Left Hand Valley Courier - All Local, All The Time

The Niwot Business Association (NBA) welcomed two new members to its executive board following officer elections on Feb. 12.

President Tony Santelli and vice president Deborah Reed Fowler received new terms. Joining them are Nancy Bureau of Left Hand Animal Hospital, who replaces Linda Klueber as secretary, and Mary Coonce of Porchfront Homes, who is set to become the new treasurer.

“I want to thank Linda for having served five years as secretary and Dayna [Roane] for serving three years as treasurer,” Santelli wrote in an email interview. “We are very fortunate that we are able to continue to attract leadership talent like Nancy and Mary. I'm delighted that we continue to have terrific executive talent to help lead us during these turbulent times.”

Santelli has 12 years as NBA president under his belt, but any notions of retiring were “crushed” by the development moratorium imposed by the Boulder County Commissioners in September 2018. He added that he feels duty-bound to help his fellow business owners navigate the Land Use department’s proposed regulatory scheme in the NRCD. He is also concerned about the pace of business closures along 2nd Avenue.

“Although Niwot Old Town looks pretty bleak, I am convinced that this moratorium will be the catalyst to make us stronger, as a business community. I have come to appreciate more the challenges we have communicating that growth is the oxygen of any business community. Any well-intended action to prevent growth is suffocating, and destructive. It's grow or die. There is no middle ground.”

Santelli wrote that the new board’s “overriding priority” will be to “have this moratorium lifted, to enable us to reconstitute a thriving business district, protect the safety of our pedestrians on 2nd Avenue, while maintaining Niwot's charm and character, that makes us so special.” He is confident the new team has the right tools to make that happen.

“Mary, as the brains of Porchfront Homes, according to her husband and business partner Tim Coonce, has been in the middle of the moratorium and brings commercial property owner perspective to the board as our new treasurer. Nancy Bureau has become the model of working with Boulder County and old town residents on how to deal with the complexities of moving her Left Hand Animal Hospital to a new location.