Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

Thank you for your article in the Feb. 21 Courier entitled NCA development scale regarding the Southpaw Commons infill development downtown at 240 2nd Ave. We would also like to thank the NCA for listening to the concerns of 3rd Ave. residents about this development (and by extension, future developments on 2nd Ave.) during their meeting on Feb. 7.

In our opinion, the Southpaw development on 2nd Avenue has set a troubling precedent for development downtown that is incompatible with the semi-rural character of “Vintage” Niwot. This infill development has resulted in large buildings tightly shoehorned onto a small lot, and we feel that the density and scale is inappropriate for our small downtown area.

Since our homes on 3rd Ave. border the alley, some of us are particularly impacted by the large apartment triplex at the rear of the Southpaw property. The triplex garages are accessed from the alley and the high windows at the back of the complex look directly into many of our backyards, resulting in a loss of privacy. This development has a direct impact on our quality of life and we are concerned about the potential impact of future 2nd Ave.developments for 3rd Ave. residents.

We encourage you to please take a moment and walk around Southpaw Commons – both from the 2nd Ave. street side and from the alley behind it. We feel these types of infill accessory dwelling units are more appropriate for high density urban areas in Denver, not our charming two-block downtown area.

Several parcels on 2nd Ave may soon be slated for development. No one knows better what types of developments are beneficial to the community as a whole than its residents. We encourage our fellow Niwotians to get involved in discussions regarding future downtown developments on 2nd Ave. and help preserve the special small-town ambiance of Niwot.

Sincerely,

Sarah & Alan Stratton, Tom & Stephanie Taylor, Victoria Keen & Mike Selak, Dave & Tracey Snow, Satir DeMarco, Alexandra & David Dango, Kim & Jim Kalinsky, Frank Goodnight and Liam & Melissa Breslin.