Coloradans air concerns as new developments could add 1,000+ homes to Castle Rock
Plans to move forward with a new development in Castle Rock could add over 400 homes to an already growing area. Residents of Ash Avenue want their quiet street to stay that way.
"Ash Avenue is older homes. Parking in the street. Children play outside on their bikes," said Maureen O'Reilly, who has lived on Ash Avenue for 41 years.
However, a prospective development could turn their street into access for a new Chateau Valley neighborhood.
The developer, Highline Engineering & Surveying Co., has proposed building 415 single-family homes off of Valley Drive, in an area zoned for development in the 80s.
The same developer is proposing the nearby Founders Vista development of over 500 homes.
Meanwhile, the neighboring "Oaks" neighborhood off of Plum Creek Parkway was greenlit for 114 homes in December.
"We're not just concerned about this subdivision being built at the end of the street. It's the total of all of this that's going in that's going to impact not just this division but all of the town," said O'Reilly.
It could mean more than 1,000 homes being built in the area in coming years.
"Once they finish these three different developments, it's gonna open it up where it becomes a thoroughfare," said Ash Avenue resident Scott Gricks.
Neighbors say their biggest concerns are traffic, water, and safety.
"My daughter," said Gricks, "we don't have adequate sidewalks for her to be on."
Chateau Valley's developer says a traffic study indicated the development would cause no noticeable change in traffic. It's not clear if this study took into account the impact of other planned developments.
"Our water that we have right now will be cut in half," said O'Reilly.
The developer confirmed water for both Chateau Valley and Founders Vista will come from the town's existing supply.
The Town of Castle Rock shared the following statement regarding water concerns:
These areas have been annexed into the Town and approved for residential development since the 1980s. As such, the Town has been committed to and planning for providing water service to these proposed developments since that time. Our Water-Resources-Strategic-Master-Plan-2021-PDF (crgov.com) provides comprehensive details on how we will provide long-term water resources for the entire Town.
Both the Chateau Valley and Founders Vista projects are in site development, plans will need to be submitted to the town and heard before the planning commission before they are final.
The town is hosting a neighborhood meeting to discuss this development on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Mesa Middle School. More information can be found here.
