BY MARY WOLBACH LOPERT 

     Not everyone is happy about Terry O’Connor and the O’Connor Group’s proposed plans to build Gunbarrel Town Center (GTC), a new urbanism, mix-used community on the 9.6 acres of vacant land directly behind King Soopers in Gunbarrel.  The Gunbarrel Neighborhood Alliance is extremely concerned about the proposed development. 
     In telephone conversations with alliance members Chuck Simmons and Scott Dixon both men stated as currently proposed, the center not only doesn’t meet the needs of Gunbarrel residents, but also brings more unwanted residential development to the area.  Simmons feels that opposition to the GTC is warranted, especially when the City of Boulder has a long history of not supporting existing city residents with much needed city services like a library or rec. center.
     The alliance was formed in 1992 when the Gunbarrel North and the Country Club Estates subdivisions were being developed.  Simmons stated, “The city (of Boulder) had plans to develop out here, but no plans to communicate with people who lived in Gunbarrel.”
     Simmons, Dixon, along with Jim Butler and Rick Beaver, went door-to-door in the Gunbarrel neighborhoods polling community opinions.  “We got to know neighbors and how they felt on a wide variety of concerns,” Dixon said.  The results of this effort, and a year long set of meetings with city council, county commissioners and others, was that residents overwhelming voted in support buying of open space to prevent future development.  Residents also voted to create the Gunbarrel Public Improvement District so that local taxes would go to improving area roads. 
     “The community wanted to draw closure to the size of Gunbarrel,” Dixon stated. “Terry O’Connor’s residential component of this proposal is in direct conflict with the expressed desire of the Gunbarrel residents.  We would look forward to working with O’Connor and developing a retail vision for this area.”
     Dixon continued, “We don’t want any residential growth of any kind.  Some people are saying that we don’t want low-income housing.  This is not true.  We don’t want any residential growth.  There are very few properties left in Gunbarrel (for retail) development.  The community town center would best serve Gunbarrel if it provided restaurants, apparel shops and city services, such as a library, rec. center and meeting places.”
     Another alliance member is particularly upset about the lack of library services in Gunbarrel. Alliance member Brenda Bender said, “Taxes come out of this area and there are limited number of services that come into this area.  A library is mentions as a primary interest of residents at any public meeting I’ve been to.”
      According to the City of Boulder Sales and Use Tax Revenue report, December 2001, the total new sales/use tax receipts in 2001 for Gunbarrel industrial businesses was $5,143,859.  This figure represents an increase of 59.11 percent over the 2000 figure of $3,232,859.  The report also shows that for 2001, Gunbarrel use tax was up by 119.92 percent.  Gunbarrel commercial businesses showed a 3.99 percent drop in net receipts from $960,889 in 2000 to $922,559 in 2001.  Taxes from Gunbarrel businesses represent 7.60 percent of the total sales and use tax collected for the City of Boulder.
     “The city would make more money if the (GTC) were a retail development,” Dixon stated.  “The city hasn’t supported the city residents in the Gunbarrel region.  It gains tremendous tax dollars from retail and industrial (businesses) and doesn’t return city services, library, rec. center and other city services.  They also haven’t supported the need for traffic lights and mitigation.”
     As for the height and open space variances O’Connor requested (see Changes Announced For GTC, page 1), Dixon emphatically stated, “The whole broad idea is that Terry O’Connor is asking for a lot of variances to make something acceptable to him, which is not acceptable to the neighbors.  We consider ourselves a country residential area, which is (currently) next to a low impact retail area.  The variances he is requesting apply more to an urban environment, as in a core city area.”
     He continued by stating, “This little town center isn’t a Crossroads (Shopping Center).  The variances O’Connor is requesting don’t go with our vision for the transition from residential to light retail.  The height variance (up to 55 feet) is significantly higher than any of the residential or adjacent retail location.  The visual obstruction would be seen as a skyscraper in a small community.”
     Ultimately, Dixon feels, “The Gunbarrel area is the trial-balloon for the redevelopment of Crossroads Shopping Center.”
     Dixon concluded by stating, “My best proposal would be to put a moratorium on building until we have a better vision of what is needed.  Besides now closed Hugh M. Woods (on the northeast corner of Lookout Road and 63rd Street), there are other small properties which need to be identified before we can accept a proposal for this small parcel.”