Northglenn to RTD: Don't stop

Agency still has final say despite city's 'no' to depot

Stuart Steers, Rocky Mountain News

Published March 1, 2007 at midnight

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From Boulder to Lone Tree, metro cities are eagerly planning stations along RTD's $4.7 billion FasTracks lines that will likely become community focal points.

Englewood made its rail station a keystone for a huge redevelopment of the former Cinderella City mall. Littleton restored a vintage train depot as a gateway to its historic downtown. And Greenwood Village is working to create a 45- acre "downtown" around the station at I-25 and Arapahoe Road.

But one town has said no.

Northglenn has told RTD it doesn't want a transit station within its city limits.

That decision has angered some city residents and startled outside observers, who think Northglenn may be missing out on a historic opportunity.

"I was surprised," said Noel Busck, the former mayor of Thornton who now serves on the RTD board. "It doesn't seem very rational to me."

But city officials insist there simply is not a good site for a station in Northglenn.

"You have to play the hand you've been dealt," said Northglenn Mayor Kathleen Novak. "If we could create this from scratch and build a city around a rail line, things would be different."

The cities that surround Northglenn, including Westminster and Thornton, are putting together ambitious plans for the FasTracks stations. Thornton may have as many as five stations along the Union Pacific railroad line that will likely carry FasTracks' North Metro Corridor trains from Denver Union Station to 162nd Avenue. The line is scheduled to open in 2015.

Last year a city task force recommended that there not be a station within the Northglenn city limits, even though the rail line will travel along the eastern edge of the city.

The task force believed that having a station in Northglenn would increase noise and pollution in nearby neighborhoods, and also found there were limited development opportunities around the proposed sites at 112th and York and 105th and Irma Drive.

"The impact to neighborhoods would be tremendous," said Northglenn Councilwoman Sheri Paiz, who lives near the tracks. "We'd have traffic coming through our residential neighborhoods. You have to contend with the whistles and public address system. That has people perturbed."

Instead, the task force advocated building a station at 122nd and Claude Court in Thornton. The Northglenn City Council later endorsed that proposal. Even though that site is in Thornton, the city of Northglenn controls some adjacent land that could be developed.

Dissenter's view

Northglenn resident John Steinke is critical of the city's decision, and frequently speaks out for a local station at public forums. He says the 122nd Avenue site is too far north to be convenient for most Northglenn residents.

"I've never understood Northglenn's stance," said Steinke. "Other cities have taken the exact opposite approach. It's very shortsighted."

Currently just one train per week runs along the existing rail line. RTD hasn't formally committed to use the rail tracks, but that option would be cheaper than building a new light-rail line, and RTD's staff has recommended the tracks be used. A decision will be made next year.

Steinke insists there are areas near the proposed Northglenn stations that would be suitable for redevelopment.

He thinks city officials listened too closely to homeowners who live next to the rail line and would prefer there be no train at all. "It was the vocal minority of Northglenn," he said.

However, Mayor Novak says the 122nd Avenue site is a better option for Northglenn, even though it's in Thornton.

A Northglenn maintenance facility is across the street from the site and could be redeveloped. The area still has many open fields and few residents.

"We wouldn't be able to do a lot of development at a station in Northglenn," said Novak.

"We're going to have to work closely with Thornton to make it a successful corridor."

Locations under study

Although Northglenn is opposing a station within its boundaries, the city won't have the last word. RTD has the final say on where stations go, and is still studying locations. RTD says its priority is putting stations where they would be most convenient to passengers.

"The decision will be made by the RTD board," said Busck, who represents Thornton and the eastern area of Northglenn on the board. "We're still in the process of identifying sites."

Busck believes some people in Northglenn assume the RTD passenger trains will resemble a noisy freight train, but he says the diesel technology that's being considered is quieter.

He says Thornton residents are looking forward to the train, and suggests that Northglenn officials let themselves be pressured by a minority of train opponents.

"Thornton has been planning this for a long time and people are excited about rail coming," he said.

steerss@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2282

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