Proposed tennis club on 79th St. generates opposition

Open areas are dwindling as urban areas continue to be developed into more densely populated regions. One location being proposed for development is a vacant parcel on the west side of 79th Street between Lookout Road and Highway 52, next to the Church of the Lookout.

An application for development of the parcel to be a private tennis club, "Tennis Center of the Rockies," was dated Nov. 22, 2023 and formally filed with Boulder County on Dec. 5, 2023.

Many Gunbarrel residents met on Dec. 17, 2023, to discuss the proposed development and usage of the 19.73 acre location at 5701 N. 79th St. A Dec. 20, 2023 article in the Courier detailed the nature of the proposed tennis club and the concerns voiced by Niwot and Gunbarrel residents.

Those concerns continue to grow. Over 160 comments have been submitted to Boulder County regarding the proposal, and are available for review on the county land use website. While some responses support the proposal citing the need for a tennis facility in the county, the vast majority of the responses oppose the application.

Those who oppose the tennis club, which is being developed by Coburn Partners, continue to sign a petition found at https://stop79thsttenniscomplex.org/. The total number of those who have formally signed the petition sits at 1,380 as of Jan. 21, 2024. Letters to the county can also be submitted through the website and must be received by Feb. 23.

Reasons cited by those opposed to the development include urban development in a rural area which is contrary to the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan as an Area III Rural Preservation Site, loss of public views of the Front Range mountains and Indian Peaks Wilderness area, noise and light pollution, traffic congestion, and setting a precedent of creating exceptions to the Comprehensive Plan.

Regarding the disruption of the Area III Rural Preservation Site, several respondents indicated that wildlife inhabitants would be affected.

On the https://stop79thsttenniscomplex.org/#concerns website, Kristin Stordahl lists specific animals which would be affected by this development and the traffic conditions along with it, such as "bald eagles, owls, hawks, coyotes, foxes, and an occasional mountain lion." Burrowing owls, prairie dogs, and other animals are also listed on the opposition website as wildlife that would be affected through excavation and development.

W. Balir also commented on this specific issue stating, "It (the tennis club development) will be a blight on a natural habitat. This area is a productive prairie dog colony [which] supports a myriad of predators."

Additionally, concerns listed regarding urbanization include light pollution, traffic congestion, and precedent are voiced heavily in the comments of the website. Several people wrote that the area is already facing difficult traffic issues and that the added popularity of this facility would require extensive road construction and the addition of more lanes and traffic lights in the area to prevent further congestion.

Nao Kanda said in the comments to the county, "The traffic has already increased in these 30 years and if 600+ more cars will be on our Gunbarrel roads it's going to be a disaster. Roads will need to be widened and traffic lights added. The leach fields at the top of Gunbarrel hill are also a big concern."

Others argue that by developing such a large facility in this area, it sets a precedent for developers to overturn designated rural areas and wildlife habitats. J. Giese wrote on the opposition's website, "This plan will impact the natural habitat and there are better locations for this type of facility, such as taking over much of the empty commercial space that (already) exists."

While many are in opposition to the proposed development, there are those who are in favor of this new tennis facility. Tom Miller's public comment states, "Options for tennis in the county are declining even as the City of Boulder has mounted a laudable exercise to plan for better tennis and pickleball access..." Miller cites tennis as a "health-supporting recreation for children, people with disabilities, people of color, older residents, and anyone hoping to stay fit in our society," and he believes that Boulder relies too heavily on natural, outdoor recreation over facilities with infrastructure.

Acknowledging competing demands for public expenditure, Miller stated, "There likely will develop...opposition by neighbors who understandably have local concerns that supersede the needs of the county as a whole," and urged the county to "appreciate the needs of all our residents."

Patrick Edwards also submitted a comment to Boulder County, noting that "with the loss of Rocky Mountain Tennis Club and soon twelve CU South courts to development, the already terrible court situation in and near Boulder will become materially worse" as the increased demand for facilities rises for indoor tennis and pickleball venues.

Edwards also noted that even though RMTC is a private club, it has served a "broad community of players... including hundreds of youth, wheelchair, and elderly players" for decades.

In a Jan. 19, 2024 letter from the Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting Department to the applicants, Moneca Sheldan and Kendall Chitambar, the application for a Special Use Review/Site Specific Development Plan "has been accepted as complete and referred to the required agencies and adjacent property owners."

Referrals are required to affected public agencies as well as property owners within 1500 feet of the site. The referral response deadline is Feb. 23. At that point, the county staff will review the application, as well as referral responses and public comments, and develop a staff recommendation, including an analysis of how the proposal is affected by land use regulations and the Boulder County Comprehensive Plan.

Once that process is complete, a hearing before the Boulder County Planning Commission will be scheduled.

Local residents opposed to the application will meet on Feb. 4 at the Niwot United Methodist Church in Gunbarrel at 2:30 p.m. to further discuss the application.