Colorado communities are constantly wrestling to balance development and conservation. It’s essential to protect areas that make Colorado special, and Crystal Valley Butte in Castle Rock is one.
Developers sought to build a hotel atop the butte, and it surely would have padded local tax coffers.
But at what cost? The rock formation just south of Castle Rock is second only in the hearts of citizens to the city’s namesake. Yet since 1985, the 44-acre butte has been zoned for commercial development.
But, Castle Rock and Douglas County chose to chip in $800,000, along with $400,000 from the coffers of Great Outdoors Colorado, supported by lottery revenue, to buy the land for open space.
“The option of what could have been, of having a hotel up there, was not very appealing,” said Mayor Randy Reed.
Instead, Crystal Valley Butte will be set aside for hiking. The payoff? A panoramic view of the Front Range from Pikes Peak to Denver, and the rolling plains to the east.
That’s a view worth saving. Castle Rock and Douglas County have earned a panoramic salute.
