Planning Commission recommends Founders Vista site development plan after debate over blasting and ridgeline protections

Vice Chair Kevin McHugh and the Town of Castle Rock Planning Commission on May 22, 2025 voted 4-0 to recommend that Town Council approve the Founders Vista site development plan (PC-2025-008), a proposal for roughly 180–186 acres west of Ridge Road that would create about 511 residential lots and set aside nearly 99 acres of public and private open space.

The proposal drew detailed technical presentations from town staff and the applicant team on site layout, traffic, drainage and blasting procedures. Staff concluded the plans meet municipal code criteria and the amended Meehan and Young planned development (PD) zoning and recommended the Commission send the SDP to Town Council with a positive recommendation.

Town staff told commissioners the plan proposes primary access from two Ridge Road connectors, a mix of detached single-family lots and paired (duplex) homes, four detention ponds, a trail connection down a steep ravine to the valley and a large perimeter open-space buffer that reduces development near the West Ridge. "Staff finds that the proposed SDP does comply with and advances the goals and objectives of the town's guiding documents, meets the municipal code approval criteria for site development plans, and meets the zoning regulations of the PD," the staff presentation said.

Applicant representatives described the project design and the techniques planned for rock excavation. Rusty Hall of Highline Engineering and Surveying Company, who prepared the site development plan, said the layout includes 220 attached homes (duplexes) with alley-load garages and 291 single-family detached homes for a total of 511 lots. He also emphasized the extent of preserved open space: "The site development plan proposes 98.9 acres of the 180.5 acres to be open space, which is 54.8% of the site," Hall said.

Because significant caprock will require controlled blasting, the developer introduced Buckley Powder Company and its blasting specialist, Jim Noll, to describe the blasting program and safeguards. Noll said the contractor will use modern sequencing and electronic detonators and that blasts are delayed by milliseconds to reduce peak vibration. He described industry-standard protections including pre-blast surveys for structures within 500 feet, seismograph monitoring, blast fabric where necessary and coordination with Castle Rock Fire Department and state regulators. "We plan on using electronic detonators here," Noll said. He added the applicant and geotechnical consultants proposed limiting peak particle velocity at the ridge crest to about 1 inch per second — roughly half the common 2-in/s threshold discussed in the industry — and using rockfall mitigation measures such as anchors, mesh draping and spot bolting where engineers deem it necessary.

Traffic consultant Mike Rocha (SM Rocha LLC) presented the traffic analysis. He said study intersections were evaluated in short- and long-term scenarios and that the development’s projected trips (about 500 peak-hour trips and under 5,000 trips per day) would not cause a significant change in level-of-service at the studied intersections when modeled alongside anticipated regional growth and other planned improvements.

During public comment long-term Castle Rock resident Doug Reagan asked the Commission to permit site tours for commissioners, council members and potentially affected stakeholders so they can better understand the blasting plan and drainage changes. Reagan also urged careful scrutiny of downstream drainage given historic flood events. "Given that there have been two massive flooding events within the last hundred years, 1933 and 1965, ... I’m concerned that the proposed design measures for drainage may not provide adequate protection for downstream residents," Reagan said.

Commission discussion reviewed the blasting approach, the applicant’s iterative changes to move housing further from the ridge, and the proposed rockfall mitigation. Staff noted the plans have been reviewed by internal technical reviewers and that the Colorado Geological Survey is referred for geologic matters during PD and SDP review. After discussion Commissioner Stanley moved and Commissioner Solhin seconded a motion to recommend approval of the SDP to Town Council as proposed. In a roll-call vote Vice Chair Kevin McHugh, Commissioner Tom Martinez, Commissioner Mitchell Swan and Commissioner Jeff Samuelson all voted yes; the motion passed 4-0.

The Commission’s recommendation now goes to Town Council for final action. Council will have the next opportunity to accept, modify or deny the site development plan as part of its public review process.