Published in the Longmont Times Call on 10/7/26
Open space plays a significant role in the quality of life we have in Longmont — equally as important as the city’s water rights and certainly as important as our city parks. The intent of 3B is to give Longmont’s taxpayers the right to vote on any sale or transfer of open space, similar to the existing city charter that would require a vote of the public to dispose of or sell our parks or our water resources. The existing city charter requires a public vote on proposals involving parks and water before these assets can be sold or conveyed.
Adding open space to our charter is simple and straightforward. The passage of 3B would include open space as a third city asset that can’t be transferred or sold without the approval of a vote of Longmont citizens. By adding Open Space into the city charter certainly does not prevent City Councils from proposing future ideas for open space lands: It just moves the decision into voters’ hands.
The original concept and idea of acquiring local open space was to preserve lands critical to Longmont’s ecological, economic, recreational, personal and cultural well-being in perpetuity. Longmont residents love and support the city’s open space lands and program.
In 2024 when 75% of Longmont citizens voted positively to extend our open space tax indefinitely, they showed their admiration and approval of the program.
Over the years the open space program has provided nature parks and trails such as Dickens Farm along the St. Vrain, Lake McIntosh and trail around the reservoir, preservation of the St. Vrain Corridor from Main Street to St. Vrain State Park, just to name a few contributions to the Longmont community. Without these open spaces we would be no different than many of the Front Range communities that literally have little to no community identity.
Why now? Locally, one only needs to look at all the development happening to realize the importance of protecting our open space. Purchasing, preserving, maintaining and enhancing open space is essential to the riparian health of our St. Vrain and Lefthand Creeks and other waterways. Wildlife needs habitat to survive. Open space provides this. Pollinators need native plants to thrive. Open space provides this. People need open space for our well-being. Open space provides this.
A vote for 3B shows your further support for trails, wildlife habitat, preservation of our rivers and streams as well as supporting local agriculture; support of all these aspects and at no additional cost to the citizens of Longmont!
I am a member of the Stand with Our St. Vrain, have been a Longmont resident for nearly 40 years as well as being the initial open space manager for the city of Longmont for over 22 years. I understand and greatly appreciate the values of our open space program and the support of the city’s voting public.
Daniel Wolford is a Longmont resident and former open space manager for the city of Longmont.
