Internet connectivity reaches one gigabit speeds throughout town, with Comcast working toward 10-gigabit capacity within existing infrastructure. “Metronet is entering the west side as an additional competitor,” Penny confirms.“Both 5G and fiber optic networks continue expanding, supported by law enforcement and fire protection services that are strong.” Meanwhile, Douglas County School District ranks among Colorado’s top systems, operating on an open enrollment. Castle Pines currently has three elementary schools, with middle and high schools located minutes north in unincorporated county land. “We have land over on the east side right now for an elementary school and then a middle and a high school, which are in the future design,” Penny says. “We are next on the list for additional schools on the east side to accommodate the growth.” The city was excluded from the most recent bond measure, a disappointment tempered by expectations of inclusion in the next round. The school district focuses resources where the bulk of school-aged children live. Castle Pines’ housing costs, while attractive to many buyers, skew demographics away from families with multiple children compared to communities with more modest price points. Over 61 percent of Douglas County residents hold bachelor’s degrees or higher, and nearly 99 percent have completed high school. A 50-YEAR DOWNTOWN VISION REALIZED A landowner and his brothers purchased 3,500 acres in 1975 for cash, then waited. For decades, the timeline remained uncertain. Five years out, perhaps ten, maybe a project for grandchildren to complete. That ambiguity has ended. “A couple years ago, if somebody called us up, there was no real timeframe around this,” Penny says. “It could have been five years or 10 years or maybe the landowner was going to leave it to his grandkids to develop, and it was going to be 20 years out. Now we’re starting to see the owner’s vision. That vision 135 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 07, ISSUE 01 CASTLE PINES, CO
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