can view the design book at CRgov.com/Promenade. There is also a link to Alberta’s site, where the company announces new businesses.

9. My question pertains to the CityScape development by Richmond...

We are new residents, and were told by the realtor that Castle Rock prohibits building along crests of hills in an effort to not block out views. My question pertains to the CityScape development by Richmond (on Meadows Boulevard just west of the hospital). It is not on a crest, but the homes are 4 stories tall, and completely blot out the high mountain range, leaving only sky visible. They are actually on land that is lower than our homes across the road, but they are very tall. I'm just wondering if there are any protections in place that relate to existing homes and views?

Castle Rock does not have any regulations regarding existing homes and their views. Our Skyline/Ridgeline ordinance limits building height in specific protected areas that are designated on the Development Constraints Map. (See link below.) Some homes built in these Skyline/Ridgeline areas have reduced building height, additional landscaping, limited to earth tone colors, or have gone through a variance process to not have these limitations (based on detailed criteria).  The CityScape homes are not limited due to this ordinance and are being built within the allowed building height of 60 feet for this Town Center neighborhood.

Development Constraints Map.

10. What is going to be built on the corner of Low Meadow Boulevard and Celestial Ave?

This area will be additional paired homes from builder KB. (Northwest corner of Celestial Avenue and Low Meadow Boulevard). Further to the west at Jonquil Street and Celestial Avenue will be single family homes from Lennar. You can learn about what’s being built around Town with our Development Activity Map.

11. What is the proposed annexation known as Pine Canyon?

The Pine Canyon property is currently zoned in Douglas County as Agriculture One (A1) and is not within Town municipal borders. This property is currently going through a review process with Development Services. The latest submittal to the Town on this proposed project was received in November 2017. This is the ninth proposal related to this property that has been submitted over the course of many years.

The area known as Pine Canyon spans both sides of Interstate 25, extending from the Union Pacific Railroad on the west to Founders Parkway on the east. It’s generally north of Scott Boulevard and south of Founders Parkway. (Or, generally north of Douglas County High School.) The applicant currently proposes to annex into the Town and change the zoning to allow for a mix of single-family and multifamily housing (up to 1,320 dwellings). The proposal also includes 133 acres of open space and 57 acres of land for public use (schools, parks, etc.) The proposal also includes up to 40,000 square feet of non-residential development, such as offices, retail stores and restaurants on the east side of I-25, and up to 775,000 square feet of non-residential development on the west side of I-25.

As part of this process, public hearings are required at various stages, including presentations to both the Planning Commission and Town Council. All public hearing dates are posted online at CRgov.com/Notices. The applicant is required to send letters to homeowners in the area (within 300 feet), and there will be a yellow public notice sign placed on the property. There are no public hearings scheduled for this proposal at this time.  

More information and all the proposal documents are online.

12. What is annexation and how does the process work?

Annexation is the process by which a property becomes incorporated into the Town of Castle Rock’s jurisdiction. With that annexation, the area benefits from services the Town provides, such as public safety, snow removal, street maintenance, park maintenance and more. It also means taxable units or sales tax from that property help pay for those services. All annexation proposals must follow a State-mandated process, which includes public hearings. As part of that process, Town Council must make three decisions:

Substantial Compliance: Does the annexation petition comply with State Code?

Eligibility: Is the property eligible to be annexed in accordance with State Code?

Annexation: Should the property be annexed?

The Town has several proposals under consideration. Learn more and view the annexation proposals at CRgov.com/Annexation.

13. What is being built on the land between Liggett Road and the railroad tracks?

This is the second Castle Locks Self-Storage project, which will include about 60,000 square feet of storage (399 units) and 2.3 acres of RV storage. The project is under construction and should be open in 2018. View a map of projects currently underway at CRgov.com/DevelopmentActivity.

14. Is there new information about the Castle Oaks development near Ridge Road and Plum Creek Parkway?

In 2010, Town Council approved a Planned Development Plan for that area. That plan included 117 homes. Now, a new builder is interested in developing that area.  The developer conducted two neighborhood meetings to date and received feedback expressing concerns over the proposed increase in density.

If the developer were to stick with the originally approved plan, construction could begin with proper construction documents. If the developer were to make any changes to the original plan – such as increasing the density of homes, building elevations, open space allocations, site setbacks, or overall site layout – the new plan would have to go through a public process. That process would include public hearings with the Planning Commission and then go to Town Council for consideration. To date, the applicant has suggested an increase in density up to 168 homes. However, the Town has not received a formal application. Depending on the increase in density that is ultimately submitted with a formal application, there would be numerous impacts, such as traffic impacts, that would need to be studied and discussed before the public process would begin.

When formal development plans are submitted, the Town updates its Development Activity map at CRgov.com/DevelopmentActivity.

15. Are there plans to develop the east side of I-25, near Castle Rock Parkway?

That area – just north of the new Castle Rock Parkway interchange and behind Home Depot ­– is owned by Alberta Development Partners. Some of it is located within the Town’s jurisdiction, and part of it is within Douglas County’s jurisdiction. At this time, Alberta has sent proposed ideas to the Town through a Preliminary Project Application.

The Preliminary Project Application is not a formal application. Instead, it is a way for developers to solicit comments from Town staff regarding the required processes for a proposed project. In this case, some of the area would have to be annexed into the Town. In addition, the proposed idea would have to go through zoning, site development, construction document evaluation and erosion control processes – some of which require public hearings and neighborhood meetings. The proposed idea includes both residential and commercial development options.

For this 56-acre proposal, 34.9 acres already exist within the Town (zoned as Integrated Business back in the 1990s), and 21.7 acres would have to be annexed into the Town.

The formal annexation application begins when the owner/developer of the property submits an annexation application to the Town. No formal application has been submitted, and nothing has been presented to Town Council for consideration. Learn more about the Town’s annexation process at CRgov.com/annexation.

16. What is being built between Lowes and King Soopers? What retail store?

This area is part of the new Promenade at Castle Rock. The developer, Alberta Development Partners, has announced this building will be a Hobby Lobby and a Ross. Visit their website to learn about other retailers and amenities coming to the area.

17. Who owns the property on the southeast corner of Black Feather and Front Street (I'm front of the Black Feather condos)? And is there a possibility that will ever be developed?

This parcel is owned by the Town as part of Front Street’s right-of-way, which is reserved for future road widening, or road improvement projects. There are no plans for improvements at this time.

18. What are the plans for the old hotel at the corner of Fifth and Perry?

The property is currently owned by Heir & Company, a Castle Rock business. They are currently using the building for apartments.  There have been numerous discussions about renovation of the existing building or renovation of the existing building with an addition to expand the usable square footage.  However, there have only been discussions, with no formal action plans. In addition, the Town’s Historic Preservation Board has nominated the building twice for Colorado’s Endangered Places Program, but it has not been accepted. The hope was to get exposure for the building and, therefore, expand possible grant opportunities.

19. Is the open space at Mickelson & Lantern north of Matney Park going to be developed anytime soon?

That land is a dedicated for a school site. At this time, the Town does not have any requests to develop a school on this site. When we receive requests, and developments begin going through our process, we post information on our Development Activity Map at CRgov.com/DevelopmentActivity.

View the Development Activity Map

20. Is the land at the end if paved road on Ridge Rd next to the Tree Farm going to be developed soon for houses?

This area is known as the Oaks Subdivision. The landowner is currently looking at requesting an increase in the number of homes previously approved. They have been conducting neighborhood outreach and have not at this time submitted an official application. Information about neighborhood meetings related to development can be found on the Public Notices calendar at CRgov.com/events. (To find past events, click the “show past events” box on the calendar and enter your search in the search bar.)

View the Public Notices calendar

21. How does development work in Castle Rock?

Like in most municipalities, all development – including building, planning and zoning – is handled by the Town’s Development Services Department. A new development must start with a proposed plan.

The plan is submitted to Development Services, which is staffed with experts. Engineers, community planners and designers evaluate the plan on everything from traffic and water impacts to design and aesthetic standards. Their goal is to ensure every new development not only matches the community’s vision but also makes technical sense and, above all, is safe to use. Then, the public process can begin. Planned developments are presented to the public through Planning Commission, community meetings, and Town Council. Then, staff follows up with developers to ensure public comments taken at public meetings are incorporated into the plan to the extent possible. You can see the projects going through this process using the map at CRgov.com/DevelopmentActivity. Sometimes, if the zoning use on the area is already in line with what the developer is proposing, it can be reviewed and approved by staff.

It’s important to know this process is market-driven. When the economy supports new amenities, developers will approach the Town with their ideas.

View a video about the process on YouTube.

22. How was the Town involved in funding the Promenade?

The Town and Alberta Development Partners (the developer of the Promenade) entered into a financial agreement in 2014. The Town agreed to share new tax revenue generated on the property. No existing Town revenues nor funds were committed to the project. Instead, it is a sharing of tax revenue the Town otherwise would not receive. This revenue helps fund necessary public services such as fire, police, road maintenance and more.

Key aspects of the agreement include: • The Town shares 27.5 percent of new sales tax revenues generated from that property for up to 25 years and will fund up to $4.45 million in development fee reimbursements and an additional $750,000 fee reimbursement tied to achieving 700,000 square feet in commercial development. • The metro district on the development property intends to issue and repay $28.8 million in net bond proceeds for qualifying public improvements. • Alberta intends to acquire the land, develop the property and otherwise fund the $180 million project. • The financial agreements also include restrictions on Alberta relocating certain existing business in Castle Rock to the new development.

View the agreement and learn more at CRgov.com/Promenade.

View the agreement and learn more.

23. Last fall, Council approved the development plans for the Hillside Community on Wolfensberger Road and Coachline. What is the current status?

Every development must go through some level of review by the Town’s Development Services Department. Following Council’s approval of this project, Wolfensberger Property Group (the lead developer of the property) submitted construction documents for Town review. Town staff has completed two reviews of the documents and are awaiting a response. Construction cannot begin until the documents are approved. Based on some discussions the Town has had with the developer, site grading and building construction could begin as early as fall 2017.