N. College may get grocery

FORT COLLINS — The Fort Collins City Council has approved a zoning change that could spark new commercial development on North College Avenue.

Last month the council moved to permit supermarkets over 25,000 square feet in a 29-acre lot near the northeast corner of North College Avenue and Willox Lane.

Previously, the area was designated as Community Commercial North College zone district, which prohibited retail sales in buildings larger than 25,000 square feet.

The original zoning called for more of an Old Town feel that would preserve the large tree stands and views, with streets and sidewalks winding through the property.

Much of the parcel is covered with wetlands and only about 11 acres are developable.

“The zoning provided a unique special opportunity for something besides standard commercial development,´ said Clark Mapes, city planner.

However, owners of the property believed the old zoning couldn’t support commercial development.

“Over the last seven years we’ve had three or four different developers look at our land there,´ said Jim Smith, president of Smith Investments, which owns the parcel along with First National Bank. “Because of the zoning they all came back and said that it’s not feasible to develop without a large anchor tenant because the development costs are too significant.”

Smith said the zoning change has allowed him to move forward in discussions with a major grocery chain to develop the property, but a contract has yet to be signed.

“We’ll have more information after the council’s second hearing,” Smith said, which was scheduled for Jan. 7, after The Northern Colorado Business Report went to print. But it is unusual for council members to change their minds after a first reading, Smith said.

The proposed site sits just north of a retail development anchored by an Albertson’s grocery store. Much of the cost of developing the site relates to widening the streets, adding turning lanes and purchasing the land on the corner of Willox Lane and North College Avenue. That means the existing businesses — Pobre Ponchos Mexican restaurant and the North College Motors used-car lot — would have to be relocated.

“There are several alternatives that could happen with the businesses located there,” Smith said, noting that the owners could sell out or possibly strike a deal to be relocated within the new development.

“I think it’s a doable deal,” Smith said. “I think all businessmen have a price.”

First National Bank has been involved in the partnership that has owned the parcel for more than 20 years.

“This kind of project, should it move forward, could be a real stimulus to development on North College,´ said Mark Driscoll, president of First National.

“A development with a grocery-store anchor would bring more business and more traffic to the whole area,” he said.

“It’s a real interesting and positive possibility for the North College corridor, but it’s very, very preliminary. At least with the change of use approved in this zone it gives a developer the opportunity to try, anyway.”

Mike Kroneberger manages North College Motors, one of the businesses that would be affected.

“My understanding is that they’re basically trying to buy it out from us,” he said. “We’ve been told the developer doesn’t want us on the corner. I guess a used-car dealership that has been here for about 30 years is no longer appreciated.”

Kroneberger said that while he has heard rumors and was aware of the city’s vote, no one has officially contacted him regarding the development.

“Are we saying we don’t want to go?” he asked. “Well, the problem is, where would we go? We like where we are. Anytime you move a business there’s an adjustment period that can take awhile, or it might never occur.”

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