New Niwot welcome sign

Just off of Highway 119 on the north side of Niwot Road is a new carved rock sign, welcoming visitors who get off the Diagonal Highway to enter Niwot. Montana Heather, a Niwot High School senior, created the sign, located on the north side of Niwot Road just across from Peppertree Drive, as his Eagle Scout project.

The planning and coordinating behind the construction of the sign took almost two years due to the spacing requirements of the sign itself, which required approval by Boulder County because of its proximity to Niwot Road, as well as approvals by the Niwot Community Association and the Niwot Business Association.

Heather worked with the Niwot Community Association and the Niwot Business Association to design the sign, and received funding from the Niwot Local Improvement District. The project prompted a discussion among LID members about the possibility of other signs at entrances to Niwot. "Eric Bergeson [NBA] and David Limbach [NCA] were amazing," Heather said. They helped him refine the design and suggested that he apply for funding from the LID, which covered the entire cost of the project since the sign benefits the local business district.

Bert Cashman of Cashman Signs in Niwot served as a mentor to Heather throughout the project, having been referred by Heather's neighbor, Steve Paige. "I need to tell you how amazing Bert has been," Heather said. "He taught me a lot about the carving, things I would otherwise not have known." When Heather called 811 to get a locate for underground utilities, he thought he had the right spot for the sign, just off Niwot Road. But Cashman told him that 811 doesn't always flag data lines.

Heather's mother, Dana Heather, said, "His mentor (Cashman) went out to look at it, and said, 'You've gotta look for data lines.' It took three to four weeks to get the data lines located, and we found that there were data lines all over the place. There are massive fines if you cut a data line. So we had to get a stone that would fit diagonally between two data lines."

Montana Heather echoed his mother's sentiments. "He [Cashman] was patient with me when we switched stones at the last minute," he said. But in the end it was worth it as Heather was able to complete his Eagle Scout project, and was also able to use it for his International Baccalaureate CAS project at Niwot High School.

The sign, supporting boulders, and the gravel bed around it were officially installed on Aug. 17, as Heather organized a large group of family, friends and fellow scouts from Troop 161 to assist with the project, including his aunt and uncle who were visiting from Australia. His mother, and younger brother, also a scout, assisted along with four other scouts and two friends.

The carving on the sign as well as the paintwork were created by Cashman. The stone selected was in a lighter color than the original plan so the lettering would show up well in contrast. The sign is also equipped with three solar-powered lights so it can be seen from the road at night.

The design focused on a sign that would require minimal upkeep, and includes the logo of the Niwot Business Association.