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Castle Rock council increases mailed‑notice buffer for large land‑use proposals to 1,500 feet
Summary
Council amended the town code to expand notice distances for projects 40 acres and larger and to require HOA notice within a half‑mile; council approved the first reading with a 1,500‑foot distance for large projects.
Town Council on March 18 approved first reading of an ordinance that expands mailed public‑notice distances for certain land‑use applications. After discussion council modified staff’s original proposal and set the mailed‑notice buffer for projects of 40 acres or more to 1,500 feet from property boundaries. The council vote was unanimous.
Planning director Tara Vargas said the ordinance refines notice procedures into four categories: very large projects (40 acres or more), medium projects (under 40 acres but larger than single‑lot developments and downtown projects), historic‑preservation board items and small single‑lot applications or board‑of‑adjustment items. For the largest projects staff originally proposed a 1,000‑foot mailed notice and notice to any homeowners associations within a half mile; council increased that buffer to 1,500 feet during the meeting.
Vargas explained the change would standardize expectations for mailed notice and add a requirement to notify HOAs within a half mile where they exist for larger proposals. She also recommended codifying existing practice that Historic Preservation Board applicants receive mailed notice (staff had been mailing notices in practice). She noted the amendment includes a provision clarifying that good‑faith mailing and sign‑posting efforts by applicants do not invalidate public hearings if some mail is lost or a sign is damaged.
Councilmember Dietz moved the amendment increasing the buffer for 40+‑acre projects to 1,500 feet; Councilmember Davis seconded the motion. A unanimous roll‑call vote approved the first reading with that change.
Why it matters: The ordinance changes how the town notifies neighbors about land‑use hearings and is intended to broaden advance notice for large projects that can affect neighborhoods beyond immediate adjacent lots. The expanded notice requirement may increase the number of residents who receive mailed notice for major proposals.
Next steps: The ordinance passed first reading with the 1,500‑foot change; second reading and final adoption will follow at a future meeting where council may consider any additional amendments.
