Council directs impact‑fee study, adopts recoupment policy for Crystal Valley Interchange and updates CIP

The Castle Rock Town Council voted on a package of transportation funding steps March 24: it directed staff to undertake a new impact‑fee study, adopted a formal recoupment policy for the Crystal Valley Interchange, amended the five‑year capital improvement program to add priority projects, and authorized a design services agreement for the West Loop Road/Crystal Valley Parkway roundabout.

Town Manager Dave and Public Works Director Dan Seiler explained the need: town transportation project needs top roughly $300 million on the current project list while current annual impact‑fee revenue runs near $12 million. Staff said an updated impact‑fee study that follows Colorado statutory requirements will help determine how growth should contribute to future capital. The recoupment policy assigns a share of interchange costs to defined influence zones so that future development that would rely on the interchange pays a proportionate recoupment amount rather than shifting full cost to existing taxpayers.

Andy Howe, a property owner and county official, urged caution about retroactively charging properties that were agricultural when the interchange was built and urged careful stakeholder engagement with landowners. Town staff responded that properties would only be subject to recoupment if they urbanize and seek annexation or development. Council approved the recoupment policy, directed the impact‑fee study, amended the CIP, and approved the design‑services contract (Kimley‑Horn) for the roundabout; vote counts were unanimous on each item.

Councilmembers emphasized that any future charge would follow state law, be zone‑based and would be presented to applicants before annexation or development agreements were finalized.