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Council approves rezoning amendment for Crystal Valley Ranch after heated debate
Summary
Castle Rock council voted 4–3 to adopt Amendment No. 7 to the Crystal Valley Ranch planned development, swapping a 45-foot developable strip westward while designating an equivalent 0.915-acre public-land-dedication strip near Rhyolite Park; residents raised concerns about lost park space and promised open space.
The Castle Rock Town Council narrowly approved Amendment No. 7 to the Crystal Valley Ranch planned development after extended discussion and public comment.
Staff planner Tara Vargas told council the proposal shifts a 45-foot-wide developable strip 45 feet west on a roughly 20.2-acre parcel and creates an equivalent 0.915-acre public-land-dedication strip on the east side to maintain a buffer adjacent to Rhyolite Park. Vargas said the change does not alter permitted residential uses or increase traffic generation; it reflects a memorandum of understanding the council approved in October that anticipates a later site-development plan showing road connections and a larger on-site buffer.
During public comment resident Susan McAfee criticized the developer and staff presentation, saying the planning commission lacked detail and that the developer had not delivered the promised open space. McAfee said the maps were hard to find in packet materials and urged council to “hold the developer's feet to the fire.” Mayor Pro Tem expressed similar frustration, saying the proposal required giving up parkland and describing her vote as “a hard no.”
Council members debated options and legal implications: staff and the town attorney said the council previously approved the memorandum of understanding and that, without the amendment, the developer retains existing entitlements and could proceed under current zoning. One councilmember emphasized that voting no could leave less protection for the neighborhood because the developer could develop the parcel as currently zoned.
Mayor moved to approve the ordinance as introduced by title; the council recorded a roll-call vote with four members in favor and three opposed. Councilmembers Hollingshead, Bracken, Brooks and the Mayor voted yes; Councilmembers Davis, Dietz and Mayor Pro Tem Kavey voted no. The ordinance passed 4–3.
The council directed staff that further details, including the site-development plan, traffic studies and the precise layout of buffers at the park entrance, will be reviewed in subsequent hearings; the town will also monitor the memorandum of understanding’s schedule and default provisions if the developer does not meet agreed deadlines.
The planning commission had recommended approval (6–0) after one resident attended the December hearing. The next steps called for submittal of a formal site-development plan and additional staff and public review.
