heavily on economic conditions that have slowed what was once breakneck growth. “In 2019 we were at about 10,500 residents,” Penny says. “To give you an idea, when the economy was really good, I think Shea was running a six-month wait list to get the lot that you wanted to build your home on. Castle Pines is definitely a desirable place to be.” Interest rates and construction costs now govern the pace. When rates drop into the high fours or low fives, Penny expects home builders to accelerate rapidly. Until then, the units wait, platted and ready but unbuilt. The city’s housing stock is diversifying from its origins as an exclusively high-end single-family community. Three to four years ago, council began approving apartments, townhomes, and for-rent single-family products alongside traditional for-sale homes. One development introduced a model where single-family homes function as rental properties, a concept that has since spread across Colorado. “Council realized that not everybody can afford a single-family home that at the time started at $750,000,” Penny notes.“We needed a diversification to the housing stock.” The next step involves workforce housing. Council is amending codes to fast-track proposals for attainable units, recognizing that restaurant staff, educators, and medical office workers need places to live within the community they serve. No projects have emerged yet, but the framework now exists to welcome them. UTILITIES, SCHOOLS, AND ESSENTIAL SERVICES Two water districts serve Castle Pines, divided predictably by Interstate 25. The Castle Pines North Metropolitan District handles the built-out west side, while Parker Water and Sanitation District has committed to the entire 3,500-acre eastern expansion. Long-term water plans are in place, removing a constraint that hampers many Colorado communities. 133 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 07, ISSUE 01 CASTLE PINES, CO
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI5MjAx