Feeders Supply relocation hits zoning snag

FORT COLLINS – Northern Colorado Feeders Supply co-owner Danielle Nater acknowledges that a zoning snag with the company’s anticipated new location could – at least temporarily – put the store out of business.

But she’s hoping a solution can be worked out soon between the city of Fort Collins and the family owned business.

“It shouldn’t have to happen,” said Nater, whose father Dennis Nater purchased the decades-old business at 359 Linden St. in 1972.

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Feeders Supply sold its building and land at 359 Linden earlier this month to developers who are planning a $12 million redevelopment that will include a new apartment building, as well as a refurbishment of the feed store into a restaurant. Per terms of the sale, Feeders Supply can operate at 359 Linden through this month before it must move.

Feeders Supply is under contract to purchase the three buildings and two acres of land at 300 Hickory St., just west of North College Ave. The spot has been vacated for more than a year since Aurora-based Barton Supply – supplier of rebar, steel and other construction supplies – moved its Northern Colorado operations to Longmont.

The issue for Feeders Supply is that 300 Hickory is zoned industrial, not for retail, even though Nater contends that Barton Supply was conducting retail operations there in the past. She said her company is meeting with the city on Monday to see what solution can be worked out.

The Naters’ plan, if the city allows them to operate at 300 Hickory, is to run their business out of a construction trailer while they demolish a 1,000-square-foot office building on the property and build a new 2,800 to 3,000-square-foot store and office. If they aren’t allowed to run a retail operation there, Nater said she isn’t sure what the business’s next step would be given its tight timeline to vacate the Linden Street location.

Pending the results of an asbestos test, Nater said Feeders Supply is ready to close on the purchase of 300 Hickory but that that could be in jeopardy or at least delayed if a plan with the city isn’t worked out soon.

An official with the city’s planning department couldn’t be immediately reached on Friday.

Nater said 300 Hickory is an ideal spot. In addition to the office building there now, the property includes a 4,500-square-foot hay shed and a 3,500-square-foot warehouse. Feeders Supply will renovate the warehouse and utilize both of those buildings. The company is operating in about 7,000 square feet of building space now, meaning the new digs would give the seven-employee company some room to spread out.

“It’s got everything we need,” Nater said.