Thornton – When the City Council earlier this year passed a plan to rezone an empty corner near a few new housing developments to allow a big-box store, hundreds of residents showed up to protest.
There was talk of a recall. Volunteers began gathering signatures to take the matter to the voters. The City Council decided to put the issue on the ballot.
And then? Well, let’s just say the subsequent campaigns for and against have yet to live up to their bombastic billing.
In contrast with neighboring Westminster, where the fight over a proposed Wal-Mart yields almost daily drama from vocal combatants, the campaigns surrounding Thornton’s ballot question have been much more discreet affairs.
Until Thursday, there hadn’t been a single registered campaign committee. There have been no reports filed detailing how much either side has spent waging its fight. The developer seems somewhat ho-hum about the proceedings, saying last week his company hasn’t spent a dime campaigning.
“It’s been very, very low key,” said Mayor Noel Busck.
That isn’t to say, however, that the campaigns have been nonexistent. Busck said he has recorded two phone messages in support of the rezoning. Both groups have sent around fliers. In the neighborhoods surrounding the site, there is a smattering of lawn signs urging voters to repeal the rezoning.
Those opposed to a big-box store say their campaign is a grassroots effort. They are worried about the traffic, noise and pollution they say the store would bring to the area.
“We’re just trying to educate the people so they can make an informed decision on the vote,” said John Namovicz, a resident who is against the potential development.
The group has not registered as a campaign committee or reported any campaign contributions. Not registering is not necessarily against campaign-finance laws, provided the group hasn’t collected or spent more than $200, said Thornton City Clerk Nancy Vincent.
If approved, ballot question 2B would overturn the rezoning and effectively kill any potential big-box development.
On Thursday, a curious group calling itself Keep Thornton Strong made the first official move of the campaign. It registered as a committee.
While Busck described Keep Thornton Strong as a citizens group, the registered agent, according to the form filed Thursday, is Gregory Kolomitz, the president of a campaign consulting firm in Denver. Kolomitz said Thornton resident Marcia Johnson is the primary contact for the group, which supports the rezoning.
But Johnson said she has very little to do with the campaign. Proponents of the development argue that a big-box store would bring much needed tax revenue to Thornton.
“Why have a council if you’re going to vote everything down that they say?” Johnson asked.
Meanwhile, Rhys Duggan, developer of the proposed big-box center, said in a recent e-mail that his firm has yet to spend any money campaigning to keep the rezoning in place.
“We don’t know what the outcome of the vote will be, but hope that the vote will reflect the will of all Thornton voters, not just a few extreme pro-union, anti-growth activists,” Duggan wrote.
Staff writer John Ingold can be reached at 720-929-0898 or jingold@denverpost.com.
