Neighbors garner rezoning and water appeal approval
Information provided by Wendy Aiello for Sterling Ranch
The Board of Douglas County Commissioners on May 11 approved both the Sterling Ranch rezoning and the water appeal. Approval signals the start of the next phase for the 3,400-acre planned community, which is located northwest of the Castle Pines community.
The vote comes following the recommendation of county staff and four evenings of public hearings, during which more than 160 citizens spoke about the project and asked questions regarding its many features.
“We greatly appreciate the careful deliberation by the county commissioners, who had many details to consider and who heard from a wide variety of people at the public hearings,” said Harold Smethills, Sterling Ranch managing director. “We are delighted that the county commissioners followed the Comprehensive Master Plan that was created for the future of Douglas County,” said Smethills. “This decision is a clear message that Douglas County is open for business.”
Approval sets in motion a busy stage for the $4.4 billion project, which will create nearly 1,000 construction jobs a year over two decades. Sterling Ranch is expected to generate more than 9,000 permanent jobs at build-out with an economic impact of more than $425 million annually, according to Patty Silverstein, President of Development Research Partners.
Sterling Ranch is expected to begin building infrastructure in 2012. Construction of the first village is planned for 2013.
The vote by the commissioners ushers in a new era in development that uses state-of-the-art water conservation and demand management methods to ensure that Sterling Ranch uses one-third the water traditionally required in Douglas County. The vote also advances progress already made to gain more secure sources of renewable water for other neighborhoods in northwest Douglas County.
According to Larry Moore, director of Roxborough Water & Sanitation, Sterling Ranch will have the financial ability to bring in the infrastructure for additional water,” Larry Moore, director of Roxborough Water & Sanitation said in public hearings for the proposal. “That means other nearby developments that need water can participate on a cost-effective basis.”
“Approval of Sterling Ranch is good economic news for a county that is struggling with declining groundwater resources and significant transportation challenges,” said Smethills.
Learn more at www.sterlingranchcolorado.com.
