Broomfield residents “shocked” at scope of industrial development proposal 

BROOMFIELD — Neighbors in Broomfield’s Palisades Park neighborhood came out in force — virtually, of course — during Tuesday’s Broomfield City Council meeting to fight back against plans to build a huge new industrial complex close to their backyards. 

Developer SunCap Property Group has proposed a four-building, 526,000-square-foot light industrial and distribution campus on a vacant, roughly 76-acre parcel just east of Huron Street and west of Interstate 25.

Several dozen public speakers joined the more than 100 residents who commented on the city’s development website to oppose the project, which was presented this week as part of the site-review process. 

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Criticism focused on the aesthetics of the big, boxy buildings; traffic congestion and safety concerns about kids playing in an area that could soon see hundreds of large trucks coming in and out; neighborhood compatibility; and negative impacts on property values. 

Representatives of the developer said no tenants for the proposed development have been identified, but many speakers and City Council members believe that SunCap is targeting FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX), which SunCap has worked with in the past. SunCap representatives denied having discussions with the shipping giant. 

Broomfield resident Matt Drake told city leaders he was “blindsided, shocked and disheartened” when he learned about what was being planned for the site. “This is not an industrial area, this is a residential area.”

Craig Leach said he was told when he bought home that the area would be used for park and sports fields. 

“To say that we were shocked when we got the update that this would be an industrial warehouse would be an understatement,” he said.

Garrett Baum, a managing partner with SunCap development partner Urban Frontier LLC, pushed back on the notion that neighbors have been misled about the future of the vacant property near their homes.

“There was no bait and switch,” he said.

Council members agreed that there will eventually be some development at the site, but pushed the builder to consider something more compatible with the surrounding neighborhoods.

“I really feel that we can do better in this area,” Councilwoman Heidi Henkel said. “I want to get this back to the drawing board.”

Broomfield mayor Patrick Quinn emphasized that Tuesday’s hearing was simply an opportunity for the public to learn more about the developer’s plans, not an indication that groundbreaking is imminent. 

“This is not a decision tonight, this is direction given to a developer,” he told concerned residents. “We heard you loud and clear.”

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