Left Hand laurel – Chad Fletemeyer

To a lay person, the new downtown Niwot parking lot on Murray Street may seem like one of the simplest of construction projects. But don't be fooled....it took a lot of planning, red tape, managing, and time to get it to this stage. Integral in that process was this month's Left Hand Laurel recipient, Chad Fletemeyer.

In July, the Niwot Local Improvement District (LID) was tapped for additional financial assistance owing to unforeseen expenses needed to comply with Boulder County mandates. Higher than anticipated material and labor costs drove the price tag up further too. So the pro-bono work that Fletemeyer and his firm, Fletemeyer & Lee Associates, provided to the project was greatly appreciated by the Niwot Business Association (NBA). The organization was beyond pleased to have Fletemeyer step up to create the technical drawings that ultimately led to approval of the building permit.

"Chad has been invaluable in lending his time and expertise to the parking lot project," Bruce Warren, an NBA member who has worked on the project said. "We worked with his dad, Jim Fletemeyer, on the Niwot Children's Park project, so it doesn't surprise me that Chad would step in and help the community."

During the second half of the site review process, the NBA was informed by Boulder County Planning and Permitting that the initial 14-space lot would require a three-foot turnaround behind the mandatory automobile charging stations which led to extra asphalt requirements, along with alterations to the drainage and landscaping, grading, and therefore a new site plan. Fletemeyer waiving the professional fees that would have been incurred for these plans saved the project tens of thousands of dollars.

Fletemeyer's role in the process began in November 2020. As is often the case, the route to approval wasn't a straight line and several iterations of the multiple pages of drawings were created to provide the level of detail required before meeting the approval of the county. With the overlay of COVID restrictions, there was "a lot to deal with," Fletemeyer said.

Fletemeyer estimates his work preparing the construction drawings took close to 100 hours of his time.

Boulder County owns the property on which the new community resource sits. The lot will serve to alleviate parking needs for business employees in the downtown area and provide parking spaces for customers and clients of downtown businesses, as well as for those who attend public events.

The present design of the lot allows for future expansion when funds are available. The portion of the lot nearly completed now meets the American Disability Act which requires that the surface for handicapped parking be asphalt. The remainder of the lot can be gravel, Fletemeyer explained.

Fletemeyer & Lee Associates' generous time and expertise also played a huge role in creating the Niwot's Children's Park. In addition, the firm has been assisting in the preservation and restoration efforts for the tree carvings along Niwot Road.

Chuck Klueber, NBA streetscapes chair said, "I met with Chad and his partner David Lee a few times to discuss the Spear Lodge Man tree sculpture preservation. Chad and David agreed to help with generating a landscape plan to reinstall the tree sculpture that will complement the existing sculptures. David Lee has been instrumental in finding a company that can produce a replica of the tree sculpture using 3-D printing."

The firm was founded by Chad's father Jim Fletemeyer, in the late 1970's. David Lee became a partner in the firm, changing the name to Fletemeyer & Lee Associates. Chad joined the business in 2000 with a background in construction. He's now a principal in the firm and a project manager for design-build projects.

Fletemeyer & Lee Associates' emphasis is on architectural designs as well as construction, site improvements, and landscape design, especially for institutions such as hotels and universities. But camping conference retreat centers across the US are the niche they excel in with the firm designing and building cabins, lodges, dining halls, and meeting facilities.

Fletemeyer said that with Niwot being unincorporated, it takes grassroots effort to get things done. While that can be a hardship, he also believes it results in people becoming invested in the town and caring more about what takes place around them.

Fletemeyer and his wife have three young daughters. Before his children were born, he was a volunteer assistant basketball coach at Niwot High School.

Raised in Boulder, Fletemeyer graduated from Boulder High School and attended CU-Boulder. With Fletemeyer & Lee Associates' office being located on Second Avenue between 1914 House and Niwot Wheelworks, he is very much part of the local community.

"We enjoy the downtown area and rubbing elbows with the folks down here who want to see it thrive," Fletemeyer said. "And that's the impetus for us wanting to contribute. So then when good people ask, it makes it easy to say yes."