Overcrowded: bustling Windsor offers Clearview Library cash in exchange for land for new King Soopers
Grocery stores in the town of Windsor are overrun, to the point the town is now trying to put a new King Soopers on a plot of land originally intended for the region's biggest library.
The town of Windsor is offering the Clearview Library District an undisclosed amount of money in exchange for their land at Highway 257 and Main Street., but the library is refusing the offer thus far.
Clearview Library District purchased the plot of land on the northwest corner of the intersection in 2016. The 5.76 acres of land is now in a prime location, surrounded by growing communities like Windsor, Timnath, Severance and the western edge of Greeley.
The only large grocery options in Windsor at this time are Safeway and King Soopers, both located next to each other along the northwestern part of the growing town.
The population of Windsor has grown from 19,000 in 2010 to 36,000 in 2023. In that time the community size has exploded, with hundreds of more homes being developed. Yet, at the same time, the two options for groceries have remained the same.
King Soopers is Windsor's largest resource for tax revenue, according to Shane Hale, town manager for Windsor. Safeway is also in the top five for sales tax revenue in the town.
"We found that two grocery stores were no longer ample for the community," Hale said. "The lines start cuing up halfway around the store. It is so crowded, it is so busy. It isn't a super pleasant experience."
A study showed that the stores are so overcrowded, or out of the way for some newer neighborhoods, that 17% of the shoppers in the surrounding communities intentionally go to neighboring stores in Timnath and Greeley as a way to avoid the congestion.
Hale said that is tax revenue the town of Windsor is missing out on, and convenience which the town would like to provide to residents in the area.
King Soopers conducted studies and determined the northwest corner of Highway 257 and Main Street. was perfect for their plans to expand in Windsor and fill the void. Though it is along the same street as their other location, and only a couple miles to the east, their research showed it would be a promising location to serve Windsor, Severance and Greeley, according to town officials.
However, the land they are eyeing is partially owned by the Clearview Library District, Windsor and Severance's outlet to books and other learning opportunities.
"(The property) was purchased for the intent of building a regional library," said Jeromey Balderrama, president of the Clearview Library Board of Trustees.
In recent years the library has asked Windsor voters to fund the creation of a new library or cultural center on the plot of land. However, both times the voters rejected the measure. Due to the reluctance from the voters to help fund the construction on the property, Clearview Library District has elected to hold on to the land in hope of future development, according to Balderrama.
"We are definitely looking out toward the end of the decade. It is more in the long-term plan for us," Balderrama said.
However, during the board's most recent meeting, some residents took to the podium questioning why the library district was holding onto the land when it was possibly needed by other entities which also could serve the community.
Some board members have noted that the land itself is a financial investment that could later benefit the library's best interests, even if it isn't via a new library or center.
"Owning real estate in Windsor is a great investment that has yielded greater returns," Balderrama said.
Nearly everyone in Windsor can agree that the town is in great need of a new grocer in expanding portions of the community. However, the divide is found at where that exact location may be.
Balderrama said King Soopers offered them a purchase price. However, he said the offer was not in line with what the board found to be the best interests of the future of the library district.
Others took to the podium at the recent library board meeting to say they believed the town needed a new grocer, but rather in the southern or southeastern portions of town.
"I, too, think we need more grocery stores. But, I don't think we need any more on Main Street. It is too congested," one resident said.
Hale said he believed the issue was not one that was worthy of heated debate or fracturing the community, but rather a discussions that could potentially result in the town and the library both accomplishing their goals.
Balderrama said, from his perspective, the Clearview Library District is willing and able to continue discussions between the town and King Soopers in the days ahead. He said he believes the library district simply wants a comparable land opportunity and a fair price point in exchange for that which they already retain.
"If we can find something equivalent on an artery road in the heart (of Windsor), we are looking forward to discussing those," Balderrama said.
Clearview and Windsor plan to continue their discussions on Thursday night.