Niwot parking lot takes shape

After being delayed during much of March, April, and May due to permitting issues at Boulder County, construction of a public parking lot west of downtown Niwot is moving forward, and could be completed by the end of June, according to representatives from the Niwot Business Association.

"By the end of the month, it all should be pretty well wrapped up," Chuck Klueber, head of NBA's streetscapes committee said. "We just have a few more things to get done, and it shouldn't take very long."

Klueber is overseeing the project on behalf of the NBA, but day-to-day site work is being managed by volunteer Chad Fletemeyer of Fletemeyer & Lee Associates, and Niwot resident Jim Fay of Whitestone Construction, the general contractor. As of Father's Day (June 20), the bulk of surface work for the lot has been completed, and asphalt has been placed and striped for two handicapped and four electric vehicle charging spots. Pedestrian walkways, a bike rack, and parking bumpers have also been installed, and fencing has been completed on the south and west perimeter.

A low hedge for screening has been planted, but still to come is additional landscaping which is scheduled to be completed by June 26, according to Klueber. The week after that, Xcel Energy will be connecting power to the charging stations, one of the steps that was delayed due to a paperwork issue during the permitting process, as was the installation of solar lighting, which will be "one of the last things to go in," Klueber said.

When completed, the parking lot will occupy about 10,000 square feet near the intersection of 3rd Avenue and Murray Street, with room for 14 vehicles. The project is managed by the NBA on behalf of Boulder County, with funding provided by the Niwot Local Improvement District. Plans for the facility were submitted to the Community Planning and Permitting Department for special use review in November 2019, which were conditionally approved by the commissioners in August 2020. The same month, the LID board approved a request of $101,512 to fund the lot's construction, but the delays, changes, and rising costs have increased the price tag by approximately $35,000, Klueber estimates.

"We did have some issues with the cost of materials going up," he said, adding that he plans to approach the LID board for more funding in July. "We have a split-rail fence going around, and for a while, the contractor couldn't get the fencing, and then we ended up paying a premium."

Klueber expects the lot to be open and available for parking sometime in July. For now, the remainder of the 2-acre parcel along Murray Street will remain in grass, to be used as overflow parking for special events, including Rock & Rails concerts. On non-event days, part of the area will be closed to parking, so the grass can be reseeded.