The City of Castle Pines is developing an Annexation Policy to help guide the review and consideration of future annexation requests. The City is not currently considering any annexation applications, but is developing a policy framework to help guide any future applications for annexation.

What Is Annexation?

Annexation is the legal process by which a property owner asks to have land outside the city limits become part of Castle Pines. Annexation does not happen automatically, and it does not begin unless a property owner submits a formal request. Because annexation can affect both the property being considered and the broader community, the City wants to establish a clear policy to guide the consideration of any future requests that are submitted.

If a request is submitted in the future, the City would be required to follow all steps outlined by State law to determine if the property is eligible to be annexed, and then a separate City process to determine if the property should be annexed (see the Frequently Asked Questions below for more details).

Since the City's incorporation in 2008, the city boundaries have grown via several approved annexations, including:

• Castle Valley, west of I-25 and south of the Village Square Commercial District, in 2008 (249 acres)
• The Canyons, east of I-25, in 2009 (3,343 acres)
• Castle Pines Town Center, west of I-25 and north of Happy Canyon Road, in 2012 (354 acres)

Why Is the City Creating an Annexation Policy?

During the annual City Council retreat held in March 2026, Council asked staff to begin developing an Annexation Policy to help create a thoughtful, consistent framework for reviewing possible future annexation requests.

The adopted policy would not approve any specific property for annexation. It would also not require the City to annex land in the future. Instead, the policy would help City Council, City staff, applicants, and residents better understand the key information to consider when an annexation request is submitted. The purpose of the policy is to help guide future decision-making by identifying important community considerations in advance.

What Could the Policy Help Address?

An Annexation Policy could help the City evaluate future requests by considering topics such as:

• Consistency with the City’s long-term vision
• Impacts to traffic, roads, and transportation systems
• Effects on parks, trails, and open space
• Availability of City services and public safety resources
• Impacts to water, utilities, and infrastructure
• Compatibility with nearby neighborhoods in Castle Pines
• Fiscal impacts, including costs and benefits to the community

These topics do not, on their own, determine the outcome of any future request. Instead, they help create a more transparent and predictable way to evaluate annexation applications, if submitted.

What the Policy Would and Would Not Do

The Annexation Policy would:

• Help guide the review of future annexation applications
• Identify key issues the City should consider
• Support a consistent and transparent review process
• Help the community understand how annexation requests may be evaluated

The Annexation Policy would not:

• Approve any specific property for annexation
• Start an annexation process
• Require the City to annex land
• Replace the legal review process required by State law
• Eliminate opportunities for public notice, review, or comment if a future application is submitted

Community Outreach Process

Resident input is a critical part of developing the Annexation Policy. The City wants to hear what matters most to the community when thinking about future growth and possible annexation. The outreach process will include a community survey, two public open houses, and an online comment period once a draft policy is available.

The public can also provide comments during the Public Comment portion of City Council meetings or submit comments for inclusion in the City Council packet. Visit the City Council Meetings webpage for more information on providing comments during City Council meetings.

Community Survey

The survey will ask residents to share which topics are most important when considering future annexation requests. This may include traffic, roads, parks, open space, City services, neighborhood character, and costs to the community.

• Survey opens: May 18
• Survey closes: June 14

TAKE THE SURVEY

Public Open Houses

After the survey closes, the City will summarize the results and share key themes at two public open houses. These meetings will give residents an opportunity to learn more about annexation, ask questions, review community feedback, provide additional input, and speak with City staff.

• Open House #1: June 29 at the Castle Pines Library
• Open House #2: July 1 at The Exchange Coffee House

Draft Policy Review

After the survey and open houses, the City will prepare a draft Annexation Policy for public review. Residents will be able to review the draft and provide comments online before the policy is considered by City Council.

• Draft policy posted online to this webpage and public comment period opens: Monday, July 6
• Online comment period closes: July 20
• City Council consideration (currently scheduled, subject to change): July 28

What Happens If an Annexation Application Is Submitted in the Future?

If a property owner submits an annexation application in the future, they would need to start the process from the beginning and complete all steps required by the State and the City.

The City would notify the public through its usual communication channels, including the City website, email updates, social media, newspaper notices, public meeting agendas, and other appropriate methods. Residents would have opportunities to stay informed and participate during the review process.