by Phil Goldstein | NorthFortyNews.com
If you haven’t been to Timnath in a while, you probably wouldn’t recognize it. When my wife and I moved here from Fort Collins in 2010, the population was less than 700. Now there are almost 12,000 residents and dozens of retail and service businesses, whereas there was only Walmart back then.
We also now have our own 24/7 police department, a Poudre Fire Authority station, and all other essential public service departments. Parks, recreation, and open spaces are a priority for Timnath, as are informational events and festivals, including the area’s largest July 4th fireworks display and celebration. And with the impending completion of the last gap in the 45-mile Poudre River Trail, we’re conveniently at its midpoint.
Joining Walmart as the primary sales tax generator supporting our residents’ infrastructure and service priorities is Costco. And due south of Costco is the ever-expanding Ladera retail, service, entertainment, and residential development. The River Bend development and other commercial sites along Harmony Road are also filling up quickly. All of these businesses have the advantage of their proximity to the interstate, a function of Timnath’s emphasis on forward-thinking and responsible planning. And that means that much of Timnath’s essential sales tax revenue comes from shoppers living outside the area.
Shortly after moving here, I was recruited to a position on the Town of Timnath’s Planning Commission, on which I’m still serving. The Commission is the Town Council-appointed governmental entity responsible for the initial review of residential and commercial development proposals, rezonings, annexations, and long-term planning. All of its functions have much to do with the management of the town’s rapid growth.
Timnath is currently updating its comprehensive plan, which is required periodically by state law. In simple terms, comprehensive planning involves deciding what goes where—residential, commercial, industrial, roads, trails, parks, etc. Much of what is already developed or under development in Timnath was envisioned in early town comprehensive planning—the current site that became Ladera was planned for commercial enterprises 25 years ago. While the current update process focuses mainly on what comes next, it takes data and anecdotal information from the past and present into account as well.
And there will be much in the way of further growth coming next. Timnath’s growth management area (GMA), the land where the town expects to expand to eventually—as formalized in agreements with the county and surrounding communities— is roughly a rectangle bordered on the west by the interstate, on the east by Colorado Boulevard, and extending about 10 miles north.
Continued growth in Northern Colorado is inevitable, and in Timnath in particular, given the considerable open spaces in its GMA. And like other communities, Timnath can’t simply ‘pull up the drawbridge’ on further residential and commercial growth. Land owners have rights that usually trump realtors’ promises to prospective home buyers that the adjoining open space will always remain as such.
But what Timnath can and does do well is farsighted, comprehensive planning, ensuring as much as possible that the ‘what goes where’ is carefully considered. And high development standards, including less density than most surrounding communities and strict building codes means responsible growth, which town residents welcome, hence the favorable reputation of Timnath for both residential and commercial expansion.
I’m honored to continue involvement in the forward-thinking and responsible growth of Timnath. To learn more about the Planning Commission and the development process, visit: https://timnath.org/planning-commission/, or check out my February 26, 2025, NFN column on our work: https://northfortynews.com/category/columns/give-back-to-your-community/. And if you live in Timnath and want to get involved, the website also has information on the many opportunities, including the highly informative Citizens Academy.
Phil Goldstein is in his 7th year writing Tales from Timnath for North Forty News. Phil is a 16-year Timnath resident who is finally using his West Virginia University journalism degree after getting sidetracked 53 years ago. The views expressed herein are Phil’s only. Contact him with comments on the column at [email protected].