Castle Rock planning commission recommends Soliana 77‑unit site plan to Town Council

The Town of Castle Rock Planning Commission on June 12 voted 5‑0 to recommend approval of the Soliana site development plan, a proposal for 77 homes on the Alexander Way plan development area, and forwarded the application to Town Council for final action at its July 1 meeting.

Staff presented the site plan, describing the development as 55 single‑family detached units and 22 live‑work units located within the Alexander Way zoning district with a gross density of about 0.987 dwelling units per acre. The presentation noted the proposal includes dedicated open space, regional trail connections intended to link to Metzler Open Space, and compliance with the town’s skyline/ridgeline protection regulations. Staff recommended the commission forward the plan to council with approval.

Why it matters: Commissioners and members of the public focused on drainage and erosion control into downstream receiving waters, traffic impacts at the Allen Way/Founders corridor, fire safety access, and water‑rights assurances. The commission’s recommendation starts the final local review process; Town Council will consider the staff file, the commission’s recommendation and public testimony on July 1.

Applicant and engineering team details Lynn Halfman, representing the applicant, summarized the project and said the submittal includes additional parcels affected by the development because those owners will sign required documents. “The…proposed 77 unit development to be located in the Alexander Way zone district,” Halfman said during the presentation. Civil engineer Rick Rome (IMEG) told commissioners the project team worked with the town, Douglas County and the Silver Heights Metropolitan District on drainage and erosion controls, and said the plan aims to improve downstream conditions.

Stormwater and water rights Staff and the applicant explained the plan relies on a regional detention facility to be sited in coordination with adjacent parcels, including the Cooper Hook and Martinez properties, to manage flows that currently affect Silver Heights and downstream Plum Creek. The applicant said subsurface (groundwater) water rights previously held with a nearby Diamond Ridge development were transferred to the town during earlier approvals; the applicant said the rights transferred to the town amount to roughly three times what is required for this property.

Traffic and public comments The applicant’s traffic impact study, dated November 2022, estimated the project’s additional traffic as a fraction of current volumes and translated the town’s rounded contribution to transportation improvements to roughly “just a tad under $100,000,” according to the applicant’s presentation. Multiple public speakers, including Kayla Ryan (Silver Heights resident) and David Showett (resident of Evalina Road), urged caution and asked for further study or mitigation of congestion at the Allen Way/Founders intersection during peak periods and raised concerns about construction duration, dust and neighborhood impacts. Jeff Baer (property owner) raised a property‑line dispute and urged longer‑term protections for the adjacent open space parcel, noting a letter of intent for a conservation easement had been submitted to the record.

Fire access and sprinklers The fire department and Douglas County requested a secondary emergency access to reduce single‑point evacuation risk for the Silver Heights area. The developer said an emergency‑only connection across county or private property to the north — routed to minimize impacts on Springer Park — was desired but would require easements and property‑owner agreement. Because the access is not guaranteed, the site development plan currently requires that all homes in the development be sprinklered to meet fire‑safety requirements. The applicant and staff clarified that if a secondary emergency access is secured before buildout, the developer may return to amend the plan; the sprinkler requirement would only be eligible for removal for homes constructed after such a change.

Erosion control and construction management Engineers described required temporary erosion and sediment controls consistent with the town’s standards and test manuals. The applicant said contractors familiar with Front Range conditions would implement erosion and water‑quality protections while grading and during construction.

Commission discussion and vote Commissioners asked for clarification on traffic study assumptions, the date of the traffic study (November 2022), the sprinkler requirement, the planned detention facilities and the status of proposed easements for emergency access. Staff confirmed the traffic study was reviewed and found to meet town criteria. After discussion, a motion to recommend approval of the Soliana site development plan as presented passed 5‑0.

Next steps The Planning Commission’s recommendation will be considered by Town Council on July 1, 2025. Additional information in the record includes the staff report, the applicant’s site drawings and the Nov. 2022 traffic study.