Residents in the Northern Colorado town of Timnath effectively blocked the construction of a Topgolf location by passing a measure that bans really tall nets in the town.
Timnath held a special election Tuesday evening with just one measure on the ballot: Whether an amendment to the Town Charter should prohibit fences, including those made of netting, from exceeding 65 feet in height.
Topgolf nets stand around 150 feet tall.
The measure called the tall fences “harmful and contrary to promoting and protecting nature and wildlife within and around the town.”
Preliminary election results showed nearly 70% of voters supported the ban on tall fences: 2,321 voted “Yes” and 1,026 voted “No.”
Topgolf – a Dallas-based high-tech, multi-level driving range and entertainment venue – would have been part of the Ladera developmentat the southeast corner of I-25 and East Harmony Road. The developers released a statement after the resolution passed Tuesday, saying it would honor the results but that its construction would continue on the project, which aims to bring 240 acres of retail, entertainment and residential development to Timnath.
“The Ladera team will abide by the vote and proceed with developing this unique project,” the statement read. “Ladera encourages residents to understand development procedures outlined in the citizen’s role in development review.”
“Ladera supports the Town of Timnath’s planning and development process and looks forward to becoming an important partner in the Town’s planned growth and future prosperity.”
Residents began collecting signatures in support of the special election back in February, citing concerns about conservation of bird species that populate the area.
At that time, Ladera’s project manager told The Denver Post that the backdoor ban on fence heights was an example of “super bad land use planning.”
“It undermines the normal development processes,” he told the paper. “All of these things are in place to get things done.”
Timnath is located about seven miles southeast of Fort Collins. Its population has increased from less than 1,000 in 2017 to around 8,000 today.
