Gunbarrel, Colorado
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Gunbarrel, Colorado | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Colorado |
| County | Boulder[1] |
| City | Boulder, Colorado |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Mark Ruzzin |
| - County Commissioners | Ben Pearlman, Tom Mayer, Will Toor |
| Area | |
| - Total | 6.4 sq mi (16.7 km²) |
| - Land | 6.4 sq mi (16.6 km²) |
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.1 km²) |
| Elevation [2] | 5,150 ft (1,570 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 9,435 |
| - Density | 1,471.9/sq mi (568.3/km²) |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
| - Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
| ZIP codes | 80301, 80503 |
| Area code(s) | 303, 720 |
| FIPS code | 08-33502 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0169440 |
Gunbarrel is an urban area and census-designated place (CDP) in Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The population was 9,435 at the 2000 census. Gunbarrel is a developed (built-up) area of Boulder County, but it is not an independent town or village. Some portions of Gunbarrel are unincorporated and are administered by the Boulder County Government, while other portions of Gunbarrel are part of the city of Boulder, Colorado and administered by the City of Boulder government. Gunbarrel locations may have postal addresses indicating Boulder, Niwot or Longmont as the city.
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[edit] Geography and Urban Planning
Gunbarrel is located at (40.065482, -105.187523)[3]. It is northeast of the city of Boulder proper, separated by a buffer area of private agricultural lands and publicly owned open space. The buffer areas provide over two miles of separation over changing elevations.[4] This reduces the impact of the Boulder Municipal Airport and the Boulder County Sheriff's Department facilities (including the county jail), which are located on the southern side of the buffer.
The western boundary of the Gunbarrel area is the Diagonal Highway, a portion of State Highway 119 which runs from Boulder at its southwest end to the city of Longmont in the northeast. It is a primary transportation artery in central Boulder County. The areas of Gunbarrel along and east of the highway are part of the city of Boulder. This includes the residential neighborhoods along southern Spine Road and commercial developments along the northern part of Spine Road. These include office, laboratory and some light industrial buildings lying north of Gunbarrel Avenue. Commercial areas are heavily landscaped according to City of Boulder design standards,[5] including parkways, trees and earthen berms which obscure parking lots and service areas.
Two reservoirs operated by the Boulder and Left Hand Irrigation Company[6] are located in central Gunbarrel. Irrigation ditches and canals, including the Boulder and Whiterock Ditch, pass though this primarily residential area. The Twin Lakes Open Space, a large park which includes the two reservoirs and extends west along the ditch, is operated by the Boulder County Parks and Open Space Department. The park brings protected wetlands, jogging trails and green spaces directly into the urban area. The City of Boulder operates Eaton Park, adjacent to the west lake. Eaton Park includes picnic facilities, BMX jumps and additional protected wetland. Flood control facilities are integral to the reservoir and canal systems, but they do not eliminate the flood risk to adjacent development.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 6.4 square miles (16.7 km²), of which, 6.4 square miles (16.6 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.47%) is water.
[edit] Natural Hazards
The principal natural hazard in Gunbarrel is flooding. The City of Boulder Flood Management page has floodplain maps and preparedness information. The county Transportation Department provides floodplain information through an online request page, free of charge for property owners in the unincorporated areas. Both the city and Boulder County participate in the National Flood Insurance Program which allows some reduction in the cost of flood insurance for residents.[7]
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 9,435 people, 4,024 households, and 2,547 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,471.9 people per square mile (568.3/km²). There were 4,237 housing units at an average density of 661.0/sq mi (255.2/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.78% White, 1.35% African American, 0.41% Native American, 2.73% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 0.93% from other races, and 1.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.84% of the population.
There were 4,024 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 30.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 101.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.6 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $67,022, and the median income for a family was $86,922. Males had a median income of $60,994 versus $37,091 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $36,478. About 5.0% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.5% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
The Gunbarrel Public Improvement District (GPID), formerly the Gunbarrel General Improvement District, was formed by residents of the county portions of Gunbarrel in 1993. At the time, county residents were concerned about the negative effects of development in the city-controlled areas.[9] They felt they needed to counterbalance the city's annexation and development powers and better manage the traffic city development was creating. The GPID is administered by the Boulder County commissioners. The GPID is a 'special district' under Colorado law, with the ability to levy taxes and incur debt. GPID uses this money to purchase open space and improve roads in the unincorporated subdivisions, consistent with their primary mission of maintaining quality of life and property values in unincorporated Gunbarrel. GPID open space lands are managed by Boulder County Parks and Open Space. A map of GPID lands can be found at the Gunbarrel Community Association website. This map also depicts the boundaries of the District's taxation area.
[edit] Transportation
Transportation facilities in Gunbarrel are an intergovernmental effort. Green and white street signs indicate a county maintained area, while blue and white signs indicate city jurisdiction. The 205 bus of Boulder RTD bus system gives service throughout Gunbarrel and into Boulder.
[edit] External links
- Gunbarrel, Colorado is at coordinates Coordinates:
- Gunbarrel Community Association website - This is an organization of Gunbarrel residents, businesspeople and other stakeholders. It exists to advocate for Gunbarrel stakeholders and disseminate information about Gunbarrel. The organization describes itself as seeking equitable, "negotiated settlement [of issues affecting Gunbarrel]" and "not a simplistic solution that considers only the points of view of one side or the other".[10]
[edit] References
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ wrhammons.com, information page of Gunbarrel resident, accessed 3 June 2007
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Boulder County Open Space Maps, accessed 30 May 2007
- ^ Design and Construction Manual, City of Boulder
- ^ Twin Lakes Open Space information page, Boulder County Parks and Open Space Department, accessed 30 May 2007
- ^ Flood Control information page, Boulder County Transportation Department, accessed 7 June 2007
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ GPID History and Current Status, Gunbarrel Community Association website, accessed 19 June 2007
- ^ Gunbarrel Community Association description page, Gunbarrel Community Association, accessed 19 June 2007
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