The battle to become Douglas County’s fifth municipality came to a cease-fire Friday when Castle Pines Village and Castle Pines North called a truce over tax revenue.
Both communities still plan to pursue incorporation, but will share the tax revenue from 65 businesses along Castle Pines Parkway, an issue that spurred legal wrangling for months.
The neighboring communities had each included the retail district in incorporation maps filed Dec. 5.
Never before in Colorado had two communities tried to incorporate the same piece of property, according to the Colorado Municipal League.
The two sides filed paperwork on the compromise in Douglas County court Friday, after District Judge Vincent White urged them to work out an agreement.
The deal calls for Castle Pines North to get 80 percent of the tax revenue and include the shopping centers within its proposed municipal boundaries. Castle Pines Village will get 20 percent.
After five years, Castle Pines North will get 75 percent, and the village will get 25 percent.
Castle Pines North would be responsible for providing municipal services to the shopping area. The agreement, meanwhile, gives Castle Pines Village a direct say over how the commercial area develops further.
“With this compromise, and the approval of the court, we both can proceed toward our respective elections,” Jerry Raskin, president of the Castle Pines Village Board of Directors, said in a statement.
“The last thing we wanted to have was a stalemate that stayed in the courts for years,” Maureen Shul, president of the Castle Pines North Master Association, said Saturday. “And it would have just caused a lot of unnecessary animosity in the community.”
The deal hinges on voters in both communities approving their respective incorporations. Election dates have not been set.
If voters in Castle Pines North reject incorporation, the shopping centers would become part of Castle Pines Village, through annexation, according to the agreement. If incorporation passes in Castle Pines North and Castle Pines Village rejects incorporation, Castle Pines North would keep all the tax revenue.
Staff writer Joey Bunch can be reached at 303-954-1174 or jbunch@denverpost.com.
