To: Honorable Mayor and Members of Town Council
Through: David L. Corliss, Town Manager
From: Mark Marlowe, Director of Castle Rock Water
David Van Dellen, Assistant Director
Matt Benak, Water Resources Manager
Rick Schultz, Water Efficiency Supervisor
Courtney Convy, Water Efficiency Specialist
Title
Ordinance Amending Title 15.48 of the Castle Rock Municipal Code Adopting by Reference as Primary Code the Town of Castle Rock, Colorado 2025 Landscape and Irrigation Criteria Manual (First Reading) [Entire Castle Rock Service Area]
Body
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Executive Summary
The purpose of this memorandum is to seek Town Council approval of an Ordinance (Attachment A) amending Title 15.48 of the Castle Rock Municipal Code adopting by reference as a Primary Code the Town of Castle Rock, Colorado 2025 Landscape and Irrigation Criteria Manual - First Reading. The Landscape and Irrigation Criteria Manual (Manual) is a key document that helps Castle Rock Water (CRW) meet its long-term water efficiency goals. The Manual outlines landscape and irrigation criteria that reduces water waste, improves watering efficiency, and supports landscapes that are native, regionally adaptive, functional, and appealing to the senses as a ColoradoScape design.
The major changes to the Landscape and Irrigation Criteria Manual focus on updating the minimum criteria for ColoradoScape design requirements to improve functionality, overall value, and appeal in residential applications. A summary of changes is outlined below and provided in Attachment B. The Town implemented a ColoradoScape ordinance for new development on January 1, 2023. This ordinance eliminated turf grass in the front yard and limited turf grass in the backyard for new single-family detached homes requiring ColoradoScape instead to ensure that water-efficient landscapes were being installed for new development. Homes installed under the ordinance are meeting the water efficiency goals that were established for the original ordinance. To date, 892 single-family residential homes have been installed under the ColoradoScape ordinance. A recent review of the ColoradoScapes for a large sampling of those homes identified that additional requirements were necessary in the Manual to meet the spirit and intent of the original ordinance from a functional and visual standpoint.
Budget Impact
There are no significant anticipated additional costs to the Town from these proposed changes. These updates to the Manual are primarily for clarification purposes so that landscapes are more functional and visually appealing as a ColoradoScape. The minimum standards outline specific requirements regarding vegetation quantity and hardscape material. Although there will be a cost associated with these requirements, these changes are meant to raise the quality of some of the residential landscapes produced within the last few years that did not meet the intent of the required front yard landscaping nor justified the discounted System Development Fees given by CRW to builders that agreed to landscape the backyard. Additionally, by raising the overall quality of the ColoradoScape installed, residents should get additional value from these homes. CRW is updating this Criteria as a way to assist the development community in integrating quality, low-water-use landscaping that will conserve water and reduce future costs of meeting community water needs.
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends approving an Ordinance to amend Title 15.48 of the Castle Rock Municipal Code adopting by reference as a Primary Code the Town of Castle Rock, Colorado 2025 Landscape and Irrigation Criteria Manual.
Proposed Motion
“I move to approve the Resolution as introduced by title.”
Alternative Motions
“I move to approve the resolution as introduced by title, with the following conditions: (list conditions).
“I move to continue this item to the Town Council meeting on _____ date to allow additional time to (list information needed).”
Attachments
Attachment A: Ordinance
Exhibit 1: Redline version of Landscape Criteria Manual
Attachment B: Summary of Changes to Landscape and Criteria Manual 2025