How Does Niwot Work? - Part 13

The Niwot Community Association (NCA) began as a reaction to a regional shopping center proposed by an out-of-town developer in the early 1980s.

The concept put forth was that the property kitty-corner from the IBM site on the Diagonal Highway would be developed into a regional shopping center as part of a plan to incorporate the town of Niwot, with a sales tax providing all the revenue the newly incorporated town would ever need. At the time the City of Boulder had not yet annexed the IBM site or the would-be shopping center property and Twin Peaks Mall in Longmont did not exist.

The shopping center idea did not sit well with most Niwotians, and a group of residents organized to oppose the proposition. The designation of Niwot as “semi-rural” in the Boulder County Comprehensive Plan, adopted in 1978, did not seem to include a regional shopping center.

The group was successful in forcing the developer to abandon the proposal, and the loose-knit group continued to meet. It began organizing other events in the community, including sponsoring a community-wide celebration known as Niwot Nostalgia Days, which had first been organized in 1968 by the Niwot Volunteer Fire Department. The summer event continued for many years, with the NCA taking over sponsorship, but eventually fell by the wayside after 2012 as volunteers willing to coordinate the event were found lacking.

The NCA, as it is commonly known, was incorporated as a non-profit corporation on May 23, 1988, with Howard Morton, Selene Hall, Bruce Warren, Jerry Sinor, Mary Kay Cialone, James Martinsen and Donald Reeb as the board of directors. The stated purpose of the organization was “to promote the general welfare of the Niwot Community, to preserve its semi-rural character, to disseminate information to residents of the community and to respond to issues of concern to the community, and to promote and encourage charitable, social, cultural, civic and educational activities within the community.” Others who joined the board in the early years included Robert Parich, Scott Tennant, Joel Maguire, Nancy Smith, Lisa Kauffman and Tom Theobald.

The NCA worked with Boulder County to establish a transferable development rights (TDR) program to allow landowners in the vicinity of Niwot to transfer the right to build homes on rural property to land in the Niwot Community Service Area. The NCA, led by Tennant and Theobald, negotiated the number of housing units that could be transferred into Niwot, which was set at 93 units, many of which have since been transferred, providing additional open space surrounding Niwot. In addition, the Comprehensive Plan was amended to encourage an Intergovernmental Agreement with the City of Boulder that would limit the city’s expansion toward Niwot.

In 1996, a new slate of officers and directors was elected, including Rob Helmick, Debbie Quackenbush and Marty Kannowitz, with Bruce Johnson soon joining the group.

The NCA later became at odds with the Boulder County Commissioners and contentious issues such as a proposed recreation district and a proposal to dump biosolids on Gunbarrel Ridge divided the community. By 2000, a new group of officers, led by Jerry Sinor, Ed Kennedy and Sue Wilson, was elected with a stated goal of fostering an improved relationship with Boulder County officials.

Since then, the NCA has focused on presenting information to the Niwot community rather than advocating a position on issues. To that end, the NCA regularly hosts candidate forums, conducts surveys and sponsors community events.

Area representatives are elected to give the organization a broad base of input from the community. Membership for an individual is $30 per year, with all 2020 members having been automatically renewed for 2021 without further payment of dues.

Some of the NCA’s most important work involves working with Boulder County to establish and improve the trails in and around Niwot, which has resulted in an extensive network providing exceptional outdoor recreation in the community. The underpass mural on Niwot Road is also the result of NCA efforts to work with the Niwot schools and Boulder County.

The most popular event now sponsored by the NCA is the annual 4th of July celebration. Though the event was cancelled in 2020, the NCA plans a modified return of the event in 2021, complete with pancake breakfast in front of Niwot Market and a motorcade through residential areas replacing the traditional parade through the commercial district. The event will include a Grand Marshal, and in the past has also included an appearance by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, a former Gunbarrel resident.

The NCA also sponsors an annual clean-up day in Niwot in May at the Niwot High School parking lot, and hosts National Night Out in August in conjunction with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Department. Most recently the NCA has sponsored a Veteran’s Banner Project in conjunction with the Niwot Business Association, honoring veterans with local ties on banners hung throughout the Niwot business district.

The NCA worked with Boulder County to develop a parade permit process, complete with maps, guidelines and traffic control devices, which the NCA has made available to other non-profit groups and schools in Niwot.

NCA boundaries extend to Highway 52 on the south, to the Lake Valley subdivision to the west, to Oxford Road to the north, and to Highway 287 to the east. Current board members of the NCA include David Limbach (President), Tom Sesnic (Vice-President), Leonard Sitongia (Secretary), Terry Larsen (Treasurer), Dianne Zimmerman, Craig Rahenkamp, Kim Hawksworth, Liz Schmidt, Mark Brigham, Derek Curd, Johnny Barrett, Laura Skaggs, Liz Marr, Kathy Koehler, Julie Breyer, Lynne Palmer, Pat Murphy, and John Barto. Recent past presidents have included Dick Piland and Neal Anderson.

For more information, or to join, visit http://www.niwot.org.