Niwot parking lot gets the go-ahead from BOCC

A proposal to bring more parking to downtown Niwot cleared its last major hurdle on Aug. 6 when the Boulder Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to conditionally approve a parking facility on the western edge of downtown. Now the project's sponsors are preparing for construction and coming to terms with the realization that their long-held vision is finally becoming a reality.

"Well, it's been a long battle, but yes, I did think we would get it done," Niwot Cultural Arts Association President Bruce Warren said, referring to the years-long process to find a suitable locale, acquire the land, and navigate the county's many land use and zoning requirements. "I just wasn't sure where or when."

The parking lot parcel was purchased from Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway for $170,000 by Boulder County with Niwot Local Improvement District funds in November 2017, at the request of the Niwot Business Association and the After a pre-application conference in July, 2019, the NBA formally submitted an application to develop the parcel in phases on Nov. 25, 2019, and it has been working its way through the county's Special Use Review process ever since.

The proposal remained largely intact during its eight-month journey, though there were a few notable modifications after thePlanning Commission hearing in June. In the final version approved by the BOCC last week, the initial phase will occupy about 10,000 square-feet near the intersection of 3rd Avenue and Murray Street, with room for 14 vehicles (eight standard, four electric-vehicle and two handicap). It will be bordered by a four-foot tall hedge on the east and a split-rail fence on the west, with lighting provided by "dark sky" compliant lamps installed on short posts. The parking surface will be permeable gravel, with landscaping on the border that is both drought resistant and "consistent with the semi-rural character of Niwot."

New to this phase of the plans are two dual-port electric vehicle charging stations, which were added thanks to generous grants from Xcel Energy and Charge Ahead Colorado, totaling around $63,000. The county doesn't mandate such stations for lots with fewer than 15 spaces, but when grants became available, organizers decided to add them in the first phase in order to serve the growing number of EV owners in the area. An asphalt pad was added on the south end of the lot to serve the handicap and EV parking spaces.

Also new are sidewalks behind the handicapped spaces and between parking rows, to facilitate pedestrian access to Murray Street. The plans also now call for a crusher fines walkway on the eastern border and five bike racks, to promote alternative forms of transportation. The proponents also agreed to install the landscaping to meet the mandated 5% coverage beginning with the first phase, although that, too, is not required by the land use code until the full facility is installed.

During the public comment portion of the hearing, NBA president Eric Bergeson and Economic Development Director Catherine McHale both spoke on behalf of the proposal, noting the pressing need to make Niwot attractive to shoppers and diners in the wake of the pandemic. Other supportive commenters included local commercial property owner Euvaldo Valdez and resident Elaine Erb, who said she is "excited" about the addition of the charging stations and urged the planners to consider the growing variety of bikes that show up on local trails when installing the bike parking.

"I would like the racks to be set up not just to accommodate a standard bike, but to be able to accommodate hand bikes, cargo bikes, or ebikes, which are often heavier and longer," Erb said.

No one spoke against the proposal at the hearing, but 24 residents along Murray Street and other nearby blocks submitted comments during comment periods earlier this year. Among their chief concerns were the impact on the view and increased traffic on Murray Street, as well as the need for a walkway along Murray Street where it borders the parking lot.

During deliberations, the commissioners were complimentary of the proposal in general, but added one condition regarding bike parking, prompted by Erb's earlier comment. Commissioner Deb Gardner noted the neighbors' concerns during her remarks, and commended the NBA and staff planners for working to mitigate the worst of the potential impacts.

"Although we didn't have anybody from the neighborhood come and speak to us today, we have in the past, and we have to acknowledge the fact that this will not be zero impact for some of the people...because they're going to be able to see it and feel it. But I think in the long run we're always trying to find the balance in what we do"

The board then voted 3-0 for approval.

"We've been talking about parking in Niwot since before I was a commissioner," Elise Jones said. "I think that the plan that is being proposed meets our land use code and meets the spirit of what we're trying to achieve in terms of proposals that work for everyone....I'm excited that we're going to be able to move this forward."

Indeed, Warren, who is a past president of the Niwot Business Association (NBA), said that Niwot resident and business owner Tim Wise had notes dating back to the 1990s concerning the search for a parking lot in the downtown Niwot area. Warren also noted that he had emails as far back as 2004 concerning the subject.

The project is now ready to move on to the construction phase. Klueber estimates that it will take approximately three months to navigate the county's contracting system and obtain permits, which could lead to further changes to the design. He anticipates breaking ground in November, with a tentative completion date that will likely coincide with the return of Rock & Rails summer concert series in late spring of 2021.

The NBA obtained approval to add up to 36 additional spaces, as the need arises and as LID funds allow. With a full 50-vehicle capacity, the lot would extend almost to the 4th Avenue intersection. The remainder of the 2-acre parcel will remain in grass, to be used as overflow parking for special events.

For more information about the plans for a public parking lot in Niwot, visit the Community Planning and Permitting's development application website for docket number SU-19-0014.