ARVADA, Colo. — Denver7 | Your Voice is getting answers for residents in a new Arvada community concerned about overdevelopment, as several auto-related businesses and a car wash are under construction just steps from their new homes.
Linda Hunsinger emailed, “A new townhome community, Whisper Village, is now being drastically, negatively impacted with a series of commercial businesses, and our builder did not share this information when asked.”
Denver7 | Your Voice spoke to Linda and her neighbor, Colin Jenney, and took their story directly to the community and economic development director for the City of Arvada.
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Whisper Village is a new development of townhomes located near Indiana Street and West 90th Avenue, built by Lennar. Many residents, including Hunsinger and Jenney, moved in during the fall of 2024 after purchasing the townhomes that summer.
“Being next to the mountains was very exciting for us,” Jenney said.
Jenney and his family moved from Texas and paid a $10,000 premium for the home’s mountain views.
During home tours, they were told there were no plans for the grass field across the street.
“We were told that it was intended to be some sort of green space,” Jenney said.
Linda Hunsinger said Lennar sold her a different story about the grass field.
“I was told that there would be a nice restaurant with a rooftop, and I thought, 'Wow, that'd be amazing,'” Hunsinger said.
Soon after moving in, however, construction began on the grass lot. Instead of open space or a rooftop restaurant, the commercial development was a Taco Bell, a Dunkin Donuts, Brakes Plus and O’Reilly Auto Parts. Tractors are currently at work laying the groundwork for a car wash, directly in front of the Jenney’s mountain views.
Both homeowners told Denver7 | Your Voice they would not have purchased their homes if they knew these commercial businesses would be their new neighbors.
“This was what I considered to be my life savings. So, it does keep me up at night,” Hunsinger said.
The homeowners are worried about noise, traffic, and pollution from the businesses. They place most of the blame on the builder for being misled, but they also believe the City of Arvada holds some responsibility.
“All within walking distance of our front doors,” Hunsinger said. “It is just overzealous development in the wrong direction.”
Jessica Garner, the community and economic development director for the City of Arvada, said the commercial development was approved long before their townhomes.
“I have a lot of sympathy for people that find themselves in that type of situation, and the reality is that commercial development was approved by our city council years before residents started moving in,” Garner said. “A property owner has that right to develop their property, just as homeowners do.”
Garner said the commercial developer must inform current residents of their plans, but acknowledged Whisper Village was not even constructed when those letters went out.
Residents said the city’s permit website is inaccurate and did not help them make an informed decision. The City of Arvada, meanwhile, said permits can be difficult to understand, especially if you do not know whether a piece of land is commercial or residential.
“Come talk to our city planners, meet with us, and we can tell them exactly what's going on in what may look like an empty lot is most likely not going to be empty for long,” Garner said.
Garner said 83% of Arvada’s workforce comes from outside the city. City leaders are working to create communities that can accommodate people of all economic backgrounds. She said commercial properties are important to the quality of life in Arvada.
“I would encourage people to think about is that it's really important for the city of Arvada to have a healthy sales tax base, and sales tax is what paves our roads, what provides services and amenities to the community,” Garner said.
Garner showed Denver7 their latest Urban Renewal Authority Project on 58th Avenue near Ralston Central Park. The block includes townhomes, apartments, and affordable housing just steps from a coffee shop, a few chain restaurants, and a soon-to-be beer garden.
But that is not the same kind of retail experience that residents at Whisper Village are upset about.
“We are not talking about boutiques and shops and cafes and breweries and things like that, like we see in other locations," Jenney said. "We're talking about a tire shop and we're talking about a car wash being directly across from somebody's house."
One solution the city recommended is a Good Neighbor Agreement between businesses and residents. The agreement is giving the residents of Whisper Village a little bit of power.
“We are working with the car wash, and the gentleman is being very cooperative and very understanding, and we're trying to get some sort of fence or barrier to absorb the noise and maybe hide some of the storage,” Hunsinger said.
Residents hope this buyer-beware story will help shape future development and help inform future homeowners.
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