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Lone Tree will take a final vote on Hillcamp infrastructure on November 17. No evacuation study. A ground report that fails the City’s own standard. No unconditional fire district approval. Private wells downstream with no groundwater study. A Colorado state geologist confirmed on the record that no safer road alignment was ever reviewed. The Council has this record in front of it.
The story in three paragraphs
Lone Tree City Council will vote November 17 on the road and water pump station that would serve a proposed 343-home development on the mesa tops above Surrey Ridge and McArthur Ranch in unincorporated Douglas County. Public comment from Lone Tree residents and neighboring communities ran overwhelmingly against the road and pump station, and the Planning Commission approved both 7-0 at 11:30 p.m. on October 13.
The record before the Council does not contain an evacuation study, an unconditional fire district approval, a geotechnical report meeting the City’s own minimum safety factor, or the water adequacy determination state law requires before approving a development of this size. At the October 13 Planning Commission hearing, a Colorado Geological Survey representative confirmed that the State geologist has never reviewed whether a safer road alignment was possible. The final City Council hearing, first set for Election Day, is now scheduled for November 17.
Colorado adopted a wildfire resiliency code effective July 1, 2026. Hillcamp is the first development of this size in the wildland-urban interface with limited egress to come before a city under that code. The emergency access routes identified in the application include a route being used for construction staging and a route that runs through a one-way tunnel the applicant left out of its traffic study. An independent evacuation model has not been done.
Story angles
Who decides growth. Castle Pines voters decide on November 3 whether large annexations need a citizen vote. Two weeks later, Lone Tree City Council decides infrastructure for 343 homes that its own residents have spoken against.
Colorado’s wildfire code in practice. Lone Tree adopted the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code in April 2026. Hillcamp is its first real test at scale. The record contains no evacuation model.
Residents spoke, the Commission voted 7-0. Public comment ran overwhelmingly against both applications. The Commission approved them at 11:30 p.m., after many residents had gone home. Lone Tree voters elect the Council that decides next.
The state geologist on the record. A CGS representative confirmed at the October 13 hearing that the State has never reviewed whether a safer road alignment existed. The same road failed the City’s own 1.5 safety factor standard in an earlier submission. Nothing on the hillside changed between the submission that failed and the one that passed.
Private wells and no groundwater study. Surrey Ridge residents hold water rights adjudicated in the water court. The mesa regrading and stormwater detention would happen above those wells. The applicant’s drainage memo does not mention groundwater, aquifer, recharge, or well.
Source documents
Every document in the public record is available at cityoflonetree.com/project/final-plat-hillcamp-trail-filing-no-1. Save the Lone Tree Bluffs maintains a parallel public library at savethelonetreebluffs.com.
Key documents: City staff technical review letter February 11, 2026 (identifies three grounds on which staff said it could not recommend approval). CTL Thompson slope stability report September 4, 2026 (calls itself preliminary, shows sections below 1.5 FOS). Colorado Geological Survey letter August 20, 2026. South Metro Fire Rescue conditional letter February 4, 2026. Parker Water District manager statement to the board December 11, 2025.
Send your tip
Copy the subject line and message below and send it to any outlet on this list. Personalize with your name and neighborhood. Reporters covering land use, wildfire, local government, or the environment are the best fit.
Subject line
Lone Tree City Council takes a final Hillcamp infrastructure vote on November 17. Neighbors are asking it to answer the safety questions first.
Message to copy and personalize
I live in [your neighborhood / city]. Lone Tree City Council is set to vote November 17 on the Hillcamp road and water pump station.
The record the Council is being asked to approve does not contain an evacuation study, an unconditional fire district approval, a geotechnical report meeting the City’s own safety standard, or the water adequacy determination state law requires. A Colorado Geological Survey representative confirmed at the October 13 Planning Commission hearing that the State geologist has never reviewed whether a safer road alignment existed. Public comment ran overwhelmingly against both applications, and the Commission approved them 7-0 at 11:30 p.m.
Lone Tree residents share the roads and the fire risk. Surrey Ridge and McArthur Ranch, directly below the mesa, run on private wells and have no fire hydrants. Colorado’s new wildfire resiliency code, effective July 1, took effect with no application approved or vested. Hillcamp tests the code at scale in the wildland-urban interface.
The full case is at savesurreyridge.com. I am happy to connect you with residents. [Your name, neighborhood, phone or email]
Local outlets
Colorado Sun
Award-winning nonprofit newsroom covering all of Colorado. Strong on land use, wildfire, and water policy. Send tips to tips@coloradosun.com.
Denver Post / Colorado Politics
The state’s largest daily. Douglas County land use is a recurring beat. Contact through denverpost.com/contact-us.
Douglas County News Press
Local paper covering Douglas County government, land use, and development. Contact through douglascountynews.net.
CBS Colorado (KCNC)
Send press releases and story pitches to the assignment desk at KCNCNews@cbs.com. Douglas County News section at cbsnews.com/colorado.
9News (KUSA)
9Wants to Know investigative team covers government accountability and public safety. Send tips to newstips@9news.com or the investigative team at blowthewhistle@9news.com.
Denver7 Investigates (KMGH)
Investigative team focused on government accountability. Send tips to investigates@denver7.com.
National angles
The wildfire code story has national reach. Colorado’s CWRC is among the most aggressive state wildfire codes in the country. Hillcamp is its first test at scale on a development with one road out. The citizens-decide-growth angle, set beside the Castle Pines annexation ballot questions, works for any politics or civic accountability desk.
Wildfire and climate desks at the New York Times, ProPublica, and The Atlantic have covered the wildland-urban interface pattern this story fits. Local government accountability is a strong angle for the AP Denver bureau. Bloomberg CityLab and The Guardian US cover housing and land use. For AP, the Denver bureau handles Colorado state and local government.
