Castle Pines council weighs large Crowsnest annexation near Parker

Castle Pines City Council considered an annexation petition for roughly 800 acres known as the Crowsnest property, located east of The Canyons and adjacent to the Town of Parker. The petition, filed by VT Crowfoot Valley Landco, LLC and sponsored by Ventana Capital, lays out a high-density master plan that could include as many as 3,000 homes, about 1,000 apartment units and roughly 50 acres of commercial land.

The developer has pledged infrastructure work as part of the project, including widening Crowfoot Valley Road to four lanes. An environmental assessment commissioned by the developer reported inactive raptor nests on the site and noted that no federally listed threatened or endangered species were identified. Castle Pines council completed an initial compliance and eligibility review that could move the proposal to a formal eligibility hearing scheduled for Feb. 24, with additional council readings and potential votes expected in March.

Nearby Parker residents and some Town of Parker leaders raised strong concerns during the review process. Neighbors reported sightings of bald eagles, migrating elk and other wildlife, and local officials signaled they will participate in Castle Pines hearings and urged a careful, thorough review of environmental and infrastructure impacts. Traffic and infrastructure capacity topped community worries, with Crowfoot Valley Road already serving as a key connector between southern Douglas County neighborhoods and regional highways.

For Douglas County residents the proposal represents a major potential shift in growth patterns. A development of this scale would increase daily vehicle trips, place new demands on water, sewer and electrical systems, and require coordination on school capacity and public safety services. The developer’s road widening commitment addresses one bottleneck but leaves questions about timelines, funding and the broader network impacts that flow into Parker and other neighboring jurisdictions.

The project also raises land use and wildlife corridor considerations that are central to the rural-to-suburban transition many parts of the county are experiencing. Even with no federally listed species identified in the developer’s assessment, residents who value the area’s open space and seasonal wildlife routes say cumulative impacts matter. Local governments will need to weigh mitigation measures, long-term habitat connectivity and regional planning obligations as the review proceeds.

What happens next matters for daily commutes and the county’s development trajectory. The eligibility hearing on Feb. 24 will be the first formal public opportunity for testimony and evidentiary review; council readings and votes follow in March. Attend or follow those hearings to track how growth, traffic mitigation and wildlife protections are balanced as this large Crowsnest proposal moves through the Castle Pines approval process.