Tri-cities bracing for residential growth

DACONO — This small town is on the verge of a boom, accelerated by the opening of the new E-470 bypass. The towns of Frederick and Firestone and the city of Dacono are bracing for a development boom as Denverites look for homes in these former sleepy communities.

“Dacono has been a couple of years behind the other (cities),´ said Karen Cumbo, city administrator for the town of Dacono. “We have 8,500 residential units in some stage of development, (and) a fair number have already hit the ground.”

While Dacono’s growth has been relatively slow, it is quickly gaining speed as the town attracts new residents.

“We are seeing a lot of interest and are not expecting a huge slowdown anytime soon,” Cumbo said.

The tri-cities area along Weld County Road 13 is expecting this boom because of the addition of the E-470 bypass. With the completion of the bypass this month, residents will have a direct link between their towns and Denver.

“Weld County Road 13/Colorado Boulevard has an interchange on E-470 a couple of miles south of town,” Cumbo said. “Road improvements are driving some of this development.”

Cheri Andersen, town administrator for Firestone, also believes the new interchange will increase the population of the former mining town.

“The new E-470 bypass will create better opportunities for the area. It will open it up for commuters,” Andersen said.

“We still see people coming from Denver and surrounding areas,” Andersen said. “People like the rural area with the urban connection. The area is not as congested and homes are still available, and it’s an easy commute.”

Too many homes?

In 2003, the tri-cities area will have more than 9,000 homes in some process of development. While the possibility of all the homes being built this year seems improbable, within the decade these homes and more may be built.

“I wonder if it is possible to over-develop the area,´ said Dacono’s Cumbo. “I keep asking myself, ‘How much housing can we build?’ But we are not seeing a let up of the pressure. When it is all put on paper we are looking at 8,500 homes in the next 10 years. As a practical matter, it wouldn’t surprise me if they didn’t all get built.”

Firestone is concerned about excessive growth, so the town has developed a growth plan.

“We have a comprehensive plan in place to maintain our rural and urban mix,” Andersen said. “We have a set of development standards in place. I think we are doing a good job of managing growth. We are looking to have a cohesive mixed-growth area.”

The town of Frederick has also developed a new development code focusing on better planning, quality homes and diverse architecture to help keep development under control.

“In our budget this year we are expecting 200 homes to be built,´ said Dick Wyatt, mayor of Frederick. “It was my opinion we would be off a third this year compared to last year’s 300 homes.”

Wyatt is hesitant to discuss the details of the new development code because of some of the implications it means for builders who began building neighborhoods before the code was enacted.

Commercial development sought

Wyatt is a former developer and a proponent of growth and what it can mean for his town.

“I am 70 percent certain about getting a new company that will employ 200, and 90 percent sure about a company employing 32,” Wyatt said. “Our big thing is getting developers and landowners to move on with the land on the highways (Interstate 25 and Colorado Highway 52). Our interest is in pursuing commercial interests.”

“There is a large amount of land owned by owners that aren’t motivated to move by developers because their land is worth more every year,” he said.

Firestone and Dacono are also seeking commercial interests to add to the cities’ portfolios.

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