The sale in question from 2019 involved six noncontiguous parcels of land within two broader areas – Westfield Trade Center and Dawson Ridge – that had a patchwork of ownership.
The areas were annexed into Castle Rock in 1984 and zoned in 1986. Some infrastructure, which still exists today, was installed before bankruptcies halted initial development in Dawson Ridge in about 1990.
Since 1992, Dawson Ridge – the larger, southern portion in which half of the 2019 purchased parcels lie – has been under a suspension agreement from the Town. That agreement assures the Town’s ability to obtain updated development plans for the area that conform to current Town policies. (The 1980s zoning, which is accounted for in the Town’s current population growth projections, allows for up to 7,900 dwelling units and 13 million square feet of commercial space in Dawson Ridge and up to 11.6 million square feet of commercial space in the Westfield Trade Center. Current Town rules related to water, as well as transportation constraints, would prohibit development at these levels.)
To move forward with any development in this area, numerous steps – involving coordination among many parties – and public hearings with the Planning Commission and Town Council would be required.
(Updated Feb. 5, 2021)
