Decades after first attempting to annex their land into Castle Rock, a Douglas County family is poised to do so again in order to redevelop the unincorporated, 535-acre Pine Canyon Ranch.

But again, more time is needed.

On Tuesday night, without further discussion, Castle Rock Town Council approved to postpone Pine Canyon’s first of two public hearings and votes for annexation and development.

Tuesday’s decision sets the stage to gauge whether town councilmembers are willing to consider a final vote in June. In a letter to the town council April 30, Pine Canyon developers requested a postponement of the first reading until May 20.

“Additional time is needed to develop the development agreement for the project,” developers said.

The 535-acre unincorporated site splits Interstate 25, and east of the interstate is located north of Scott Boulevard, south of Black Feather Trail, west of Founders Parkway and east of Front Street. On the west side of I-25, Pine Canyon sits east of Prairie Hawk Drive, south of Highway 85 and is bisected by Liggett Road.

The ranch is described as the “donut hole” in the middle of Castle Rock.

In today’s plan, Pine Canyon’s development calls for 800 single-family homes, a maximum of 1,000 multi-family residential units and a 600,000-square-foot limit for non-residential development. Developers plan to retain 176 acres for parks, open space and trails. A hotel resort and spa and business space is also proposed.

Castle Rock residents lamented such a development would complicate water sustainability, eliminate open space views, increase traffic, density and decrease nearby property values.

The Walker family, which has owned the ranch since 1885, has attempted to redevelop it since 2003 by annexing the land into Castle Rock. Pine Canyon developers first proposed a formal annexation for redevelopment in 2013.

After three failed attempts to annex into town, the family pivoted to Douglas County for development in 2020, but was stymied again last year when faced with public concerns over sustainable water and Castle Rock annexation.

Since then, the Walkers’ have returned to Castle Rock for a fourth annexation attempt. Castle Rock Town Council previously approved pre-annexation for Pine Canyon in December, allowing the developers to address concerns over water usage and requiring them to meet municipal standards.

Kurt Walker, a sixth generation family member, told The Denver Gazette that Pine Canyon ranch has become unsustainable as Castle Rock and Douglas County develop more land around them.

“The relationship very severely broke down between ourselves and the town in the late 2010s to the point it became very clear to us that there was absolutely no path forward for us ever obtaining staff approval with the plan that we had at that time,” Walker previously said.

“We have watched the town grow around us and see the changes to what it is for generations,” he said.

The family said that annexing into town will allow the development to follow municipal codes. Notably, it allows the development to work with municipal groundwater and wastewater services. The original water plan at the county level drew the ire of nearby residents, with some saying the nonrenewable groundwater supply isn’t sustainable.

Between September and December, Douglas County commissioners considered Pine Canyon’s development proposal. That vote was delayed three times amid community pushback, leading developers back to conversations with Castle Rock.

“We didn’t go to the county for leverage or negotiation tactics,” Walker previously said. “We did that because it was our only path forward.”