The Town of Castle Rock Design Review Board voted 6-0 to approve a site development plan amendment for Eternal Rock Evangelical Lutheran Church’s property at 2 Phelps Street and granted three variances, board records show.

Board staff said the amendment adds a formal 31-space parking lot, sidewalks and landscaping to a property where the existing building was converted to a church after a previous approval in 2018.

Staff recommended approval, saying the design meets the town’s Downtown Overlay and B-district site standards and that the requested variances were justified by existing site conditions.

Brad Boland, a Town of Castle Rock planning staff member, told the board staff’s review found the proposal met the town vision, zoning and transportation requirements and recommended approval of the site development amendment and the requested variances.

The project would convert an informal concrete area into a 31-space parking lot with a sidewalk that lies mostly in the town right of way. During the hearing staff said three variances were needed: a reduction in the required 8-foot setback between parking and the property line, permission to allow parking abutting the street, and a reduction in the number of on-site trees required by code (staff noted the code calls for either 17 large trees or 26 small trees, or a comparable mix).

Staff and the applicant told the board utility lines and limited space constrained where trees and sidewalk landscaping could be placed. Boland said electric lines run along the east property border and a gas line runs along the south property line and that much of the proposed sidewalk will be in the public right-of-way, which preserves the setback intent even where parking is closer to the property line.

The applicant, identified in the hearing as the site representative for Eternal Rock, described the building’s history and how the site has been used. The applicant said the group generally does not close the lot to outside parkers and that during downtown events staff will sometimes manage the lot, but “for the most part, we don’t close it,” which the applicant said allows event attendees and the public to use overflow spaces.

Board members asked about pedestrian and sight-line safety at the corner of South Perry Street and Phelps Street; staff said public works and landscape reviewers reviewed vegetation heights and that much of the landscaping is on town-owned property, which mitigates sight-line concerns. The applicant said the raised curb and wider sidewalk will formalize access and create safer pedestrian routes where the lot previously allowed informal access.

Board Member David Miles moved to approve the site development plan amendment and the three variances and to find no adverse effect on public health, safety and welfare related to the variances; Board Member John Johnson seconded the motion. In a roll-call vote the board recorded six yes votes and no noes or abstentions and approved the motion 6-0.

The board then received a brief liaison update and adjourned after about 23 minutes.