A group of residents in Timnath, Colorado, are collecting signatures to hold a special election, with the goal of banning tall fences and, by extension, a proposed TopGolf location in their community.
The prospective venue has been top of mind in the small town for months now, after town leadership had conversations with TopGolf representatives about potential incentives offered if Timnath was chosen.
Timnath residents behind a movement called “Guide Our Growth” point to increased traffic, noise and lights as their primary concerns with the development, along with potential harm to wildlife in the area. Bill Jenkins, a member of the group, says that opposition has been strong among his neighbors.
“We would like the town to continue to see growth, but see it grow according to the comprehensive plan and according to the sentiment of ‘clean, green, and serene,’” Jenkins said, referring to the town’s comprehensive plan crafted with voters. “We have federally protected American bald eagles here several months out of the year. Across I-25 we have great blue herons… and we don’t think it’s appropriate to have 150 foot plus netting with bright lights next to the heritage river and right where we have flyways with migrating birds of all kinds.”
Guide Our Growth members are in the process of collecting signatures on a petition to hold a townwide special election, in which voters would be asked to add language to the town’s charter banning “excessively tall fences over 65 feet in height” to “[preserve] the character of the town of Timnath and natural habitats surrounding the town.” The group needs 651 signatures for the petition, and Jenkins says he doesn’t think they will struggle to reach that number.
A spokesperson for the town of Timnath confirmed the prospective TopGolf development and conversations with town leadership in late 2021 regarding “potential incentives for the future.” However, “no commitments by the Town Council or TopGolf” have been made, and the incentives have not been formally approved by the council, the spokesperson said.
"If and when TopGolf submits a formal application to the Town, they will have to submit a traffic study for evaluation. As an aside, it’s helpful to know that the prospective TopGolf project is part of a larger development called Ladera. The Ladera development approved traffic study is within Town design guidelines," the spokesperson said. "Similarly, related to the concerns for eagles and birds, if and when TopGolf submits an application to the Town, there will need to be environmental impact studies done by the developer to determine the effects their development would have on the area. At that point, the study will be reviewed and considered by the Town."
Before that happens, though, Jenkins and his fellow Guide Our Growth residents say they plan to collect enough signatures to table the conversation permanently.
“We’re all for growth. We just want it to be appropriate and consistent with the town’s comprehensive plan,” Jenkins said. “Please don’t put a TopGolf facility in our community next to a national heritage river, where we have abundant wildlife, birds, etc. And we really don’t want the lights and the noise at this location.”
A community meeting hosted by developer Ladera is scheduled for Feb. 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the Colorado Youth Outdoors facility in Fort Collins.
