Community Action Plan Progresses

BY KIM GLASSCOCK
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Niwot has made great strides in working toward its economic development goals, officials from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade told approximately 30 people attending a November progress meeting on the town’s community action plan.

“We use Niwot as a role model when we talk to other towns about our assessment program,” said Darlene Scott, OEDIT Eastern Colorado business development representative. “Niwot has made really great strides toward meeting the goals in its plan.”

In January, an OEDIT team visited Niwot to evaluate the town’s business environment and economic vitality. After meeting with community and business leaders and residents, OEDIT staff put together economic development recommendations for the town.

In April, interested community leaders, business owners and residents prioritized those recommendations and drew up a community action plan for accomplishing the top priorities.

The November meeting was a chance to check in on progress toward the goals and discuss any accomplishments or roadblocks the group may have encountered, Scott explained. A final progress meeting will be scheduled in April or May, 2011.
“There is no right or wrong answer about these priorities,” Scott said. “This is a chance to come together and see what is happening, and then determine what can or can’t be accomplished.”

Business Development

Business development in town is progressing, following one of the recommendations in the plan. Niwot Business Association President Tony Santelli told the group that six bidders have responded to a request for quotes to hire a consultant to boost Niwot businesses and attract retail and commercial businesses to the town.

The request was spearheaded by the Local Improvement District Advisory Committee and funded with $10,000 from the LID and about $5,000 from local commercial property owners.

A committee composed of LID and NBA members, one of whom is a commercial property owner, is currently evaluating the responses.  Santelli said, “We expect to make a recommendation to the LID at its Dec. 7 meeting.”

According to a recent survey, Niwot faces a 25 to 30 percent commercial vacancy rate. A meeting with nearly all the commercial property landlords was held in July to discuss their ideas and work toward creating a strategic plan for business revitalization.
“We want a coordinated approach, with a plan that eventually makes the town self-sustaining in its economic vitality,” Santelli said.

One issue still identified as a hurdle is a way to increase parking in the downtown Niwot area. Some businesses, especially restaurants, have been stymied when they considered locating in Niwot due to Boulder County’s requirements for providing parking for businesses, according to LID member Bruce Warren.

The downtown area does not have many parking spaces available, and county officials have not been open in the past to creating a parking lot that patrons and employees could use.

“This difference in outlook will come to a head if we find land near downtown that can be used as parking,” Warren said. “And if a new business takes over the old Rev. Taylor’s restaurant spot on Second Avenue, it will soon become a practical problem as well.”

It was decided that businesses would benefit from an effort to create a sculpture garden park near the tree carvings along Niwot Road. The Niwot Cultural Arts Association is spearheading an effort to create the park, and is working in conjunction with the Cottonwood Park  West Homeowners Association, Niwot Community Association, NBA historical projects committee, Rotary Club of Niwot, Niwot Historical Society and Ni-Wot Prairie Productions.
Scott suggested that the NCAA look into applying for a “Small Step” grant award offered through the OEDIT, which could provide funding of up to $1,000 for the project.

Marketing

Marketing Niwot is also a top recommendation. A social media marketing coordinator position was created in April and filled by Heather Morgan. Since then,
Morgan has created a Niwot Facebook page which has about 2,000 friends. She has also posted photos of Niwot events and people on Photobucket as well as on the Facebook, and started a Twitter account with about 187 followers.

The NBA’s newsletter has been revamped by Morgan and NBA member Gail Ludwig, and more than 600 people now subscribe. Morgan also has high school student intern Allie Wise working with her as part of an effort to partner more with Niwot High School.

The Niwot.com website has been partially revamped and more website work is being planned, Morgan said.
A survey of about 13,000 households in Niwot, Gunbarrel, south Longmont and north Boulder is underway and is expected to provide valuable information about local shopping habits and what businesses and services respondents would like to see in Niwot, Morgan told the group. The survey is sponsored by Freeman Myre.

Progress has been made on creating a gateway sign for Niwot. Sign designs are created and a site has been identified in the right-of-way for the Burlington Northern railroad tracks along the Diagonal Highway near Second Avenue. Warren is working with railroad officials to determine if the land can be purchased or leased.

A long-term marketing plan for Niwot is being finalized, and will include ideas such as optimizing the Niwot.com website for search engines to find, posting YouTube videos about the town and its events, and expanding both print and web advertising.

Other efforts are underway to bring people to Niwot to shop and eat. The Niwot farmers market will be offered again next summer, Santelli told the group. The market is run by Nature’s Point founder Penny Peterson.
“It wasn’t a barn burner, but it was acceptable, according to Penny,” Santelli said. “She said these things take time.”

A new Niwot event, celebrating International Left Handers Day, is “poised to take off,” Santelli said.
“I think we have really stumbled onto something for our town,” he said. “Our town’s name means left-handed, and we could really make this event into something big.” Left Handers Day falls on Aug. 13 each year, and plans are in the works to make the 2011 event “huge,” Santelli said.

Zip Code

Some progress has been made on the zip code issue the downtown area of Niwot faces, but obstacles also have been identified.
Niwot residences and businesses in the Old Town and downtown business area face problems with mail and package deliveries, along with getting Internet search engines to recognize the Niwot addresses assigned to post office boxes.
 
After NBA member Nora McCray contacted postal officials in Denver and the NBA met with some of those officials, a request was approved by the U.S. Postal Service for Niwot residents and businesses to use Niwot in the address line for zip code 80503, which should correct some mail and package delivery problems.

But the businesses and residences in the Old Town Niwot area that are assigned to P.O. boxes are in the 80544 zip code, which shows up as Longmont in the databases.

A possible solution for the problem would be to create a database for the affected businesses and residences and then sell it to the search engine companies. NBA members are exploring that solution.