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Timnath council agrees to pursue Old Town site for community recreation center
Summary
After reviewing four candidate parcels, Timnath Town Council reached unanimous agreement to pursue the Artisan Village (Old Town) property as the preferred location for a proposed community recreation center and directed staff to continue planning work and public engagement.
Timnath, Colo. — Timnath Town Council on March 25 reached unanimous agreement to advance planning for a community recreation center on the Artisan Village parcel in Old Town, directing staff to continue site-level analysis, community engagement and follow-up work on financing and design.
Council’s decision followed a 30-minute presentation and discussion of four candidate sites and test-fit diagrams from the town’s consultants and staff. The consultant team reported that three sites scored similarly in a formal evaluation matrix and that the Artisan Village site—owned by the town and located near Old Town—would better advance downtown activation and generate potential future tax revenue if paired with an “artisan village” redevelopment concept.
Why it matters: Council members and multiple public commenters said placing the rec center in Old Town could spur additional retail and restaurant development and increase foot traffic on Main Street. Several Old Town advocates and steering-committee members had urged the council to select the Artisan Village parcel to catalyze downtown revitalization.
The council’s discussion summarized the site trade-offs the consultant presented: the Peanut property (Timnath North Ranch Park) is 25 acres of town-owned land with more immediate open-space flexibility and easier space for athletic fields, while the Artisan Village site is a roughly 6½-acre, shovel‑ready downtown parcel with a purchase agreement that includes a civic-use expectation for part of the site. Staff noted that the Artisan Village site could require subdivision, possible rezone or conditional-use approvals and coordination with the Timnath Landings community advisory committee to meet obligations in the 2017 purchase agreement.
Public comment and council reaction were heavily tilted toward Old Town. Gary Spurrier, a Guide Our Growth board member, told council: “We endorse your decision,” after the council signaled its preference. Matt Wasserman, a board member and treasurer for Together for Timnath, and other downtown advocates recommended pairing the rec center with a Main Street/organization-led downtown revitalization effort and urged a funded program manager role to coordinate business recruitment and events.
Council members flagged fiscal and logistical questions staff must address before bringing a formal financing plan to voters, including bond and sales-tax scenarios and the timing of any ballot measures. Mayor Robert Oxmacher closed the discussion by asking for agreement and, after the council’s confirmation, said, “Yes. Very good. Please make it so.”
Next steps: Staff said it will return with more detailed cost estimates, purchase‑agreement constraints for the Artisan parcel, traffic and access studies, and proposed financing options. The council directed staff to continue public engagement and to present options during upcoming budget and capital-improvement planning discussions.
