The City of Castle Pines developed an Annexation Policy to help guide the review and consideration of future annexation requests. The policy is designed as a framework to guide any future annexation applications submitted to the City.

The Annexation Policy does not approve any specific property for annexation. It does not require the City to annex land in the future. Instead, the policy helps City Council, City staff, applicants, and residents better understand the key information to consider when an annexation request is submitted. The purpose of the policy is to help guide future decision-making by identifying important community considerations in advance.

Developing the Annexation Policy

To develop a draft of the policy, City staff conducted extensive community outreach, including a community survey and two resident open houses. Following this outreach, the City prepared a draft Annexation Policy for resident review. This policy was based on feedback from more than 600 Castle Pines residents who completed the online survey, as well as from additional input received during two open houses on June 29 and July 1, 2026. A draft policy document was available for public review and comment beginning July 8. An online period was open from July 8 to July 20 for residents to provide additional comments on the draft document.

City Council held two study sessions, on July 14 and July 28, to discuss the draft policy. The draft document was updated on July 30 based on comments received during the public comment period and from the City Council's direction to staff during the two study sessions. City Council also hosted a listening session at the Castle Pines Community Center on August 19 to gather additional feedback from residents.

Following the listening session, the City Council voted to formally adopt the Annexation Policy to help guide future annexation requests. The policy can also be found on the City's Guiding Documents webpage.

What is annexation?

Annexation is the legal process by which a property owner asks to have land outside the city limits become part of Castle Pines. Annexation does not happen automatically, and it does not begin unless a property owner submits a formal request. Because annexation can affect both the property being considered and the broader community, the City wants to establish a clear policy to guide the consideration of any future requests that are submitted.

If a request is submitted in the future, the City would be required to follow all steps outlined by State law to determine if the property is eligible to be annexed, and then a separate City process to determine if the property should be annexed (see the Frequently Asked Questions below for more details).

Since the City's incorporation in 2008, the city boundaries have grown via several approved annexations, including:

• Castle Valley, west of I-25 and south of the Village Square Commercial District, in 2008 (249 acres)
• The Canyons, east of I-25, in 2009 (3,343 acres)
• Castle Pines Town Center, west of I-25 and north of Happy Canyon Road, in 2012 (354 acres)

Why did the City create an Annexation Policy?

During the annual City Council retreat held in March 2026, the Council asked staff to begin developing an Annexation Policy to help create a thoughtful, consistent framework for reviewing possible future annexation requests.

The adopted policy does not approve any specific property for annexation. It also does not require the City to annex land in the future. Instead, the policy helps City Council, City staff, applicants, and residents better understand the key information to consider when an annexation request is submitted. The purpose of the policy is to help guide future decision-making by identifying important community considerations in advance.

What does the policy help address?

The Annexation Policy helps the City evaluate future requests by considering topics such as:

• Consistency with the City’s long-term vision
• Impacts to traffic, roads, and transportation systems
• Effects on parks, trails, and open space
• Availability of City services and public safety resources
• Impacts to water, utilities, and infrastructure
• Compatibility with nearby neighborhoods in Castle Pines
• Fiscal impacts, including costs and benefits to the community

These topics do not, on their own, determine the outcome of any future request. Instead, they help create a more transparent and predictable way to evaluate annexation applications, if submitted.

What the policy does and does not do

The Annexation Policy does:

• Help guide the review of future annexation applications
• Identify key issues the City should consider
• Support a consistent and transparent review process
• Help the community understand how annexation requests may be evaluated

The Annexation Policy does not:

• Approve any specific property for annexation
• Start an annexation process
• Require the City to annex land
• Replace the legal review process required by State law
• Eliminate opportunities for public notice, review, or comment if a future application is submitted

Community outreach process

Resident input is a critical part of developing the Annexation Policy. The City wants to hear what matters most to the community when thinking about future growth and possible annexation. The outreach process included a community survey, two public open houses, and an online comment period following the posting of the draft policy.

The public can also provide comments during the Public Comment portion of City Council meetings or submit comments for inclusion in the City Council packet. Visit the City Council Meetings webpage for more information on providing comments during City Council meetings.

Community survey

An online survey was available for residents to share which topics are most important when considering future annexation requests. The survey was open from May 18 to June 14. View a summary of the results.

Public open houses

Following the survey closure, the City summarized and shared the results at two public open houses on June 29 and July 1. These meetings gave residents an opportunity to learn more about annexation, ask questions, review community feedback, provide additional input, and speak with City staff.

• Review the display boards from the open houses

Draft policy review

After the survey and open houses, the City posted a draft policy in early July 2026 for public review. Residents were able to review the draft and provide additional comments and feedback via an online form.

• Draft policy posted online to this webpage and public comment period opened: Week of July 6
• Online comment period closed: July 20
• City Council listening session: August 19 at 6 p.m. at the Castle Pines Community Center (7404 Yorkshire Drive)
• City Council adoption of the policy: August 25

What happens if an annexation application is submitted in the future?

If a property owner submits an annexation application in the future, they would need to start the process from the beginning and complete all steps required by the State and the City.

The City would notify the public through its usual communication channels, including the City website, email updates, social media, newspaper notices, public meeting agendas, and other appropriate methods. Residents would have opportunities to stay informed and participate during the review process.