Longmont will hear from Boulder County later this fall before deciding
where a future facility could be built
October 15, 2025
BY LONDON LYLE
LLYLE@PRAIRIEMOUNTAINMEDIA.COM
Longmont will move forward with exploring a regional composting facility in partnership with Boulder County, following a unanimous City Council vote on Oct. 7 to formally end negotiations over the controversial proposed Distel-Tull land swap.
With the land swap proposal ruled out, the city is turning its attention to new composting solutions, including a potential site on the Tull property, though no location has been finalized. City staff plan to coordinate with Boulder County for a public presentation later this fall on the region’s composting needs and options.
The land exchange would have transferred 65 acres of the city-owned Distel property, currently designated as protected open space, to the Utilities Department for municipal use. In return, Longmont’s Open Space program would have acquired a portion of the Tull property, a more ecologically sensitive parcel along Boulder Creek. The swap was seen by some as a way to meet the city’s growing need for a local composting facility.
But after months of delay and growing opposition from residents and wildlife advocates, the plan collapsed.
City Manager Harold Dominguez told council members at the Oct. 7 meeting that the gravel operator, Amrize, had failed to respond to numerous attempts for information from the city and recommended that the city cease negotiations. “The deal flipped on its head, and it’s more advantageous for us to not move forward,” he said.
Amrize could not be reached for this story.
Mayor Pro-Tem Susie Hidalgo-Fahring made the motion to stop considering Distel as an option and to continue pursuing composting efforts with the county. The motion passed 7-0. Councilmembers Sean McCoy and Diane Crist expressed interest in continuing discussions with Boulder County but stressed the need for more information before committing to a specific site. The city is expected to present to
the council on potential composting plans, including the Tull site as an option, at the public presentation later this fall. No formal date has been set for this presentation.
The Distel property will remain permanently protected open space.
