Alright, so last week’s poll regarding deeper dives on development and other news got a 100% vote for “yes, mix them in” (and yes, more than just my mom voted). So, I’ve got my work cut out for me, but I think I’m up for the challenge. Not that I’ll do it every week, but it just so happened that the City of Castle Pines Crowsnest annexation had another hearing on Tuesday, so there’s more on that below. We’ll have plenty more business openings coming up in the next few weeks.

The eligibility vote is just the beginning. Here's what you need to know about the fiscal fight, traffic concerns, and what comes next.

On Tuesday night, Castle Pines City Council voted 7-0 to approve the eligibility of the Crowsnest annexation — a 795-acre development that would add nearly 4,000 homes to one of Douglas County's smallest cities.

The vote doesn't approve the project itself. It confirms the annexation petition meets the 11 statutory criteria under Colorado's Municipal Annexation Act of 1965 — everything from the 1/6 contiguity requirement to ensuring no other municipality has competing annexation proceedings. Nine property owners control 100% of the land and all have petitioned, meaning no election is required. But the packed hearing made clear: this is going to be a fight.

The Development

VT Crowfoot Valley Landco (a subsidiary of Ventana Capital) proposes building 3,965 dwelling units on land currently unincorporated — sitting between Castle Pines and Parker along Crowfoot Valley Road. The mix would be roughly 70% single-family detached and 30% attached, though the final breakdown depends on zoning. Parker Mayor Joshua Rivero called it "essentially three times as dense as the neighboring communities."

The land is already adjacent to Parker. But when the developer explored annexation there, they claim the town wasn't interested.

The Four-Step Annexation

Critics call it a flagpole annexation — using a narrow strip of Crowfoot Valley Road to create contiguity with Castle Pines.

Crowfoot Valley Road is currently a Douglas County road, but state law allows cities to annex public rights-of-way without county consent. It's actually four separate annexations that build on each other — each one establishes boundary contiguity for the next, ultimately achieving the required 1/6 perimeter contiguity under Colorado law. Legal? Yes. Popular? That's another question.

The Fiscal Debate

The developer's fiscal analysis claims Crowsnest will generate $10.1 million in annual surplus for Castle Pines.

Castle Pines hired TischlerBise, an independent fiscal consultant, to review those numbers. Their conclusion: the developer overstates the benefit by approximately 3x.

The corrected projection shows a $3.3 million annual surplus — still positive, but 67% less than advertised. Key discrepancies:

- Operating costs: Developer estimated $948,000/year for everything — roads, parks, police, public works combined. Independent review says $7.6 million — an 8x difference.
- Road maintenance alone: ~$1 million/year at buildout (more than the developer's entire operating estimate).
- Parks maintenance: 65 additional acres would cost $2.84 million annually — three times the developer's entire cost estimate.

Joseph Lugo, a CPA with 23 years in corporate accounting, broke down the math during public comment. His claims checked out against the independent review.

Traffic: 44,000 Daily Trips

The development's traffic study projects 44,435 net new daily vehicle trips at full build-out by 2045.

The study concludes intersections will operate "acceptably" — but only with extensive improvements including new traffic signals at four intersections, dual and triple turn lanes, and widening across the corridor. Without those improvements, at least one key intersection hits Level of Service "F" (stop-and-go traffic).

Castle Rock Mayor Jason Gray wrote to Castle Pines expressing "substantial concerns" about traffic seeking I-25 access.

Wildlife: Dueling Claims

Residents cited a herd of 100-150 elk that uses the land as a winter migration corridor, invoking Governor Polis's Executive Order D-2019-011 protecting big game routes.

But the developer's own environmental consultant, ERO Resources, found no designated wildlife corridors mapped in the project area and no high priority habitat for any species. No elk were observed during their November 2025 site visit, and the nearest mule deer concentration area is 1.2 miles west along Cherry Creek.

The assessment did note four inactive raptor nests, remnants of prairie dog colonies, and wetlands along Lemon Gulch that may require state permits.

Water and Schools

Water service would come from Parker Water & Sanitation — but there's no agreement yet. A November 2025 letter from Parker Water explicitly states it "was not intended to guarantee water and sanitary sewer service." The developer must still petition for inclusion.

The development would generate an estimated 2,409 new students — all attending Parker schools. Zero overlap with current Castle Pines schools.

What Council Said

Council Member Blue summed up the calculus: "This land is going to be developed, folks. The question is not should it be developed...it's going to be developed. Do we want to grow and include it or not?"

Mayor Tracy Engerman emphasized the narrow scope: "This is not about whether this is a right fit right now for Castle Pines. This is about whether it meets the legal eligibility requirements." Though, the word "discretion" came up multiple times during legal back-and-forth — suggesting they could have subjectively deemed it ineligible. They may be protecting themselves from a lawsuit if they don't follow the process precisely. And speaking of lawsuits, one member of the public mentioned that none of the projections included the multiple guaranteed lawsuits to come if this is approved. Whichever way this goes, it looks like this is another situation where it pays to have a law degree…

What's Next

The annexation goes to the Planning Commission on March 5, then to Council for first reading on March 10 and second reading on March 24. The annexation agreement must be finalized before that final vote.

Public comment is encouraged at all future hearings.

Sources: Castle Pines City Council eligibility hearing (Feb 24, 2026); Petition for Annexation and city presentation slides; Crowsnest Fiscal Impact Analysis (THK Associates, Nov 2025); TischlerBise independent fiscal review (Jan 2026); Crowsnest Annexation Impact Report (LJA, Jan 2026); Crowsnest Traffic Impact Study (Galloway, Feb 2026); Natural Resources Assessment (ERO Resources, Dec 2025); Parker Water & Sanitation District letter (Nov 2025); Castle Rock Mayor Jason Gray correspondence; CBS Colorado; Parker Chronicle.

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Music & Concerts

PACE Center - The Ten Tenors - Thu 2/26, 7:30pm
Tailgate Tavern & Grill - Red Mountain Highway - Thu 2/26, 7:30-11:30pm
Wide Open Saloon - Struggler Project - Fri 2/27, 7-10:30pm
Lone Tree Arts Center - Lone Tree Symphony: Winds of Destiny - Fri 2/27, 7:30pm
Takoda Tavern - Mosquito Pass - Fri 2/27, 7:30-11:30pm
Sinners & Saints - Bunny Blake - Fri 2/27, 8pm
Wild Goose Saloon - Tribute Night: Live Wire (AC/DC) & Kickstart My Heart - Fri 2/27, 8pm
Tailgate Tavern & Grill - Guild of Ages - Fri 2/27, 8:30pm-12:30am
The Schoolhouse - Stephan Hume Live - Sat 2/28, 6:15pm
105 West Brewing - Aces and Eights - Sat 2/28, 6:30-9:30pm
The Stagecoach Saloon - Wags And The Boys - Sat 2/28, 6:30-10:30pm
Wide Open Saloon - Hooligans Holiday - Sat 2/28, 7-10:30pm
Lone Tree Arts Center - International Guitar Night - Sat 2/28, 7:30pm
Takoda Tavern - 6202 - Sat 2/28, 7:30-11:30pm
Wild Goose Saloon - Freddy Jones Band with Waiting for Dani - Sat 2/28, 8pm
The Studio @ Mainstreet - AD2 - Sat 2/28, 8:30-11:30pm
Tailgate Tavern & Grill - Guild of Ages - Sat 2/28, 8:30pm-12:30am

Family

PACE Center - Lunar New Year - Sat 2/28, 8am-1pm

Food & Drink

COFF33 - Blanchard Family Wines Guided 4-Wine Tasting - Fri 2/27, 6-7pm
Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Whiskey Tasting: Wonderful World of Whiskey - Sat 2/28, 6pm
COFF33 - Blanchard Wines: Wine and Chocolate Tasting - Sat 2/28, 6-7pm
105 West Brewing - Pints and Pours Paint Night - Tue 3/3, 6:30-8:30pm

Arts & Culture

Magpie Art Center - Intuitive Clay – 4 weeks - Thu 2/26, 6:30-8:30pm
Magpie Art Center - The Creative Reset Weekend - Sat 2/28, 9am-4:30pm
PACE Center - The Magic of Rob Lake - Sat 2/28, 2:30pm & 7:30pm
PACE Center - Ballet Ariel Presents Little Women - Sun 3/1, 3pm
Lone Tree Arts Center - Nat Geo Live: Uncovering Our Concrete Jungle - Sun 3/1, 7pm
Southridge Recreation Center - Cold Cases & Cocktails - Mon 3/2, 6:30-8pm
PACE Center - Parker Arts Lecture: Space Weather - Wed 3/4, 12pm
Southridge Recreation Center - Cold Cases & Cocktails - Wed 3/4, 6:30-8pm

Nightlife & Entertainment

The Schoolhouse - Moms Unhinged Standup Comedy Show - Thu 2/26, 7pm
Cherokee Ranch & Castle - Murder Mystery: Death of a Gangster - Fri 2/27, 6pm
Southridge Recreation Center - Sweetheart Dance - Fri 2/27, 7-9pm
The Studio @ Mainstreet - OPTIMUS CLUB Karaoke - Fri 2/27, 8pm-12am
Alidade Brewing - Bring Your Own Vinyl Night - Sat 2/28, 5-9pm
The Studio @ Mainstreet - Sunday Karaoke w/ KJ Optimus - Sun 3/1, 3:30-7:30pm
The Studio @ Mainstreet - Game Night & Poker - Tue 3/3, 7pm-12:30am
Alidade Brewing - Music Bingo - Wed 3/4, 6-8pm
105 West Brewing - Vinyl Night - Wed 3/4, 6-9pm

Special Events

Rock Solid Fitness & Wellness Club - Grand Opening - Sat 2/28, 8-11am

On the Horizon

Wide Awake Eatery - Dueling Pianos - Thu 3/5, 6pm
PACE Center - Lutheran HS: Guys and Dolls - Fri 3/6, 7pm
The Schoolhouse - Friday Night Jazz: Women in Jazz - Fri 3/6, 7:30pm
Honnibrook Craft Meadery - Josh Blackburn Live - Fri 3/6, 6-9pm
Sinners & Saints - Hot Boots Duo - Fri 3/6, 8pm
The Stagecoach Saloon - Wags and the Boys - Sat 3/7, 6:30-10:30pm

Need more events? Check out https://dougcoevents.com

Dahlberg Fire Burns 1,018 Acres South of Franktown
TLDR: A grass fire erupted Monday afternoon near Dahlberg Road and Lake Gulch Road, forcing 17 homes to evacuate. Firefighters achieved 100% containment by evening — no injuries or property damage reported. Drought conditions and winds fueled rapid growth; helicopters and air tankers were deployed.

Parker Town Council Rejects Take 5 Oil Change Proposal
TLDR: Despite Planning Commission approval, Town Council voted 4-1 against a Take 5 Oil Change on Parker Road. Mayor Rivero said the town is "looking for redevelopment on a larger scale to create the walkability that we're after."

Lone Tree Brewing's Parker Location Turns Two
TLDR: The brewery celebrates its second anniversary on Saturday, Feb. 28 with the return of their popular Wee Heavy, plus live music and games.

Highlands Ranch Parkway Lane Shifts Next Week
TLDR: Douglas County contractors will conduct UV CIPP lining on Highlands Ranch Parkway between Burntwood Way and Windsor Way during the week of March 2. Expect lane shifts in eastbound lanes near manholes.

Buff City Soap Opens in Castle Rock
TLDR: The plant-based, handmade soap shop held its grand opening Feb 20 at 221 Wilcox St — it was previously at the Outlets, but moved locations. Products are made fresh in-store daily.

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