Castle Pines weighs annexation of Crowsnest property near Parker, as Colorado neighbors worry about wildlife

Castle Pines City Council was set to discuss the annexation of a property called "Crowsnest" at its Tuesday night meeting.

The developer says the proposed master-planned Colorado community could bring 1,200 new jobs to Castle Pines and increase tax revenue and property values. But it is Parker residents who feel they would be most impacted.

"The bald eagles are right behind those trees," said Molly Barnwell, a Trails of Crowfoot resident, while pointing to the land behind her home.

Barnwell says a front-row seat to scenes of bald eagles and migrating elk are why she loves her Parker home.

"We'll see the mom and dad eagles fly around in the summer, kind of all over this open space," Barnwell said.

The land behind her house has been a cattle ranch since 1920.

"My kids love it. We love it. We've seen coyotes and turkeys and deer and elk," Barnwell said.

But now the 800 acres of wild land could soon be home to nearly 3,000 homes, 1,000 apartments and 50 acres of commercial space.

"We're not against growth in Parker. We're just asking for responsible growth, and I think that's really important when it comes to wildlife and wildlife safety," Barnwell said.

The land sits in unincorporated Douglas County, east of The Canyons, along and straddling Crowfoot Valley Road, between Macanta Boulevard and Pradera Parkway. Despite the proximity to Parker, the land could become part of Castle Pines.

"When I think Castle Pines, I think, you know, it's way over that way," Barnwell said.

It is eligible for what's called a "flagpole annexation" because Crowfoot Valley Road connects the land to Castle Pines.

A petition for annexation was submitted to Castle Pines by VT Crowfoot Valley Landco, LLC, on behalf of nine private landowners. The proposed development is sponsored by Ventana Capital.

"We're just growing at a rate that the wildlife can't safely relocate," Barnwell said.

Parker's mayor, Joshua Rivero, also raised concerns about the impact on natural resources and infrastructure, sharing the following statement:

"The City of Castle Pines is considering annexing approximately 800 acres of land that is adjacent to the Town of Parker. The petition for annexation, which was previously submitted and withdrawn, has been resubmitted and is proposing an extremely high-density residential development with some potential for approximately 50 acres of commercial space at some point in the future.

The Town of Parker has concerns about this proposed development and the impact it will have on our residents and our roadways. While the Town's roadways in this area have been maintained and updated based on the anticipated density and traffic for the currently predicted population, the addition of an estimated 5,192 new households in this location would cause significant congestion beyond what the roadways can reasonably handle, and beyond future budgeting for any improvements.

The proposed density for the residential neighborhoods is considerably higher than any of the neighboring areas and it is likely to have a detrimental impact on the area's amenities, as well as natural resources.

Due to these initial concerns, especially the lack of detail from Castle Pines with respect to how it plans to mitigate these significant impacts, the Town intends to take action to ensure that our citizens are represented during this process. The Town intends to appear at the Castle Pines City Council meetings related to this annexation, with the first meeting today, Jan. 13, 2026, to determine whether the petition meets the substantial compliance criteria to proceed through the annexation process. The Town also intends to appear for any further meetings or hearings that are set on this annexation.

The Town has been and continues to be open and willing to engage in discussions with Castle Pines, the developer, and other stakeholders to find a resolution acceptable to all impacted parties, while minimizing detrimental impacts to our infrastructure and the amenities enjoyed by neighboring communities. The Town has engaged in discussions with these stakeholders since learning of the filing of the original petition.

The Town encourages the residents and businesses in the area to obtain as much information as possible so they can also understand the potential impacts to this area. We further encourage impacted residents and businesses to provide their input regarding this proposed annexation and development to the Castle Pines City Council, such as by attending any City Council meetings that are scheduled regarding this proposed annexation to ensure their questions are answered and their input is heard."

The developer says it will pay for the already planned widening of Crowfoot Valley Road to four lanes.

A December environmental assessment commissioned by Ventana Capital found the land does not contain habitat for any threatened or endangered species. It found inactive raptor nests but no evidence of eagles and recommends a nest survey be conducted in the week before construction. It did not mention if the area is an elk migration corridor.

A representative of VT Crowfoot Valley Landco, LLC, shared the following statement:

"We understand that environmental concerns are important, which is why an independent biological assessment was conducted as part of the site's due diligence. The assessment found that the property has been used as a cattle ranch since the 1920s and does not contain habitat for federally listed threatened or endangered species. Those findings will inform the City's review under applicable federal, state, and local environmental requirements."

Barnwell and other neighbors have captured numerous videos of eagles on the land and shared them with CBS Colorado.

"This summer, they were out and about all the time," Barnwell said. "There's a little pond there with a kind of dead tree, and that's where they like to make their nests."

Many neighbors have signed an online petition to stop the Crowsnest annexation.

"Once I saw that, I signed it immediately. I think it's important not just to preserve wildlife, but to preserve Parker, too, and to grow it in a safe and responsible way," Barnwell said.

Tuesday night, Castle Pines City Council is deciding if the petition is compliant with state law. If council finds that it is, it will hold an eligibility hearing on Feb. 24 and likely vote on the annexation in March, with first and second readings currently scheduled for March 10 and 24.

A spokesperson for the City of Castle Pines said:

"Since an annexation petition has been submitted by VT Crowfoot Valley Landco, LLC, the City Council is required to review it for compliance and eligibility with Colorado state law. If the petition for the land in question is in compliance with state law and found eligible for annexation, Council would then consider whether the proposal is a benefit to the City and whether the land should in fact be annexed into Castle Pines."