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Planning commission approves Canyon House SIP amendment, replacing pickleball courts with passive park
Summary
The City of Castle Pines Planning Commission approved a major amendment to the Canyons Amenity Center site improvement plan, allowing removal of four previously approved pickleball courts in favor of a passive park and authorizing cobblestone drainage work subject to staff review.
The City of Castle Pines Planning Commission voted to approve a Site Improvement Plan (SIP) major amendment for the Canyons Amenity Center (case SIP‑major‑2024‑002) at its Oct. 24 meeting. The motion, moved by Ms. Riley and seconded (second not named on the record), passed on a roll call with Commissioners Burwell, Katz, Rance, Wiley, Moffat and Green voting yes. Chair Rance noted the motion carried after staff recommended conditional approval.
Senior Planner Lisa Rubhild told the commission the 17.4‑acre amenity center in Landing Area 5 would replace previously approved but unbuilt pickleball courts with a passive park adjacent to the pool, fitness center and The Exchange coffee shop. Staff recommended approval with conditions to allow further review of drainage details; the third staff condition permits the applicant to add cobblestone in a drainage swale northwest of the fitness center “subject to advanced review and approval by city staff.”
Applicant representative Ryan McDermott said construction of the Canyon House is roughly 80–90% complete and that the decision to remove the courts responded to residents’ noise concerns: “we felt it best at this time to … remove those pickleball courts, take in its place … a passive park.” McDermott described drainage and erosion fixes including adding cobble to stabilize channels and swapping wood mulch for rock in low‑lying areas.
The commission’s formal motion included three conditions: (1) the applicant shall pay all fees and consultant costs incurred by the city in review and processing of the SIP; (2) the applicant shall resolve minor technical issues as directed by staff before filing the SIP with the city; and (3) the applicant may install the proposed cobblestone in the drainage swell northwest of the fitness center subject to advanced review and approval by city staff to ensure regulatory standards are met. The clerk recorded unanimous affirmative votes from the members present; one commissioner (Otam Uatu) was noted absent and excused earlier in the meeting.
The approved amendment includes the passive park configuration, cobble drainage work and minor landscape/planting changes, and it preserves the previously approved shade structure to be reused with the new park layout. The commission’s approval is subject to the city staff’s final technical review of the drainage cobble detail and any outstanding technical corrections.
