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Centennial to prepare petition for Regis Jesuit disconnection; key terms still under negotiation
Summary
Council directed staff to prepare a petition to initiate a municipal disconnection for a parcel owned by Regis Jesuit High School and to draft a disconnection agreement. Staff presented proposed terms — setbacks, buffering, permitted assembly uses capped at 88,000 GFA, one residential unit, and Aurora compatibility standards — but council noted unresolved items including whether the covenant would be limited to 20 years or run in perpetuity.
City staff will prepare a petition to initiate a municipal disconnection for a portion of Regis Jesuit High School after council discussion on Dec. 2, though the final disconnection agreement remains under negotiation and council did not adopt a final contract tonight.
Planner Jessla Combra summarized the request: Regis seeks to consolidate most of its campus under the City of Aurora by removing roughly 13 acres from Centennial jurisdiction at 16501 E. Arapahoe Road. Staff said the school agreed to a funding arrangement (dated 11/24/2025) to cover city costs for processing a disconnection petition.
Staff proposed a draft set of disconnection‑agreement terms developed with Regis: any new buildings or structures must be set back at least 25 feet from residential property lines; a 25‑foot landscape buffer is required next to homes; lighting would be reviewed to avoid unreasonable impacts; primary vehicular access should be from S. Lewiston Way; and Aurora neighborhood‑compatibility standards would apply where the site borders Centennial residences. The draft would limit all "place of public assembly" uses together to no more than 88,000 gross square feet, and permit up to one residential unit (described by Regis as potential teacher housing). The agreement would run with the land and be enforceable as a covenant.
City Attorney Chris Price told council the draft agreement the city's office had received included a clause limiting the covenant to 20 years; Price flagged that his understanding had been the covenant would run in perpetuity and said the 20‑year term was a material change in negotiable terms. Councilors questioned the long‑term implications — including whether restrictions could expire and leave Centennial without control over future development — and asked staff to return with clarified language on height allowances, the covenant term, and compatibility protections.
Council discussion was mixed: some members said staff and Regis were close on the terms and that authorizing a petition for initiation would let the process move to a public hearing in 2026; others wanted final language before petition initiation. The mayor asked staff to bring a petition for council consideration next week with a clear notation about outstanding issues; council indicated they wanted a covenant that would run with the land unless otherwise agreed.
What happens next: If council petitions the disconnection, staff will prepare a disconnection ordinance and the final disconnection agreement for a public hearing in 2026; any final covenant and enforcement terms would be explicit in that agreement and subject to council approval.
