Controversial Crowsnest annexation petition in Colorado's Castle Pines withdrawn: "We've won this battle"

The controversial Crowsnest annexation petition in Castle Pines has been withdrawn by the developer, as Castle Pines prepares to consider creating an annexation policy.

The 795-acre collection of Colorado properties called "Crowsnest" is along Crowfoot Valley Road. A developer was asking Castle Pines to annex the land, which sits south of Parker. It is eligible for what's called a "flagpole annexation" because Crowfoot Valley Road connects the land to Castle Pines. Parker town officials have already told the developer it does not want to annex the land.

If approved, the land could have been developed into nearly 4,000 residences, with 70 acres of dedicated open space.

The annexation petition was withdrawn because of a resolution Castle Pines City Council will consider Tuesday to develop an annexation policy. It's an idea that Castle Pines says came out of the recent council retreat, and one that sidelines the developer's plans, at least for now.

"I think we've won this battle, but the war will continue," said Joey Lugo, a Parker resident.

The petition's withdrawal is good news for the many neighbors who spoke out against the annexation.

"It would have really fragmented our city," said Donna Cook, a Castle Pines resident.

Many objected to the proposed "flagpole annexation" that would make the land part of Castle Pines, despite its proximity to Parker.

"That land borders Parker on three sides, and it actually takes about 10 minutes to drive from here to there," said Cook.

Others worried about overdevelopment and the impact to wildlife.

"I was furious. Number one because as you can see, it's a beautiful piece of land, as everybody knows, here in Parker, there's not much of this left. There's a huge resident elk population that runs through here, about 150 animals every year… We have bald eagles right down here," said Lugo.

Lugo lives in Parker, very close to the Crowsnest land.

Lugo's concerns are shared by his mayor, Joshua Rivero, who spoke out against the development, worried it would negatively impact Parker.

Rivero shared this statement with CBS Colorado:

"On behalf of the Town of Parker, I want to thank the City of Castle Pines for taking input from neighboring communities and local agencies into account as they considered the proposed Crowsnest development and its potential impacts. We're also encouraged by their plan to create an annexation policy with input from their residents."

"We look forward to continuing conversations with Castle Pines and other regional partners about future development and how it affects our communities. Working together is the best way to make sure we're growing responsibly and in a way that benefits everyone."

The planning commission was set to discuss the annexation next week, but instead, City Council chose to explore creating a policy to quote "establish criteria, informed by resident input, to guide future discussions on annexation applications."

"We feel great and we feel excited that the city is working with the residents and getting our feedback as to what the criteria would be," said Cook.

As a result, the would-be Crowsnest developer, VT Crowfoot Valley Landco LLC, withdrew their annexation petition.

"I think it's a real win for the community," said Lugo.

At their Tuesday meeting, council will weigh the resolution accepting the petition's withdrawal, greenlighting the development of that annexation policy, and putting a stay on future annexation applications.

"I feel that the city council is really taking to heart the input that the residents are providing," said Cook.

The 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.

In 2024, CP Commercial LLC, another entity under Ventana, sued the Castle Pines City Council after they denied the site improvement plan for a proposed McDonald's the developer was hoping to build. A court ultimately sided with the town.

"With that experience, they really need to be by the book and make sure they're doing all the right things," said Cook.

The developer declined to comment for this story. The developer previously said the proposed master-planned Colorado community could bring 1,200 new jobs to Castle Pines and increase tax revenue and property values.

The City of Castle Pines posted the update to the Crowsnest annexation web page. The city said they could not comment further until after Tuesday's meeting.

Both Cook and Lugo were involved in a community group called "People Against Annexing Crowsnest." Cook says 200 to 300 people were part of it. A recent City Council meeting where Crowsnest was discussed was standing room only, with all but one public comment speakers against the petition.

With the petition's withdrawal, the neighbors will continue to be involved.

"It may seem like a daunting battle, but we really came together… our voices were heard, and they received a lot of pressure. And going forward, we'll be here again," said Lugo.

Cook will be at Tuesday's meeting, where she will advocate for annexation criteria like low-density development with open space, and perhaps even no flagpole annexation.

"I really feel like they want more involvement for the citizens, and that's a big win for us," said Cook.

Lugo knows the land, which is made up of nine different landowners, will still be developed.

"This will eventually get developed. I think it's just going to take a lot of talking between the communities and the governments to see what fits best here. As we all know, Castle Pines and Parker has been overdeveloped, and it would be nice to see them do something nice with the space," said Lugo.

If the resolution is approved Tuesday, council will ask for the public's help in developing the annexation policy later this year. Then, the Crowsnest petition could be submitted again if it meets that policy.