Architects to unveil plans for former feed store property

The architecture team representing the owners of the former feed store property on Second Avenue will hold a community meeting on Thursday, March 6, to inform the public about a proposed development plan for the site. The event, which is an opportunity for the public to comment on the proposed project, will begin at 5:00 pm at Niwot Hall, formerly known as the Left Hand Grange.

Architects Anne Postle and Tucker Huey of Osmosis Architecture plan to unveil a proposed 9,382-square-foot mixed-use building for the 0.31 acre lot that once held the long-time Niwot Rental & Feed business. With the lot's heritage, the architects are calling the proposed project Feedstore Commons. The architects represent Niwot residents John and Xan Fischer, who bought the property in 2022.

Property owner John Fischer said his initial vision for the site was for it to become a community run hub, but his dream has not been realized.

After acquiring the property in 2022, Fischer converted the former feed store building to an art gallery, which was also used to host community events including a Halloween haunted house, art shows by Open Studios, and artist pop-up events.

The building is currently vacant and winterized. Fischer said he is now ready to develop the site as mixed use after construction costs have come down and more contractors are available than was the case in 2022. Fischer also said he recently sold some commercial property tied to his previous business, which has given him funding for the project.

According to the event notice circulated by the architects, the March 6 community engagement meeting is an opportunity for residents and stakeholders to state any concerns or recommendations about the proposed development. Stakeholders include property owners within the zoning districts of the Niwot Rural Community District (NRCD) I and II. Postle said she does not anticipate many concerns about the project as it follows every land use rule and is compatible with historic Niwot architecture.

Huey said the community meeting is the first required step prior to submitting a development application with the county. A separate meeting with the Niwot Design Review Committee will occur the following week.

According to Huey, staff from the county will attend the community meeting to explain the site plan review process and the county's requirements. Huey said that the site plan review process and the county's approval must occur prior to the owners applying for building permits.

Postle said a site plan review is a months-long process. She stressed that one thing that is often a struggle in Niwot is that the land use process takes a long time, and changes in the economy, higher building costs, and new government tariffs can affect whether or not a project that was previously financially viable may become financially unfeasible.

"We definitely have had that be a dilemma in the NRCD in the past," Postle said. Even with the potential dilemma, Postle said they are hopeful they can navigate the steps with no significant changes before Fischer is ready to pull a building permit. "I think it's a real advantage to this project that the owner is a Niwot person," Postle said, noting that the Fischers are long-time Niwot residents.

Huey said the proposal is a mixed-use project with rentable residential units above and commercial space below. For Fischer, the mixed use aspect of the project is a focus for him to ease struggles small businesses face in Niwot by leasing smaller sized commercial units instead of the larger commercial spaces common in Old Town Niwot.