Douglas County commissioners approve Pinery 31st Amendment over community objections

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — The Douglas County Board of County Commissioners approved a major amendment to the Pinery Plan Development on Oct. 28, 2025, authorizing a rezoning that would allow 38 homes on a 47‑acre infill parcel east of Highway 83 and north of Bayou Gulch Road. The measure passed on a 2–1 vote after hours of testimony from neighbors, representatives of the Colorado Horse Park and the applicant’s development team.

The applicant, represented by land-use attorney Kristen Decker and counsel Tom Raganetti, told the board the proposal reflects years of changes around the parcel and includes concessions to address neighbors’ concerns. "They've reduced the residential lots from 44 half acre lots to 38 lots, including five 2.3 acre equestrian lots along the southern property line and 33 single‑family lots," Decker said during the presentation, adding the plan includes a 50‑foot equestrian easement along the southern boundary and a 25‑foot height limit along the northern planning area.

Neighbors, organized as a Community Interest Group (CIG), urged commissioners to deny the rezoning or to limit approvals to a community compromise. Sheldon Irish, a CIG member, said the group offered a 30‑lot compromise — "20 half‑acre lots and 10 equestrian estate lots" — but contended the developer rejected that middle ground. "Pinery 40 has actively rejected the community's overwhelming desire for equestrian state zoning," Irish said.

Speakers representing nearby homeowners associations and the Colorado Horse Park argued the proposal would erode the area’s equestrian character and that prior negotiations produced only limited consensus. Dr. Amy Alderton, president of the Timbers 22 HOA, said her group "came to the table in good faith" with a 30‑lot plan and urged the board to uphold the county’s major amendment criteria.

The applicant’s engineering representative, Russell Hall (Highline Engineering), responded that the CIG's 30/10 layout lacked detailed site planning and engineering feasibility. "From a land planning or an engineering standpoint," Hall said, the 10/20 split "did not make those numbers viable," and he added, "It works from a financial standpoint at 38 lots. And that's why we were willing to come down." He also cited detention, roadway alignment and infrastructure constraints that shaped the proposed layout.

Commissioners debated whether the application met the county’s major amendment approval standards in sections 15.20.01–07, noting the Planning Commission had unanimously recommended denial at an earlier hearing. One commissioner said the applicant had pursued compromise and presented a plan compatible with surrounding development; another commissioner said the timeline and substance of negotiations undermined confidence that the standards were met and voiced opposition. A motion to approve the amendment with three conditions as presented and accepted by the applicant passed 2–1.

The staff report and applicant materials note that Pinery Water and Wastewater District agreed to provide service and that the plan, the applicant said, complies with the county’s 2040 comprehensive master plan. The application does not expand the separated urban area boundary and includes perimeter buffers and the height restriction intended to protect views and adjacent character.

The board recorded the approval and the applicant accepted the conditions. The board chair closed the hearing and announced the next land‑use public hearing for Nov. 3, 2025 at 2:30 p.m.

What’s next: The approval carries conditions agreed on the record; project implementation will proceed through the county’s subsequent engineering, permitting and platting steps and any required utility agreements.