Historical Survey Report 1992 - Laserfiche WebLink

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rail connection and proximity to Denver and Boulder, now found itself squarely in an area of industrial growth. The development of Rocky Flats in the early 1950's south of Boulder, heralded a new source of technical oriented careers in the area. Many commuters discovered that Louisville was a convenient "bedroom community" for jobs in the nearby cities. Once located in the center of the northern coal fields, the town soon found itself in the center of the so-called "golden triangle", bounded by the Boulder -Longmont Diagonal, the Denver -Boulder Turnpike, and High- way 287. The tremendous population boom along the front range in the last ten to twenty years has brought rapid construction development. to Louisville. Suburbs have begun to encircle the tin town much like the coal mines once did. New industries:have located in the vicinity employing large working forces, notably the Colorado Technological Center, and Storage Technology, spe- ci,al1 'i ng in sophisticated computer parts production. . Louisville, like so many other small cities, has become in- creasingly popular for new residents because of less tangible reasons as well. The older section of town continues to offer the atmosphere and amenities of a small, quiet country town that has somehow escaped the hectic pace of modern living. This is largely due in part to modern zoning laws which have restricted the types of new development which could significantly alter the town's older environment. The newer sections of town are clearly set off from the more established areas, which has tended to protect the small-town atmosphere. Although the economic situation during the last few years has brought a temporary halt to energy development in the state, principally oil shale on the western slope, many have speculated on the effect an economic upturn coupled with future national energy demands might have on renewing the old coal operations. Considerable amounts of coal remain in the Laramie Formation. The mines in the Louisville area lie at an average depth of two hundred feet, and the costs of redeveloping these deep mines with the new stringent safety requirements might make the costs prohibi- tive. If coal mining does emerge once again as a viable energy