Left Hand Animal Hospital included in LID

On June 18, the Boulder County Commissioners considered a petition from the owners of the property where Left Hand Animal Hospital is now located, 304 Franklin Street in Niwot, to be annexed to the Niwot Local Improvement District.

Mark Ruzzin, a member of the county commissioners’ staff, presented the petition to the commissioners, noting that the business was formerly located on 2nd Avenue, an area included in the district, but had recently moved to a location that is outside the district.

The hospital’s new location is less than a block from Old Town Niwot and sells some taxable retail goods associated with a veterinary practice. While a veterinary hospital is a non-traditional form of retail store, the owners realized the benefit of belonging to the LID and sought to be included once again.

Bruce Warren, a member of the Niwot LID Advisory Committee, explained that this inclusion would not have been possible if not for past efforts from the Niwot LID and the commissioners’ staff. Both parties worked for several years to get a the LID statute amended. The original statute did not allow non-contiguous properties to belong to a LID and did not have a pathway to add new properties to an existing LID.

The inclusion of the Left Hand Animal Hospital passed with no objection. The approval of this inclusion was the second addition of property to the Niwot LID, and the first addition of non-contiguous property to the LID, which collects a one percent sales tax on goods sold within the LID boundaries. Last year, the LID sales tax generated approximately $180,000 in revenue, which is used to fund events, promotional materials, and infrastructure projects, including maintenance costs, which benefit the LID.