Planning Commission recommends approval of Bella Mesa South site plan, advancing 93 townhomes to Town Council

The Town of Castle Rock Planning Commission voted 4-0 on March 12 to recommend approval of the Bella Mesa South site development plan amendment to Town Council, advancing a proposal for 93 townhomes on approximately 9 acres.

Staff told the commission the site has a long zoning history — annexed in the mid-1980s, subsequently amended under the Founders' Village plan and rezoned into the Bella Mesa plan development in 2015 — and that the submitted plan complies with applicable municipal code and review criteria. "Staff is recommending that Planning Commission recommend approval of the site development plan to town council as proposed," Ms. Foster told commissioners during the hearing.

The applicant team described the project as a lower-density alternative to the maximum allowed on the parcel. Josie O'Connor, landscape architect for Redland, said the proposal yields about 10.4 dwelling units per acre, roughly half the zoning allowance of 20 dwelling units per acre. The plan calls for 93 townhomes organized in groups of four and five, fronting public streets and internal private drives. "We are exceeding the minimum number of required spaces for this community," O'Connor said, describing a breakdown that includes garage parking and supplemental surface spaces.

Key numeric details included in the presentation and staff report: the parcel is about 9 acres; zoning would allow up to 186 units but the applicant proposes 93; the plan proposes a total of 243 parking spaces (including 186 garage spaces), a maximum proposed building height of about 45 feet (the code maximum is 50 feet), and setbacks of 15 feet from Mitchell Street, 20 feet from Michaelson, and 10 feet on the west and north sides. The applicant said private open space of roughly 4.5 acres is included in the development concept and that infrastructure and grading work could begin as early as the end of the year.

Neighbors who spoke or asked questions raised concerns about exterior lighting, traffic, retaining-wall heights, potential blasting during grading, wildlife impacts and whether the project would import fill to balance site grades. Lydia Lynch, who said she lives across the street from the site, asked, "How much is it gonna light up that corner?" The applicant's civil engineer, Travis Frazier, said the site development plan includes a photometric plan and that lighting will be cut-off and primarily building-mounted, with limited landscape bollard lighting on pedestrian routes. "We actually do have a photometric plan in our SDP," Frazier said, adding that the plan is designed so light does not spill beyond the property.

Commissioners pressed the team about parking and trash; the applicant said each home will have a two-car garage and the plan includes guest parking and apron/driveway areas in some units. On trash, the response was that routine service will be used and homeowners will store bins in garages. The applicant also described landscape buffering and orienting garages toward the site interior as measures to reduce headlight spill toward adjacent properties.

After questions and brief discussion, a commissioner moved to recommend approval of the site development plan amendment to Town Council; the motion was seconded and passed on a 4-0 roll call vote. The Planning Commission record shows the item will move to Town Council for final consideration on March 24, 2026.

The commission's recommendation includes no recorded amendments or conditions in the meeting minutes; commissioners and staff indicated they would expect further design detail and construction documents (including final lighting design) during later review stages.