Tag: Douglas County
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Appeals Court rules Douglas County violated open meeting laws
The Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that Douglas County Commissioners violated Colorado open meeting laws in a series of closed meetings leading up to the county’s failed home rule special election. The Thursday ruling reversed a trial court’s denial of a preliminary injunction, finding the meetings were subject to open meeting laws and plaintiffs demonstrated…
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Douglas County teacher gets jail time after groping student
A former psychology teacher at Douglas County High School was sentenced to 300 days in jail this week after he pleaded guilty to groping a 17-year-old student. James Christopher Thomure, 57, was proctoring an exam for three students in a classroom at the high school in May 2024 when the groping occurred, authorities said. After…
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Douglas County task force targets development regulations
Douglas County kicked off its first Red Tape Reduction Task Force Thursday aimed at speeding up commercial and industrial development timelines in the county, a move leaders said is necessary to keep the county competitive with other regions nationwide. The task force will review the county’s development and regulatory processes to identify permitting “hurdles” in…
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DougCo offering homeowners $25,000 fire mitigation grants
Douglas County’s Wildfire Mitigation Cost-Share program is returning this year to help residents reduce wildfire risk. The program provides grants to homeowners, homeowners associations and communities seeking to reduce hazardous conditions and reduce wildfire fuels. The county will provide a 50% financial match to homeowners, up to $25,000, for projects that focus on creating defensible…
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Toll Brothers doubles down on luxury market in Parker
Toll Brothers, the fifth largest Colorado homebuilder and the largest luxury homebuilder in the U.S., is doubling down on the market around Parker — readying two neighborhoods in Douglas County, one opening next month. “The higher end (of the market) still seems less affected, and that’s where we play,” Reggie Carveth, division president, told The…
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Douglas County water providers urging water conservation
Three Douglas County water providers are urging residents to conserve water as the region emerges from a warm, dry winter that has strained water resources. Castle Rock Water, Highlands Ranch Water and Parker Water & Sanitation asked customers to use water wisely and avoid unnecessary waste as irrigation season approaches, according to a joint news…
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$8 million biochar facility in DougCo set to open in September
Douglas County is set to operate the first county-run biochar facility in the nation after the county Planning Commission approved the project’s location and extent application. The $8 million facility is expected to open in September in Sedalia. “It was a huge opportunity to acquire this site,” Dan Roberts, assistant director of Douglas County Public…
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Douglas County approves DA’s participation in regional forensic lab
Douglas County Commissioners voted unanimously to formalize the 23rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office’s participation in the Unified Forensic Laboratory. The UFL provides DNA analysis and other laboratory services to the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, Aurora Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and Colorado’s 18th Judicial District. Under the agreement approved March 10, the DA’s office, which…
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Error-prone Douglas County judge triggers another reversal of criminal convictions
Colorado’s second-highest court overturned a defendant’s Douglas County convictions on Thursday due to the error of a judge whose actions have triggered a disproportionate number of reversals to convictions and sentences in recent years. Since 2021, the Court of Appeals has found problems in multiple criminal cases handled by former District Court Judge Patricia Herron.…
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Douglas County senior housing development advances
Douglas County commissioners unanimously approved a zoning request to advance an affordable senior housing complex in Highlands Ranch on March 10, citing housing affordability and a growing senior population. Preliminary plans include a 165-unit apartment building on Plaza Drive. John Kilrow, senior vice president of Colorado development at Shea Properties, requested approval to establish the…