Two Weld County towns will get a boost to help build low- to moderate-cost housing units, the county commissioner agreed.

The Town of Firestone and the Town of Johnstown will both get Private Activity Bonds approved by the Weld County Board of Commissioners, according to a news release on July 1.

“We are happy to support these organizations in their housing development endeavors,” Commissioner Chair Perry Buck said. “This funding mechanism allows Weld County to support critical initiatives that might otherwise be challenging to finance.”

In Frederick, Big Red Development LLC will receive $7.7 million to build 129 affordable housing units for 300 low- to moderate-income residents.

In Johnstown, the Kentro Group will get $4 million to develop 135 affordable housing units at Waggoner Crossing apartment complex, according to officials. 

The Private Activity Bonds are authorized by the federal government and allocated to counties, cities and towns. The bonds offer tax-exempt financing to support projects that develop community infrastructure, affordable housing, and promote economic growth. 

County officials said the Private Activity Bonds are crucial for developing affordable housing in communities and helping businesses and nonprofits obtain funding for important community projects. 

The bonds function as a pass-through issuer, so no county tax dollars are used for this process and the County does not incur any debt or financial responsibility that would affect taxpayers. Developers can benefit from lower borrowing costs, and the interest on these bonds is exempt from federal income tax. 

 For more information about PABs, visit the Weld County Department of Finance and Administration webpage.

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Castle Rock will soon be home to some new homes — 77 of them, to be exact. 

On July 1, Castle Rock Town Council voted to approve the site development plan for Soleana. The development, located north of Alexander Place and west of Collins Street, was unanimously approved 6-0 with Councilmember Ryan Hollingshead absent.

Soleana is a 77.96-acre parcel of land being developed by Alexander Investors, LLC. The site will soon house 77 residential units. While 55 of these units will be single-family detached residential units, 22 of the units will be live/work units. 

The live/work units will include a mix of attached and detached single-family dwelling units. In addition to residential purposes, these units may also be used for work within the dwelling space. They may only be used by the resident of the unit, and up to five non-resident employees. 

The plan also includes 34.53 acres of open space throughout the development. Along with the open space, the plan includes space for a future pocket park along the southern border.

Primary access to the development is limited to one road — Brewer Court. While there may be another road added later to increase access to the site, this is not an official plan and was not included in the site development plan.

Use of Brewer Court for access caused concern for multiple councilmembers, who expressed worries about the impact of fires and traffic in the area. 

Because the development has one access point, if it exceeds 30 units — as the plan does — all units must be equipped with a fire sprinkler to reduce fire risks. 

As for the traffic potential, a study conducted by the developer showed no significant increase to traffic in the area. However, construction may still include traffic mitigation efforts, such as installing a four-way stop at Alexander Place and Allen Street.

Before being brought before the town council, the plan was approved 5-0 by the planning commission. For now, the development does not have a construction timeline. 

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On June 17, Centennial City Council adopted Resolution No. 2025-R-22, or the Residences at Festival Center site plan, following a public hearing.  

The resolution will allow the construction of 114 single-family attached townhomes on approximately 6.68 acres in Centennial’s Festival Shopping Center, which is located along South University Boulevard and East Otero Avenue. The current vacant retail buildings at the northeast corner of the center will be demolished to make room for the townhomes.

The application for the residential unit proposal was submitted in 2023 by civil engineering company Kimley-Horn on behalf of the center’s property owner, Kwenda Inc., according to the resolution. The homebuilder company, Lokal Homes, which is based out of Greenwood Village, will construct the townhomes. 

“Festival Shopping Center was once a thriving mall,” Lokal Homes’ project narrative states. “However, with the development of the Park Meadows Mall and the growth of numerous retail and commercial establishments along the 470 corridor, Festival has declined from its former status as a bustling commercial center. In response to this decline, the proposed site plan marks the first phase of the Festival redevelopment.”

This redevelopment aims to incorporate high-quality architecture and provide more diverse housing options in Centennial, Lokal Homes said.

Jenna Campbell, a Centennial senior planner, said at the June 17 meeting that the site plan also proposes a 60-foot spatial buffer between businesses like Big-O Tires and UMB Bank and the new development. 

The site plan also includes a 15-foot-wide pedestrian zone along Otero Avenue and 8-foot-wide internal walkways that connect to the commercial area to the south and to the existing residential areas to the north. Lokal Homes plans to construct a small park to buffer residents from vehicular traffic ways.

The city had an online discussion about the proposed site plan in November 2023, during which members of the public asked questions and voiced concerns about high density, traffic flow and the height of the buildings. 

“That space is too small for that many people to live in,” one comment reads. “Otero Avenue is a very busy street with school buses traveling to and from all day. Parking extra cars will be a big problem. I think you should take your plan to another location that is bigger.”

Another commenter that stated they live in a neighborhood near the site plan wrote that they are concerned about the heavy construction: “Having a unit that will face the new development, it will impact us from the moment they demolish the old buildings through the completion of the new when 140 to 300 people move in adding to the congestion in the neighborhood.”

In response to the concerns, the site plan was changed to decrease the number of dwelling units by 20%, and to add the 60-foot buffer, according to Campbell.

Lokal Homes wrote in its 2024 site plan submission: “Construction activities will be isolated from existing residential neighborhoods, ensuring that construction operations remain onsite or utilizes perimeter roads such as East Otero Avenue and South University Boulevard. This approach minimizes the need for construction traffic to cut through adjacent existing neighborhoods, reducing potential disruptions for local residents.”

The new residential units will use the existing infrastructure for water, sewer and transportation systems, and will add a water quality and detention pond. Bike storage facilities will be constructed and each building will have individual trash and recycling pickup, eliminating the need for dumpsters. 

Construction is expected to begin in 2026, Lokal Homes said during the June 17 city council meeting.

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The Rock Church can continue to provide temporary housing onsite, following a settlement with the Town of Castle Rock.

On June 13, attorneys for The Rock Church, 4881 Cherokee Drive, announced that the church had reached a settlement agreement with the Town of Castle Rock, bringing an end to a federal lawsuit the church filed against the town in May 2024. According to the terms of the settlement, Castle Rock issued a revised Letter of Determination that explicitly permits the church to continue offering housing, as well as agreeing to pay $225,000 toward the church’s attorney fees. Additionally, the settlement allows the church to operate a coffee shop ministry on site. 

“This is a welcome resolution that goes far to encourage churches who care for those in need and a good example of the type of cooperation between church and state that every community should welcome,” said First Liberty Senior Counsel Jeremy Dys. 

First Liberty, a nonprofit law firm dedicated to defending religious freedom, represented the church.

The lawsuit originates from a dispute regarding the church’s ability to provide temporary housing. Since 2019, the church had been using an RV and a trailer to temporarily house people who otherwise would have nowhere to stay. In 2023, town officials shut down the arrangement, arguing that it was not permitted by the church’s zoning. 

Last year, the church filed a federal lawsuit against the town, alleging that Castle Rock was violating the church’s religious freedom by prohibiting it from offering short-term shelter to people in need. Last July, a judge granted an injunction in the case, allowing the church to reopen its temporary shelters.

Since the injunction, the church and the town sought to resolve the dispute without further litigation. As part of its efforts, the town issued the revised Letter of Determination on Dec. 2, 2024, allowing the church to continue operating its temporary shelter ministry with the two trailers currently located in the church parking lot. The letter also clarifies that zoning regulations do not prevent the church from offering additional housing during public emergencies through its partnership with the Red Cross. 

While the church will continue housing people, the agreement gives the town the option to install additional fencing or landscaping to partially screen the location of the units from the surrounding neighborhood. 

The Town of Castle Rock and The Rock Church put out a joint statement addressing the resolution of the lawsuit, which focused on a collective desire to move forward from the lawsuit collaboratively.

“The Town and the Rock believe that this agreement is in the best interest of all parties and successfully balances the Rock’s religious free-exercise rights with the Town’s public interest in enforcing land use regulations and protecting the general welfare, public health and safety,” the statement reads. “The Town and the Rock are no longer in an adversarial posture in regard to the litigation and look forward to productive cooperation and potential partnerships on issues in the future.”

The Rock Church’s Pastor Mike Polhemus read a statement to the Castle Rock Town Council on June 17, expressing his excitement to continue providing shelter through the church. According to Polhemus, the church has housed several people since a judge granted the injunction last July — including a family of 10, a single mother and a young man.  

“The Rock Church is honored to play a role in our community to help increase the stability of unstable families, and to assist with reducing homelessness in our community,” Polhemus said.

Polhemus also noted the church was thankful for the support it had received throughout the lawsuit.

“We’re thankful for the many support letters, the emails, the calls of encouragement from our community throughout this litigation process,” Polhemus added. “It’s a testament that we live in a community that truly loves and cares about their residents and their neighbors, and desires to see people off the street, back on their feet and reintegrated into society.”

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Just a few weeks after the City of Lone Tree broke ground on a new Justice Center along RidgeGate, another development is celebrating its recent groundbreaking. 

Forte Senior Affordable Housing Community is being added to RidgeGate’s Village Center in Lone Tree at 10760 Crossfield St. This marks the second affordable housing community in the RideGate community.

The attainable housing rental community for older adults will include 101 units ranging in size from 594 to 1,074 square-feet. Each unit will have controlled heating and cooling units, a full kitchen, coat closet, in-unit washers and dryers and cable and internet wiring. 

Of these, 74 will be single-bedroom units – estimated to cost around $780 per month – and the remaining will be two-bedroom units. Koelbel and Company, a family-owned and Colorado-based real estate company, also aims to have 64 additional units by early 2027. 

Other amenities will include a rooftop gathering space, a community room, a fitness room, a game area, a lobby-level lounge with a coffee bar, an outdoor space with a barbecue area and a wrap-around covered patio. 

There will also be on-site management, controlled access entries to the building, security cameras and covered parking. These parking spaces will be available on a first come, first served basis. 

The community is anticipated to open in May 2026.

Due to its proximity to public transportation – such as the RTD light rail station – parks and open space, nearby retail and the HCA HealthOne Medical Center – also known as Sky Ridge – the city said its location is ideal for this type of community. 

The project is focusing on older adults, which is an increasing population in Lone Tree. 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are about 14,000 people in Lone Tree as of 2024, and 18.2% of them are over the age of 65. 

Maria Ciano, executive director of the Douglas County Housing Partnership, said that by 2033, Douglas County anticipates a 54% population change of adults 65 and older. 

“We want our folks that have lived here, raised their kids here, to be able to stay and continue to live here through retirement,” Ciano said. 

Koelbel and Company said the project will be utilizing the income-average approach of Area Median Income levels between 30% and 80%, with the average area median income below the 60% threshold. 

“Afforable rentals allow seniors to discover a place to put permanent roots without the stress of looking for housing for sale,” Luke Cannon, vice president of Koelbel and Company, said in a statement. 

Lone Tree Mayor Marrisa Harmon added that this project reflects the vision the city has had for years, and that housing is not just a market issue, it’s a community commitment. 

“It’s not just appreciated, it’s essential,” said Harmon. “As Lone Tree grows, it will grow for everyone.”

With the west side of Lone Tree nearly complete, the Forte Senior Affordable Housing Community is part of the early stages of growing the east side of the community. 

Within its 3,500 acres, the city aspires to have the area be walkable, liveable and accessible with various amenities and housing. 

Ranging in housing types to include single family homes, townhomes, condos, apartments and urban lofts, the city aims to have nearly 10,000 homes built through 2030, which would house about 30,000 residents on both sides of RidgeGate. 

Approximately 8,000 of those homes will be built on the east side of the community, including 350 units of attainable housing.  

Residents will have access to the 80-acre High Note Regional Park, 58 acres of village parks, 404 acres of open space and 14.5 acres of public space in the upcoming Lone Tree City Center, which the city is describing to be a walkable downtown area. 

Learn more about the RidgeGate community at ridgegate.com/. 

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Demolition crews took down the Qwest Tower, located near West Mineral Avenue and Southpark Terrace in Littleton, on June 11. Originally built as a drying tower by the Gates Rubber Company, its demolition was in  preparation for future Mineral Place construction.

Mineral Place is a 63-acre redevelopment initiative that will bring a mix of housing and retail to the area, including  a Costco Wholesale store with a 32-pump gas station which will be constructed along the south side of Mineral Avenue, between Mineral Place and Southpark Terrace.

The 130-foot Qwest tower stood at the site for 55 years, serving first as a tire manufacturing plant opened by  the Gates Rubber Company. The building was later converted into an office complex by Qwest before it was acquired by Lumen Technologies.

When a portion of the site was rezoned to make way for the Mineral Place construction in 2023, some residents voiced concerns about increased traffic while others voiced support for constructing more housing and business areas. 

In February, developers cut down 41 mature trees from the site, igniting pushback from residents. City staff responded by saying the trees that were removed were those on the taller banks of the swale – or the sunken-in area that manages storm water – that would disrupt run-off flow.

The construction of Costco’s gas station has also raised concern among some community members. 

On May 6, city council unanimously voted to approve imposing a temporary moratorium on new fuel sales retail applications. The temporary moratorium pauses the submission, acceptance, processing or approval of any new applications related to gas sales for six months. However, the Quick Trip and Costco fueling center were exempt to the moratorium as they were already under construction prior to the vote.

“You passed a six-month moratorium on gas stations,” community member Greg Sullivan said to city council at a May 20 city council meeting. “Then you quickly pivoted and bent a knee to the developers (of)in Costco in Mineral Place and Quick Trip and said, ‘you’re exempt.’”

Despite pushback from some community members, others support the development of Mineral Place.

Phil McCart, a member of Vibrant Littleton, during public comment at the Dec. 19 city council, voiced support for the Mineral Place project: “I’m asking you to please choose the future of our children and our grandchildren over a perceived fear of traffic and a loss of character.”

During the June 11 demolition, the mayor of Littleton spoke about the future of the Mineral Place site.

“This demolition marks a significant step towards reimagining this former industrial site,” said Littleton Mayor Kyle Schlachter, who attended the June 11 tower demolition. “This large, vacant property can now be transformed into a vibrant space for businesses and housing. Littleton welcomes the economic investment, new jobs, and overall benefit that Mineral Place will bring to our community.”

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The City of Thornton is not joining six other home rule cities in a lawsuit that claims new state laws and Gov. Jared Polis are usurping their authority over local land use issues.

Thornton is still backing the cities in their efforts to keep local control over decisions related to growth within the boundaries of those cities, Mayor Jan Kulmann said recently.

“Thornton fully supports the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, and we will continue to evaluate how we can best help their effort,” Kulmann said via email. “City Council believes it’s important to sustain the rights of our residents to be able to have a voice in land use decisions in Thornton.

“We also oppose the Governor’s effort to preempt Colorado’s Home Rule Authority laws in ways that take away cities and towns’ power to make decisions on how their communities are affected by development,” she said.

Challenging an executive order

Westminster, Greenwood Village, Arvada, Aurora, Glendale and Lafayette filed the lawsuit in Denver District Court targeting two land use bills passed last year by the Colorado General Assembly.

The first  – HB 24-1304 –  prohibits local governments from enacting or enforcing minimum parking requirements on multifamily housing developments located in transit areas, according to the plaintiffs.

The second – HB 24-1313 – requires 32 local governments in the Front Range to change their zoning in transit areas and permit a minimum density of 40 dwelling units per acre — a number that, if met, would produce 10 times the existing housing stock around  RTD stops in Greenwood Village alone, the plaintiffs claim.

For parcels under five acres in size, there would be no public hearings on dense housing proposals, the local governments said in a joint statement.

The lawsuit also challenges an executive order issued by Gov. Jared Polis that threatens local governments with withholding more than $100 million in funds if they don’t comply with a series of housing laws enacted in the last two years.  

Greenwood Village Mayor George Lantz said in a recent statement that the actions of state lawmakers and the governor are attempts to set aside the rights of residents in home rule cities to chart local growth without government interference.

“We’re seeing a steady erosion of our citizens’ ability to control the communities in which they live,” said Lantz in his statement. “The flurry of legislative proposals continually eroding our home-rule rights applies a top-down, one-size-fits-all approach, removing all their uniqueness. The state doesn’t care how cities have carefully planned their communities, nor how the state’s particular vision of land use will affect our cities and the people living in them. Our purpose in filing the lawsuit is to have the court stop the state from controlling local land use matters that require local decision making and public input.”

A spokesperson for the governor said the housing policies are in place to combat Colorado’s acute housing shortage. “It’s disappointing to see certain local governments that have among the priciest homes in Colorado use taxpayer money on a lawsuit that could go toward lowering the cost of housing. It’s clear this lawsuit is about preventing more housing from being built that Coloradans can afford,” the spokesperson said, according to Colorado Politics.

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The City of Brighton received a grant of $46,875 to assess the city’s housing needs and create plan to improve conditions through the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, according to a news release on May 13. 

“We’re proud to share that the City of Brighton has been awarded funding through the Colorado Department of Local Affairs’ Housing Planning Grant Program to update our Housing Needs Assessment and create a Housing Action Plan,” said Mayor Greg Mills. 

“While we took a proactive step nearly two years ago by completing our initial Housing Needs Assessments, new legislation passed in 2024 sets updated standards and now requires a formal (Housing Action Plan). This grant gives us the critical resources and data needed—not only to meet state requirements, but to thoughtfully plan for a vibrant and sustainable future for our community.” 

The assessments and action plans will include water supply and strategic growth principles that comply with the state’s Sustainable Affordable Housing Assistance law.

“This first funding cycle of the Housing Planning Grant Program marks a significant step forward in supporting our local governments as they work to address housing needs in their communities,” said DOLA Executive Director, Maria De Cambra. “These awards will help local governments develop actionable plans and strategies, promote strategic growth, and create more affordable housing for Coloradans in these 23 jurisdictions.”Â.

According to officials, the state awarded 11 projects totaling $897,619 to support 23 local governments.

Its funding also supports six new Housing Needs Assessments similar to Brighton’s, revisions and changes to three other housing needs assessments and seven new Housing Action Plans.

Out of the 11 awarded projects, six were multi-jurisdictional, and several projects included multiple components, according to officials. 

The second round of the Housing Planning Grant HPLN Program opens on June 9 and closes on July 11, 2025. According to officials, the program guidelines, application materials, and other relevant information are available on the program website, and interested applicants should email Program Manager Ashley Basham to discuss their project.

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The City of Thornton will give over $307,000 to 32 nonprofit and other organizations this year to fund services to help residents meet food, housing and medical needs.

Earlier this month the city council gave its approval to a slate of funding recommendations from a committee of residents who weigh the needs of nonprofits and who apply for the Thornton Assistance Funds. The committee  reviews the applications of funding based on “their demonstrated benefit to the Thornton community, with priority place on programs that provide the great impact to Thornton residents,” according to a city staff report.

Non-profits were graded, put on tier levels and subject to heavy scrutiny by the committee, say city officials. Still, picking the ones most worthy of funding was not an easy task, said Mayor Jan Kulmann. “This is a really tough job for anyone,” Kulmann said earlier this month.

In all, there was $307,000 in available funds but the committee had requests that totaled $670,256.64, according to the staff report.  The committee was allowed to fund 80% of the 40 organizations that applied, the report states.

Each organization’s funding request was capped at $20,000.

Almost Home Inc., received $20,000 from the city to supplement its homelessness program while Maiker Housing Partners – which also provides low-income housing – also got $20,000 for staffing and supplies.

Brothers Redevelopment and Catholic Charities & Community Services of the Archdiocese of Denver also received $18,000 apiece for financial assistance for those in housing programs, according to the staff report.

The council said in deciding who got a cut of the funding pie, the committee  prioritized groups that help with housing and homelessness, followed by food, health and medical and human services needs, according to a city staff report.

Specifically, the report states, nonprofits which offer the most accessible services to Thornton residents  – in-home services, transportation/delivery, location near a bus route/light rail – “are prioritized over those nonprofits who do not.”

Nonprofit applicants were also ranked based on the percentage of Thornton residents served of the overall number of people served by the organization, the staff report states.

The funding for TAF is from the Thornton General Fund and the city council increased the funding from $150,000 to $300,000 starting in 2024 and have staff adjusting annually for inflation, said city spokesman Todd Barnes.

“There are no state or federal funding for this initiative, so the program is stable going into the future,” added Barnes.

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Westminster and five other home rule cities are suing the state over new laws and actions the municipalities say ride roughshod over their ability to govern local land use issues.

“We have to stand up,” Mayor Nancy McNally said Monday. “They did these new sweeping bills, and no one came talk to anyone at the city about them.”

“Every time they take one more piece of silver,” McNally said.

Westminster along with Aurora, Arvada, Glendale, Greenwood Village and Lafayette filed the lawsuit on Monday in Denver District Court.

The lawsuit targets two land use bills.

One – HB 24-1304 –  prohibits local governments from enacting or enforcing minimum parking requirements on multifamily housing developments located in transit areas, according to the Greenwood Village website.

The second – HB 24-1313 – requires 32 local governments in the Front Range to change their zoning in transit areas and permit a minimum density of 40 dwelling units per acre — a number that, if met, would produce 10 times the existing housing stock around  RTD stops in Greenwood Village alone, according to Greenwood Village officials.

For parcels under five acres in size, there would be no public hearings on dense housing proposals, the local governments said in a joint statement.

The lawsuit also challenges an executive order issued Friday by Gov. Jared Polis that threatens local governments with withholding more than $100 million in funds if they don’t comply with a series of housing laws enacted in the last two years.  

Greenwood Village Mayor George Lantz said in a statement the actions of state lawmakers and the governor are attempts to overturn the rights of residents in home rule cities to govern without government interference.

“We’re seeing a steady erosion of our citizens’ ability to control the communities in which they live,” said Lantz. “The flurry of legislative proposals continually eroding our home-rule rights applies a top-down, one-size-fits-all approach, removing all their uniqueness. The state doesn’t care how cities have carefully planned their communities, nor how the state’s particular vision of land use will affect our cities and the people living in them. Our purpose in filing the lawsuit is to have the court stop the state from controlling local land use matters that require local decision making and public input.”

Under the executive order, known as “strategic growth through compliance with state laws,” funding for local governments from various state agencies — including the Department of Transportation, the Colorado Energy Office, the Department of Local Affairs, and the Office of Economic Development and International Trade — could be tied to compliance with those laws, according to Colorado Politics.

A spokesperson for the governor defended the housing policies, adding he is confident the courts will “rule in the state’s favor,” according to Colorado Politics.

“Coloradans are demanding action from our leaders to bring down housing costs. Our state has a housing shortage, and the Governor wants to bring everyone to the table to help find solutions because this is a challenge that crosses local boundaries,” the spokesperson said. “It’s disappointing to see certain local governments that have among the priciest homes in Colorado use taxpayer money on a lawsuit that could go toward lowering the cost of housing. It’s clear this lawsuit is about preventing more housing from being built that Coloradans can afford.”

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