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By Laura Whildin 
When Niwot’s Al Weimer learned of Qwest telephone company’s plans to build a 15,000 square foot switching station next to his home, he started asking questions. The CU professor of chemical engineering soon begain his first venture in political activism. The result, which he called a “compromise,” is a 4,600 square foot building that will be designed to look like a house with stucco walls, false windows, a working fireplace, and landscaping. Weimer is this month’s Left Hand Laurel for his consensus service to the Niwot building community. Weimer said that in January 2001, he and other neighbors were given the written proposal from the Boulder County Land Use Department for the structure. The switching station would be located south of Niwot Road across from Grange Park where a 1,000 square foot switching station currently stands. “It really scared us, because of the massive size of the building and the chemicals, a giant fuel tank, and problems with the water table,” said Weimer. He and other neighbors decided to organize the surrounding residents to fight the proposal. “People wanted more advanced features for their telephone service,” said Weimer, but the original proposal offered no high-speed Internet service and no voicemail. Qwest’s main goal was to equip the area with more phone lines, which according to Weimer, doesn’t make sense due to the growth restrictions and large amounts of open space in the Niwot area. “We organized the residents in Springhill and Somerset (subdivisions), and virtually all of them supported us. Most of them had no idea what was going on.” The original building was constructed in 1976, on a property purchased from Raymond Chaney. Weimer and his group discovered that the deed had provisions that stated that the building had to be “architecturally and aesthetically compatible with the surrounding residences.” After organizing residents in the area to attend Qwest meetings, the group eventually was successful in getting Qwest to reduce the size of the building and to make it look like a residence. Qwest will also offer high-speed Internet access such as digital subscriber lines (DSL) to the area. Although Weimer termed the new proposal a compromise, he is pleased with the results. “The building that they are going to put in there is probably going to be the nicest looking Qwest building in the state.” The County approved the Qwest building on Feb. 21. Constrruction should start this summer, with completetion expected by the end of the year. Weimer worked for DOW Chemical in Michigan for 17 years before moving to Niwot six years ago. Currently he is a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He enjoys spending time with his family. His daughter Lauren is in ninth grade at Niwot High School, and his son Mike is studying electrical engineering at CU. His wife Carol organizes technical conferences. One of Weimer’s current research projects involves using sunlight to dissociate natural gas, which can power the fuel cell cars advocated by President Bush, without producing harmful greenhouse gases. Weimer said that he would advise others who are dealing with a community controversy to organize their neighbors and to pick and choose their battles. He also advises being levelheaded. “You have to understand what [the other party’s] needs are as well, and compromise.” Photo by Laura Whildin
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Posted
March 2002