Amelia Thomas
Castle Rock is a great place to live, but there are things we need to focus on the maintain and improve the lives of the people that live here.
Smart, Sustainable Growth
Castle Rock has been growing fast for more than a decade, and that pace is finally starting to slow down. That’s good news. Instead of constantly playing catch-up with new development, we now have a real chance to invest in the infrastructure our town already needs.
I don’t think the answer is to stop growth altogether. A full moratorium would only make an already tough housing market worse. It would hurt residents hoping to age in place, families trying to move here and get started, and property owners who simply want to build on the land they own.
What I do believe is that this slower stretch is our opportunity to catch up, especially on our roads. Since the 2020 census, we’ve welcomed more than 12,000 new residents, and you can feel it in the traffic. It’s something I hear about constantly in conversations with neighbors. Like concerns about getting around town, and about what happens if I-25 backs up or closes. As a lifelong resident, I understand not wanting to spend half your life in the car. I want us to use this moment to build a town that’s easier to get around, easier to commute in and out of, and better set up for the years ahead.
More Parks, Trails, and Recreation for Every Family
Castle Rock has a well-earned reputation as a great place to raise a family, and our parks, trails, open space and recreation programs are a big part of that. I want to keep building on it.
Some of the best lessons kids learn happen on a field, in a pool, on a stage or on a court, and I want every family in town to have access to those opportunities. Right now, Parks and Recreation ranks fourth in the town’s budget priorities, and even then, the focus is mostly on maintaining what we already have. I think we can aim higher. Summer camps sell out within minutes. I’ve seen firsthand that swim lessons can cost less for a non-resident in Parker than for a resident here in Castle Rock. When families can’t get in, or find better options elsewhere, they take their time and money with them and that affects our local restaurants and small businesses too.
I also hear from residents across town, especially in neighborhoods further from the downtown area, like Sapphire Pointe, who want a trail system that actually connects. One where you can bike across town or your kids can walk or bike to school without needing a car involved. That’s the kind of town I want to help build. And when people feel connected to their neighborhood and their neighbors, it makes the whole community safer.
Standing Up for Residents and Securing Water Future
Castle Rock has built something genuinely impressive with our water system. We currently have world-class facilities and a goal of sourcing 75% of our water from renewable supplies. That didn’t happen by accident, and I don’t want to see it slip.
My priority as your representative will always be the people who live here, not developers or large-scale commercial interests competing for the same limited water supply. I won’t support something like a data center moving into town while we’re already facing water constraints. And I don’t believe residents should be asked to cut back and pay more on their water bills while sidewalks get watered or medians stay green during a drought order. If we’re asking residents to do their part, the town needs to hold itself to that same standard.
This year’s dry winter was a reminder that the work isn’t finished. I want to build on what’s already working; growing awareness of and funding for our xeriscape rebate program, and finding practical ways to help residents make smart water choices without much extra effort. The best water system is one residents rarely have to think about, because the people behind the scenes are doing it right. I want to keep it that way, for this generation and the next.
Transparency, Ethics and Real Collaboration
I lead by working with people, not around them. I believe the best outcomes come from real collaboration, and that a town runs best when local government is transparent, accountable, and willing to partner with the other institutions that serve our residents, even ones outside town property.
That’s part of why I’m concerned about the direction of an ordinance that would make it effectively impossible to build new schools in Castle Rock. Growing families need growing schools, and straining our relationship with the Douglas County School District doesn’t just affect classrooms down the road, it also makes it harder to partner with DCSD on shared fields and courts for our recreation programs, and it can put property values at risk. I want to see the town and DCSD working as partners, not adversaries.
I also haven’t forgotten what residents in the Meadows experienced with their Metro District. That was a hard lesson for our community, and I want us to act on it, not just move past it. That means supporting legislation that protects residents from financial or other harm caused by HOAs and Metro Districts without real cause on the resident’s part. Accountability shouldn’t be optional, and residents deserve a town government that has their back.