Crowsnest Annexation Petition

The City of Castle Pines has received a petition from VT Crowfoot Valley Landco, LLC., to annex a group of properties, known as Crowsnest, an approximately 795-acre property adjacent to and including portions of Crowfoot Valley Road east of the Canyons. The property is currently located in unincorporated Douglas County. See the map for an overview of the boundary for the land included in the petition.

The timeline for City Council consideration of an annexation is determined primarily by state law and requires a public hearing and passage of an ordinance. Once a property is deemed eligible for annexation by meeting certain criteria under state law, the City Council will evaluate whether the annexation is beneficial to the City in making a final decision. If the property is annexed, the property must be zoned within 90 days.

Annexation is the process by which a municipality may incorporate additional land within its jurisdictional boundaries. The most common method of annexation is a petition from the landowner(s), which usually involves a negotiated agreement that sets forth the terms of annexation and obligations of the petitioning property owners and the municipality.

For more information, view the annexation application timeline below. If you have questions, contact the City's Community Development Director Donna Ferguson at Donna.Ferguson@CastlePinesCO.gov.

Annexation Petition Timeline:

  • October 24: Annexation petition submitted to the City of Castle Pines.
  • November 3 Council Meeting: City Council approves Substantial Compliance Resolution.
    • The purpose of the meeting was to consider a resolution on whether the City Council found the annexation petition in substantial compliance with state law (the requirements of the Municipal Annexation Act of 1965) and to set the Eligibility Hearing date on the proposed annexation. This was the first step in the annexation process; it does not mean that the City Council supports or doesn't support the policy question of whether the property should be annexed.
  • November 11 Council Meeting: City Council is scheduled to consider an ordinance to approve the proposed annexation and annexation agreement on first reading.
  • December 9 Council Meeting and Public Hearing: City Council considers the following:
    • A resolution making findings of fact and conclusions as to the eligibility of the land to be annexed to the City.
    • An ordinance to approve the annexation (second reading).
    • An ordinance to approve an annexation agreement (second reading).

The timeline above is subject to change and is dependent on the City Council's approval or denial of each step.

Resources:

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the annexation process?

All annexation proposals must follow a State-mandated process, which includes public hearings for each step and requires City Council to make three specific decisions:

  1. Substantial Compliance: Does the annexation petition comply with State law?
  2. Eligibility: Is the property eligible to be annexed in accordance with State law?
  3. Annexation: Should the property be annexed?

Substantial compliance and eligibility are determined at City Council meetings and are procedural in nature. If City Council determines the annexation petition complies with state requirements and the land is eligible to be considered for annexation, a public hearing would take place to determine if the land should be annexed. This hearing will include an opportunity for public comment.

Petitions for annexation are evaluated by City staff
To help City Council's decision-making process, staff reviews the proposed annexation and studies the potential impacts on the City, including fiscal impacts and impacts to infrastructure and overall levels of service.  The goal is to determine whether the annexation would benefit the City.

How are annexations zoned?

If an annexation is approved, the property must be zoned for land use within 90 days. Zoning includes a public hearing during a City Council meeting and includes an opportunity for public comment.

Why is the City considering an annexation of property?

Petitions for annexation are submitted to the City by private landowner(s). The City is required to review proposed annexations and, if it meets the requirements outlined by State law, consider a proposed annexation for inclusion in its jurisdictional boundaries. City Council will evaluate whether the annexation is beneficial to the City in making a final decision.