Bennett, CO: See how this small town is embracing Growth!
February 2024: After exploring the I76 corridor of small towns near Denver, I decided to head south on Hwy 79 and explore the town of Bennett (pop.2,862*). I found a small town embracing the growth that comes with its convenient location near I70 and only 30 minutes from Denver International Airport. Below are 3 placemaking observations from my recent visit.
Bennet is located in both Adams and Arapahoe Counties. It is part of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Front Range Urban Corridor.
Bennett – A Brief History
The local historical society has done a great deal of research into the origins of the Town. Documents from the Bureau of Land Management show that four Bennet brothers (Hiram, John, Uriah and one unnamed brother) filed homestead papers in 1862 for two sections (34 and 24) now in the Town of Bennett. These two sections were adjacent diagonally on the north and south of the current location of the Bennett Post Office. The collection of land homesteaded by the Bennet brothers formed the Bennet Ranch.
One of these brothers, Hiram Pitt Bennet, was a respected judge in the early territory of Colorado. Mr. Bennet was elected the first Territorial Representative in 1862 and was instrumental in obtaining statehood for Colorado. He later became the third Postmaster of Denver in 1869 and developed a method of delivering mail to all the new pioneer people in rural areas. Through the years the English name of Bennet was Americanized to Bennett and first noted in railroad records.
Bennett was incorporated 1929. But it is worth noting that long before incorporation, the family that originally homesteaded the area and for whom the Town was named, were leaders in the development of the State of Colorado.
The Denver International Airport opened in 1995, located 30 miles to the west of Bennett. It has become one of the world’s busiest airports. The airport operates on 53 square miles (34,000 acres) of land, so it has plenty of room to grow and expand. DIA has a Vision 100 and Operation 2045 plan, and as such is likely to have a symbiotic relationship with nearby Bennet for years to come!
3 Observations during a visit to Bennett
1. Bennett is building a solid spectrum of new housing options
The term Missing Middle Housing, is frequently mentioned as a component of the housing crisis that many communities are feeling, especially how it relates to housing affordability.
During my visit to Bennet, I drove south of the railroad tracks and stopped in a neighborhood with significant new construction. The sound of construction was everywhere! On my walk around town, I noticed that the housing builds underway covered a broad spectrum of housing types – from apartment to multiplex to duplex to small manufactured homes to larger single-family homes, covering a wide range of price points! Later I drove through the older neighborhoods, which had a similar range of housing options. Missing Middle Housing is here!
2. Lots of community activity at the Civic Center Park
From my parking spot, I walked across Hwy 79 (locally know as south 1st Str) to a lovely park area called the Bennet Civic Center. The grounds had some fun statues and a historic home (Charles Meugge House). There was a Court of Military Honor Memorial park and a DMV and Town Hall building. On the other side of the entry way was a Recreation Building (pool, exercise equipment, etc), as well as a children’s Early Learning Center. Additional outdoor activities included a Volleyball court and a community garden spot with raised beds. This appeared to be the busiest area in town for community activities!
3.The business district is small – but with good potential
Next I headed down Adams street (Hwy 79 through town) across the railroad tracks toward what appeared to be the historic business district along Palmer Avenue. Along the way I visited Bennet Community Park, and then headed west when I saw an Ice Cream flag. I walked to a building that may have been a house at one time, but now houses an insurance office. I found a lovely ice cream shop located in a small, attached building. An Ice-cream snack was the perfect way to wind down my visit!
- Unik Sweets – Google Maps – wonderful shop with great google reviews.
While walking across the Railroad tracks to the business district, i noticed this historic building that looks like it was once a service garage. Here’s an off-the-wall idea… wouldn’t this make a cool coffee shop, microbrewery, or other community gathering spot? :). The location is perfect.
Bennet Community Park at the corner of Palmer Ave and Adams Str 
Bennet Community Park 
Business District along Palmer Ave 
Unik Sweets! in the small attached building 
Open air business on a beautiful late winter 70 deg day 
Unik Sweets ice cream! 
Historic building, centrally located… 
… perfect location for a community coffee shop?
More to Explore!
The town of Bennet clearly has a lot going on! The Bennet Community Websites has lots of information about planning for smart growth.
- Town Website
- Bennett Arts Council | Facebook site
- Anythink Library network | Bennett location
- I70 Corridor Chamber of Commerce – Bennett
- Bennett Comprehensive Plan 2021
- Town of Bennett Community Profile – economic development department
- Bennet Master Transportation Plan – planning for multimodal transportation improvement projects for the foreseeable future.
Today, Bennett is poised for the future with thoughtful planning efforts underway as the community moves into the future. We have a straightforward development review process that encourages economic development consistent with our goals and small town character.
Bennett Town Website
