CASTLE PINES NORTH, Colo., May 27, 2010 – After two years of discussions and numerous community, stakeholder and planning meetings, the Castle Pines North City Council adopted the Castle Pines North Urban Renewal Plan following a public hearing on Tuesday.

The approval of the Urban Renewal Plan gives the City access to tools in order to foster long-term development and redevelopment of the Castle Pines North community, and more importantly, create a solid foundation for increasing tax revenues without increasing taxes on its residents.

“This was a very deliberate process that began with the previous City Council,” said Councilmember Doug Gilbert. “The City Council has held more than ten meetings with key stakeholders to explain what an urban renewal authority (URA) is, how it will impact businesses and area service districts, and how it will help our community enhance its already vibrant character.”

Over the past two months, the City Council has met with the Douglas County School District, administrators from the library district, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the South Metro Fire Rescue Authority and the Douglas County Commissioners to assure them that the URA will have minimal or no impact on their current tax funding structures. The City Council expects that residents’ city services will be enhanced by a URA, and additional funds will be available to expand services, including future expansion of our libraries and schools.

The City is working toward implementing Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs) with South Metro Fire Rescue Authority, Castle Rock Fire Protection District, and Parker Water and Sanitation District to ensure no impact is felt by these neighboring taxing jurisdictions as a result of the URA. These IGAs will be voted on at the June 8 City Council meeting.

The primary reason behind approval of the Urban Renewal Plan is to enhance and revitalize the existing and future business districts.

"Approval of the Urban Renewal Plan is a part of a comprehensive economic development strategy for the City of Castle Pines North,” said Gilbert. “During the incorporation study process for the City in 2007, key deficiencies in the economic vitality of the commercial districts were identified as pressing issues. The history of our geographic area as a separated, urbanized area with a smaller population in a large county contributed to a lack of focused planning to ensure a robust local economy.”

“From 2007 to 2009 community leaders in the Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce, Castle Pines Economic Development Council and our City Council focused on a range of potential actions to address economic development issues. An Urban Renewal Authority was one of the important components of the strategy developed by these groups. The URA strategy needed adaptation to ensure that existing and new commercial areas can be both competitive and maintain a high-quality, rural-urban character that is unique for the Castle Pines area."

Before an Urban Renewal Plan can be adopted, the area must be determined to be “blighted” as defined in Colorado State Statutes, which requires the presence of at least four of 11 factors. This outdated term, as defined by Colorado law, is meant to define areas that are economically challenged.  Castle Pines North has a variety of properties and parcels that fit the state’s description of defective or inadequate street layout, substantial physical underutilization, and the presence of vacant, underused land without public improvements. The independent survey conducted for the City identified the presence of seven blight factors in the study area. 

The URA Commission will eventually transition into a citizen volunteer authority. During the Tuesday, May 25 public meeting several questions were raised regarding the Plan’s impact on agreements between The Canyons’ developer and a neighboring HOA. The City Council members are in agreement that local government cannot intervene with private contractual agreements, such as the agreements that exist between The Canyons and neighboring HOAs.

To help explain the URA, the Urban Renewal Plan approval process and answer many frequently asked questions, the City’s elected officials sent a letter to every home in Castle Pines North on Saturday, May 22.

Incorporated Feb. 12, 2008, Castle Pines North is a city of about 10,000 located 20 miles south of Denver in Douglas County. For more information about news and events in Castle Pines North, please visit the city’s website. If you have any questions or comments, please call the city offices at 303.705.0200, or fill out an online comment form.