Neighborhood Spotlight: Gunbarrel Estates

The Left Hand Valley Courier is spotlighting various local neighborhoods, their history, issues and general nature. This week, the Courier is focusing on Gunbarrel Estates.

Gunbarrel Estates has its roots in the early 1960s, when it was developed by Bowron Builders, Inc., the same company which created several subdivisions in Niwot. It's not only conveniently located near Gunbarrel's shopping, the Boulder Country Club, and employers such as Celestial Seasonings and IBM, it was thoughtfully developed with parks and recreational amenities that are well used by residents. These spaces are so well-curated, they have even become a draw for families that don't live in the area.

Today, turning into the neighborhood brings visitors down long streets with mature trees and well-kept, mid-century modern homes, including a plentiful array of ranch-style housing. In the earliest days, as Bowron Builders established the development, it turned farmland into farms, moving existing buildings to adjacent parts of the area. The first individuals to move into the area had to manage construction dust and existing wildlife such as rabbits, coyotes and bobcats.

In the development's earliest years, new homeowners weren't especially plentiful, as people may have found the location to be too remote from jobs and schools. That changed as IBM announced it was moving to the area, and Gunbarrel Estates homes were appealing to the workforce. Residents bought homes on undeveloped lots, waiting patiently until construction was complete.

Through the years since its first groundbreaking, Gunbarrel Estates has continued to create a community where residents enjoy multiple open park spaces funded by the Metropolitan Recreation and Park District formed to own and manage them, and ongoing activities are administered through an active HOA.

The location in Gunbarrel means that, though residents pay taxes to Boulder County, they receive services from disparate locations, such as Left Hand Water District, Niwot Sanitation District, Mountain View Fire Rescue, and the St. Vrain Valley School District. The phone system was part of the Boulder exchange (530 prefix) and calls to Niwot used to be long distance.

When Gunbarrel Estates was first developed, the Park District land was used as a baseball field for Gunbarrel Lefthand Valley Boys Baseball, now known as Niwot Youth Sports, but the Park District board opted to eliminate the baseball field when the park was fully developed.

Lauren Heising has lived in Gunbarrel Estates for 22 years. Her residence is located adjacent to Gunbarrel Estates Park, home to a playground, grassy areas, a basketball court, a tennis court and a volleyball court. "It's been wonderful, a great place to raise my son," she said. "We came here because of the playground and the schools. We've raised two dogs here too. And we've loved the yearly chili cookoff, and they used to have Easter egg hunts in the park. They were a lot of fun."

Through decades, neighbors have also worked together to advocate for issues that affect them as a community. Most recently, residents worked together to oppose a proposed nearby tennis complex, which gave residents concern over wildlife impacts, noise and traffic, among other things.

On March 4, developers tabled its request to proceed with the facility, although the effort has not officially ended. The Gunbarrel Estates committee is on alert should the effort's resume. They are always keeping a watchful eye on how the area is further used, so that the life in Gunbarrel Estates can continue benefiting families and residents as it's done since its earliest days.