Castle Rock council tables proposed conveyance of Crystal Valley middle‑school site after residents object

The Town Council of Castle Rock on Tuesday voted unanimously to table consideration of an ordinance that would reconvey a 20.9‑acre parcel in Crystal Valley Ranch back to the developer after the Douglas County School District notified the town it would not use the site for a school.

Town planning staff told the council the parcel had been identified in the 2006 development agreement for Crystal Valley Ranch as the “20.9 acre middle school site,” and the Douglas County School District submitted written notice on Feb. 3, 2025, stating it would never utilize the site for a school. Tara Vargas, the town’s planning director, said the development agreement requires reconveyance to the owner if the district declines the parcel.

The tabling followed more than two hours of public comment at a quasi‑judicial hearing in which dozens of nearby residents urged the council not to release the parcel for development. Speakers cited overcrowded nearby schools, traffic concerns at Crystal Valley…