Neighborhood Spotlight

The Left Hand Valley Courier is spotlighting various local neighborhoods, their history, issues and general nature. This week, the Courier is spotlighting Cottonwood Park West.

In the mid-20th century, Niwot began to grow from its origins as a small railroad town and farming community into a fully suburban community that provided housing, schools and amenities for families working in Boulder and Longmont. This was particularly true once IBM purchased land for its operations in the late 1950s, and the Diagonal Highway was created in the mid-1960s.

Throughout that time Bob Bowron Builders, Inc., a development company founded by Illinois native Bob Bowron in 1962, was focused on building homes and other spaces that accommodated the need for quality living space. As the company developed subdivisions in the Niwot and Gunbarrel area, it capitalized on the allure of area nature and the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains in attracting buyers.

One project was Cottonwood Park West, located near Niwot Road and 79th Street and adjacent to grocery, retail shopping and restaurants of Cottonwood Square, and across from the intersection of Niwot Road and Second Avenue.

Bob Bowron passed away before the subdivision was built, but his sons, Robert and Kent Bowron, continued to build residential and commercial properties, changing the name of the company to Bowron Builders, Inc. After son Robert died, Kent Bowron carried on the business.

The residential development, which is just over 100 units, was started in the early 1970s, with construction of the smaller homes in the first filing on the northeast part of the subdivision, originally known as The Sheds. Long-time Niwot resident Kathy Koehler lived there briefly between 1972 and 1973 and recalled choosing appliances and flooring.

A second filing in 1975 led to construction of larger homes, many with full basements, to the west and south of the first plat. Niwot resident Bruce Warren, who lived in the second filing in 1978, recalled that some of the homes were marketed as "1040" homes, with 1,040 square feet on the first floor, and 1040 square feet below, not including the garage.

"My friend, Mike Pearson, a long-time softball coach in Boulder County, worked at IBM," Warren said. "He bought a new house in Cottonwood Park West from Kent Bowron in 1977 for $41,900, and I was his roommate for a year. I remember Mike planting buckwheat in the yard to improve the soil before adding grass and landscaping a year later. That got the attention of the HOA."

The community has thrived since that time with Pearson's former home now valued at over $638,000 by the Boulder County Assessor. The subdivision is currently filled with an eclectic mix of "mid-century modern" homes, and includes several park areas.

Cottonwood Park West board member Steve Levin has lived in the neighborhood for eight years. To him, part of why the neighborhood is appealing is that it has four different areas of green space and wide side buffers between houses and streets. "I think that when the place was built, land in Niwot was not as valuable. If it was built today, I think they would try to stuff more houses into it."

Levin also appreciates that, although houses are smaller, they're detached from each other and have lawns and two-car garages. "I know of VERY few places in Boulder County that do this. Most places our size would be townhomes, or built with one-car garages. It seems that from my own house-hunting experience, that the city of Boulder forces smaller homes in Boulder to have one-car garages hoping that people will drive less. In reality, most of us only put one car in our garage but love the extra space for storage or skis/bikes."

Carissa Brandes, co-owner of Niwot Inn & Spa, also appreciates what the neighborhood has to offer. "I love it, it's great for my two-year-old, Jack. Having the kid's park right here is so nice, and we love all the kids and dogs in the neighborhood. I love just being this close to town, walking to Rock & Rails, and being able to get to work easily is great. I'm like 100 steps away."

As much as residents enjoy living here currently, they are also looking to the future. There has been discussion of creating a master plan for the community. While details aren't yet available, it's likely to address changes homeowners would like to see regarding street and water access. More information about this planning is likely to come in the next few months.