Wellington has plenty of room to grow

By Gary Raham
Wellington Correspondent

If it seems harder to make a left turn onto Cleveland Avenue than in years past, it most likely is. More people seem to be discovering Wellington --the community featured as "a nice place to grow."

Wellington has processed 173 housing permits from January to August this year, according to deputy town clerk Cynthia Sullivan, which has been keeping contractors' hammers busy in Buffalo Creek, The Knolls and The Meadows.

Buffalo Creek, located northeast of the County Road 9 and Washington Avenue intersection, is entering phase two of its development plans, which will yield 90 new homes when complete. They advertise starting prices in the $150s, as do the homes offered by Keller Williams Realty east of Interstate 25.

Columbine Estates, south of Box Elder Commons and The Knolls and west of I-25, is currently concentrating on building the infrastructure that would ultimately service the needs of up to 124 townhomes. According to developer Darrel Adolph, these 1,000- to 1,100-square-feet units will be priced between $129,000 and $159,000.

In comparison, Village Homes in Fort Collins advertises townhomes and single family homes from the $180s to $310s and Morningside Village west of the interstate between Harmony and Horsetooth offers townhomes and condominiums from the low $140s to the low $200s.

Kelly Smith, developer of Kelbran Estates east of the interstate and north of Jefferson Avenue, is also working on infrastructure for 14 single-family homes.

On the commercial side, the newly constructed Comfort Inn, just west of I-25 and south of Highway 1 in the Coal Creek Center, is up and running. Best Rental began business in the former lumber company building on the south side of Cleveland Avenue just east of the railroad tracks. The hardware store and Wellington Veterinary Clinic sites in the business park planned on the southeast corner of East Frontage Road and CR 62 have been approved, but no building permits have been issued yet. Cottonwood Park lies just east of this location but no specific business proposals have been submitted for that area.

A two-lot area on Cleveland Avenue between Fourth and Fifth streets is looking for commercial designation, but the town board has not seen a specific proposal.

Town clerk Sullivan said that Wellington currently has some 122 acres of commercial property divided into 31 units. In addition, there are six or seven "out-lots" that could go either for commercial or residential development. Even property currently intended for residential could be developed for commercial use if there is a land use change--a two-step process that takes about 90 days and two trips in front of the town board.