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Development Steps
Steps to building a development in Castle Rock
If a project is planned in the near future, chances are, we are already reviewing it. New roads, water lines, subdivisions and commercial areas all get reviewed by the Development Services team on their way to becoming realities. The team makes sure all developments meet Town standards for design, safety and quality of life.
Each development begins with an idea. From there, Town staff guides the developer on the steps the Town requires to complete the project.
Generally, each project must go through seven steps - the first three of which involve public processes.
Most projects currently holding public hearings are at Step 3, but projects on properties not already in the Town must start at Step 1. Step 7 is where projects under construction today are at.
View our Development Activity Map to learn about current projects. While Title 17 of the Municipal Code governs the development process, this page lays out the general steps. Learn more about the seven steps to development by exploring the tabs on this page.
Public processes: Steps 1 to 3
- Step 1: Annexation
- Step 2: Zoning / planned development plan (PDP)
- Step 3: Site development plan (SDP)
If the owner of property in unincorporated Douglas County wants to develop it within the Town of Castle Rock, they must request annexation. Annexation changes the Town's boundary to include additional property.
Required processes for this step:
- Preapplication meeting with Town staff
- Three neighborhood meetings
- Submittals to Town staff, which are reviewed in detail; resubmittals will be required until Town standards are met
- Five public hearings: one with Planning Commission and four before Town Council
A property's zoning defines its allowed uses; the density or size of the development allowed on it; and the design standards that must be met for its development.
In Castle Rock, properties are either straight zoned - with designations like residential or industrial - or zoned with a custom planned development plan (PDP).
Property newly annexed into Town must establish zoning at that time, even if it is not developed until decades later. If a development idea includes uses not allowed in its current zoning, the owner would need to rezone it - this is called a planned development amendment (PD Amendment) in areas with planned development plans.
Zoning or rezoning require:
- Preapplication meeting with Town staff
- Three neighborhood meetings
- Submittals to Town staff, which are reviewed in detail; resubmittals will be required until Town standards are met
- Three public hearings: one with Planning Commission and two before Town Council*
*If zoning is occurring with an annexation, these public hearings may be combined with the hearings required at that step.
Site development plans (SDPs) depict the layout of a development, including roads, lots, building location and architectural information, parking, landscaping and more. There are three different processes that SDPs go through, depending on the type, size or location of a project. Each process is outlined below.
Requirements
SDPs for most residential uses and some commercial uses - and major amendments to SDPs - require public hearings. Requirements for projects not located in Downtown:
- Preapplication meeting with Town staff
- Three neighborhood meetings
- Submittals to Town staff, which are reviewed in detail; resubmittals will be required until Town standards are met
- Two public hearings: one with Planning Commission and one with Town Council
SDPs and major amendments to SDPs for Downtown projects require:
- Preapplication meeting with Town staff
- Three neighborhood meetings
- Submittals to Town staff, which are reviewed in detail; resubmittals will be required until Town standards are met
- One public hearing before the Design Review Board
SDPs for most commercial uses, a few mixed-use residential/commercial uses, and minor SDP amendments do not require public hearings. Administrative approval by Town staff is possible for these types of projects:
- Under 10 acres and not adjacent to a residential area, or in a zoning district established for mixed uses
- Under 100,000 square feet and not adjacent to a residential area, or in a zoning district established for mixed uses
- Or is a commercial or mixed-use residential / commercial project in an interchange overlay planned development district, regardless of project size
To receive approval, these projects require:
- Preapplication meeting with Town staff
- Submittals to Town staff, which are reviewed in detail; resubmittals will be required until Town standards are met
Administrative processes: Steps 4-7
- Step 4: Construction drawings for infrastructure
- Step 5: Platting
- Step 6: Site construction
- Step 7: Building construction
Before a project can be built, the developer must submit a set of engineered construction drawings to the Town. These typically include all of the infrastructure that needs to be constructed, such as roadways, sidewalks, water and sewer lines, parking areas, stormwater drainage areas, lighting and landscaping.
Town staff reviews the construction drawings for conformance with previously approved zoning, site development plans, Town Code and technical design criteria. The applicant must make revisions and resubmit the drawings as needed to obtain approval.
Once construction drawings are approved, the developer can apply for a construction permit. This step is often completed concurrently with Step 5: Platting.
Platting is the legal process to create individual lots for future homes, businesses, schools, open spaces, parks or other purposes.
To plat a lot, a project typically has construction drawings approved, to show that each lot can be accessed and served by utilities.
At this step, Town staff reviews lots for conformance with Town Code and technical design criteria.
Platting is often completed concurrently with Step 4: Construction drawings for infrastructure.
When a developer has approved construction drawings (Step 4) and platted lots (Step 5), they can begin site construction of necessary infrastructure.
The Town inspects the construction of all public infrastructure such as roadways, utilities, sidewalks and more for conformance with Town regulations and ultimately takes ownership of all public infrastructure.
For single-family residential lots, building permits can be applied for after Town staff has initially accepted the infrastructure built (Step 6). For commercial and multifamily projects, building construction often occurs concurrently with infrastructure construction, as long as safety measures are in place.
Building construction includes:
- Building plan review. Town staff reviews building plans for code conformance and approves them administratively.
- Building construction and inspection. The Town inspects buildings for conformance with approved plans and building codes.
- Certificate of occupancy. Town staff certifies a building is complete in accordance with approved plans, and its intended use may begin.