The 7-Eleven gas station being built on Northfield Blvd. between Willow and Xanthia Streets is dangerously close to new homes being constructed. Due to the gas station, my wife and I have decided to terminate our builder contract. The builder was more than fair regarding the issue, but we have decided to move on.
I understand and respect the rationale behind Forest City’s decision to contract a parcel along Northfield Blvd. to a 7-Eleven franchise. I get the neighborhood needs a gas station and people like convenience. I get why this makes sense in many respects for the 7-Eleven franchisee and in meeting some kind of need of the neighborhood, but let’s be real for just a second…
It’s still a 7-Eleven—a store with extended, or worse, overnight, hours that sells gas, tobacco products, soda, junk food, lottery tickets and potentially malt beverage/beer.
No matter how it’s designed, what it looks like, how it’s landscaped, or how well it’s maintained, it’s still a very close-by center of attraction that could be an unwelcome and unsafe environment for families like us wanting to raise kids nearby.
I really hope the Forest City team understands that. I hope they understand that it might not be what the Conservatory Green residential neighborhood wants that close to their homes, whether they are within sight of a gas pump or not.
I understand Forest City has a tough job, and it’s nearly impossible to please everyone. My issue is the 7-Eleven’s very close proximity to single family homes that people are staking their futures on in one way or another.
Did Forest City ever conduct a traffic study prior to contracting the space to truly understand how this kind of business would affect traffic patterns in that proximity to a residential area?
Is this a “green” business that fits within the mission statement that is marketed to potential residents up there?
How will this ultimately affect property values or the perceived value and appeal of the neighborhood?
Needless to say, my wife and I have had a ton of questions. We went from tremendously excited as they started to frame our new house to absolutely crushed in a matter of hours as we confirmed the news.
Ultimately, we’re sad to leave Stapleton, a great neighborhood that we’ve called home for the past nearly 6 years, but putting a gas station at that particular spot along Northfield with the general perceived disconnect with Forest City and the residents recently was a deal breaker for us.
Sincerely,
Mark Breidenbach
I’ve been a Stapleton homeowner for almost 11 years, so I’ve heard this kind of complaint a lot. Sometimes it’s a bit silly – people were worried about the income restricted housing that went up across the street for where we live, and of course we haven’t had any problems. People were worried about the new liquor store, and that too hasn’t been an issue. After reading this editorial, I took a drive to Northfield to see the location of the new 7/11. I have to say, I wouldn’t want to live that close to a gas station/convenience store either. Unlike the 7/11 on Montview, this one is right behind several houses. The back yards of these houses will be illuminated by the lights of the parking area and gas station all night, every night. Cars will come and go at all hours. It’s bad design, and bad placement by Forest city.
The attitude in the editorial is pretty pervasive in Stapleton, it seems. If it’s not 7-11 (and its unsavory clientele) that’s an issue, it’s King Soopers or the gas station or basically anything else that doesn’t “fit our image”. I find myself scratching my head often at the attitude many seem to have that it should be “my way or the highway” and Stapleton residents should have the ultimate say in every single bit of development that happens here. Seems like there’s a lot of lip-service paid to being “green” and “liberal” but this community often feels pretty priveleged and snobby to me. Not what I expected when I moved here.
Was going to make a comment on the article which asks why Stapleton isn’t more diverse…this seems like a better place to post my opinion though.
Caroline, good question! Take a trip to any Denver Public Library and read up on the diversity, boundry lines and how the people who live in Stapleton and Northfield got there. Start with Five Point and the former Mayor himself Stapleton. The gas station was zoned before they started moving on top of it. The apartment community accross the street truly benefit from it. The shoppers at Northfield don’t seem to have a problem either. So yes, the question would be why are developers building houses on a landfill across from a designated shopping facility. They are going to say for convenience and guess what 7-Eleven is convenient. I like it. Good coffee for $1.69 instead of $4.00. Gas in the way home. $1 slice of pizza. Oh thank heaven!
I personally grew up in Parkhill, which was dang near stolen from the community. The neighboring newcomers were bigger and better than “us”, oh they wouldn’t dare come down here. Now, I see they’re trying to take over and not blend in. Amazing huh? It’s called gentrification.
That’s all truth you wouldn’t hear from anyone in those communities.
God Bless!
Are you kidding me? You sound like a whiny kid taking his toys and going home early from a play date because he isn’t getting his way. “Dangerously close” to residential property? What danger does a 7-11 pose? Would a church or a frozen yogurt store be less “dangerous”? Moreover, when you purchased your lot, did you see that the zoning provided for mixed use property? That would have been a red flag for me, and I would have looked for another lot. Are you saying this fact was hidden from you?