City Council Meeting: Distel-Tull Land Swap

We are hearing rumblings that Council will delay voting on the land swap until after the City Council election. There is NO reason to delay the vote as the negative effects of this land swap will not change in a few months.

City Council will be reviewing and voting on whether or not to approve the Distel-Tull land swap on Tuesday, August 12th at 7pm.

Please consider attending for the public invited to be heard portion of the meeting (at the beginning of the meeting) and wearing green to show support for our Open Spaces.

If you are unable to attend, or would like to take action in addition to attending the City Council meeting, please contact our City Council members and tell them your thoughts. This only takes 5 minutes. You can be short and sweet. https://longmontcityxm.gov1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4PEnCSjZVVwit8i

Letters: Criteria are clear on how open space should be used

Published in the Times Call on 7/24/25

At the April 9, 2024 regular session meeting, City Council approved a motion by Mayor Peck, directing staff “to engage in conversations Boulder County is having on a regional composting facility.” It was an ambiguously worded motion, but it would have far reaching consequences for our open space program, because it set the stage for an unprecedented proposal of disposing open space property for development.

Six months prior to the mayor’s motion, in a Oct. 12, 2023 email (Subject: Open Space Parcel for Composting Facility), the mayor and Public Works staff discussed requirements outlined in the municipal code “to remove the Distel property out from the Open Space program (and move the Tull property in) for the purpose of building a compost facility.” There was no mention in the email that Distel would be difficult to ecologically restore, an excuse that the city would later conjure up to justify the land swap. There was also no discussion in the email about the potential environmental risks of a composting facility on bald eagles and people living near Distel. The focus was finding a location for Boulder County’s composting facility.

In January 2025, the city publicly revealed the Distel Tull land swap plan, which included the composting facility and multiple city development projects at Distel.

It’s a violation of the public trust for the city to manipulate our open space program to serve its development aspirations. Our open space goals and criteria are clear on how our open space should be used. It unquestionably doesn’t include siting a composting facility on these properties. For the sake of defending the integrity of our open space program, City Council should strongly and soundly reject the land swap deal.

Ruby Bowman, Longmont

Letter: Longmont’s Open Space program is being compromised by Longmont Public Works and Utilities

Published in the Longmont Leader on 7/14/25

Longmont’s Open Space program is being compromised by Longmont Public Works and Utilities. Public Works has put forward a proposal for a land exchange involving property acquired with Open Space tax funds and land currently owned by the Public Works or Utilities Departments. This entire proposal is predicated on doing a partnership with Boulder County for regional compost infrastructure. In January 2025, Longmont City Council directed staff to pursue a compost partnership with Boulder County, which apparently included exploring city-owned properties. Boulder County wants to build a large-scale composting operation and do not want to use Boulder County land, nor do they want to go through their own stringent, 1041, Location and Extent, Land Use process. The proposal includes the Distel property, purchased with Open Space dollars, to be exchanged for the Tull property which was purchased with Public Works and Utility dollars.

The City purchased both properties from Aggregate in 2019. The Open Space program fully intended to purchase both properties for Open Space as was identified in the initial 2001 Integrated Reclamation Plan, which has been updates and support by six mayors and their councils, most recently in March of 2022 That plan was drawn up and approved by multiple City departments and these past City Councils to protect this entire riparian and wildlife movement corridor along our St. Vrain Creek and Boulder Creek corridor. A plan that is nearly 30 years in the making.

At the last minute of 2019, Public Works argued their department needed a portion of the Tull property for clean infill from development. Their needs prevailed and 139 acres of the Tull property went to Public Works. Public Works proceeded to modify the Tull reclamation plan to meet their needs, and now, just 6 years later, Public Works wants to swap these two properties so Boulder County and City development can happen on Distel.

Open Space knew that the Distel property included temporary industrial development that would go away with reclamation, now Public Works want to make the industrial development to be permanent with their operations.

Tull is in the floodway and not as readily suitable for development as Distel, due to Public Works negotiations to modify Holcim’s reclamation plan. The proposal for industrial development at Distel carves out multiple acres for Boulder County’s compost infrastructure as well as the balance for City of Longmont infrastructure such as moving the Fire Training Center, municipal training center pad for police, fire, snow vehicles and perhaps a warehouse.

Both properties are in Weld County and the neighbors are very unhappy with what was proposed to be Open Space and now to be a permanent industrial development, being incompatible with their rural homes, and bolstering volumes of traffic.

Development in this area will create an industrial large donut hole in the middle of open space and agriculture lands, creating additional fragmentation of wildlife habitat and cutting off wildlife movement corridors.

Open Space advocates support sustainability projects like composting, but not if it means sacrificing designated Open Space.
Our community’s green spaces are finite and precious. We must ensure that the total amount and quality of protected open space never diminishes.
This is about honoring our commitments and protecting the qualities of life that make Longmont unique. It’s about making clear choices that safeguard our community’s environment for generations to come.

Longmont’s Public Works Department owns 139 acres on the Tull property, this is where this development should take place, not on City Open Space. City Council…from a land preservation perspective, please “Just Say No!”

Sincerely,
Daniel Wolford

22.5 years as the Open Space Manager for the City of Longmont and previously 8 years as the Operations Manager for Boulder County Open Space
Current: Water Advisory Board Member for the City of Longmont
Previous Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Member

Letter: Just Say No to Open Space Land Swap

Published in the Longmont Leader 7/14/2025

In January, Longmont City Council directed staff to pursue a partnership with Boulder County who wants to build a large-scale composting operation and does not want to use Boulder County land. Nor does the county want to go through their own stringent Land Use process. Longmont Public Works staff proposed a land exchange where land purchased by Open Space tax dollars (Distel) would be exchanged for land owned by Public Works (Tull). The proposal at Distel carves out just 8 acres for Boulder County’s compost infrastructure and 57 acres for City of Longmont infrastructure.

Public Works staff has been merchandising this proposal as a solution for the real need for compost infrastructure. Only 12% of the Distel Open Space property is appropriated for compost and 88% for city infrastructure; including relocating the fire training center and building a driving range for city vehicles. This proposal presents as a bait and switch for the City to build industrial infrastructure on land designated as Open Space.

I’m a member of Longmont Friends of Open Space (standwithourstvraincreek.com) We are residents committed to preserving St. Vrain Creek and all our Open Spaces. We initiated and campaigned for the extension of our Open Space tax ballot measure last November (passed with 74% approval). Voters supported taxing ourselves in perpetuity because we want our Open Space lands respected, protected and not developed. That includes not being bartered or traded for development. If you’re one of those voters, please contact City Council and attend the July 22 City Council meeting. Just Say NO.

We support partnering with Boulder County for regional compost infrastructure. City Council’s initial direction was well intentioned. It’s unfortunate city staff opportunistically used green washing sales tactics to mislead City Council and use Open Space as a commodity. This violates the spirit of the Open Space ordinance, public trust and sets a terrible precedent.

Sincerely,

Shari Malloy

YOU Did It!

Now that the dust from the election has settled, we wanted to say “Thank you!” Thanks to you, Ballot Measure 3A for the permanent extension of Longmont’s Open Space sales tax sailed to victory with a whopping 74.4% of voters voting “Yes.”

City Council Meeting Open Space Sales Tax Ballot Measure First Reading

This Tuesday, August 13th, City Council will be reviewing an ordinance making Longmont’s Open Space Sales Tax permanent and deciding whether to put the measure on the ballot this November.

Stand is asking supporters to attend this “first reading”, specifically the Public Invited to Be Heard section of the meeting, to show their support for the ordinance. Please wear green.

First Reading of City Ordinance Putting Longmont’s Open Space Sales Tax Extension on the Ballot

We’re in the home stretch thanks to all of you! This Tuesday, August 13th, Longmont City Council will be reviewing the text of an ordinance that would put the permanent extension of the City’s Open Space Sales Tax on the ballot this November. The Council will then vote to either approve the ordinance, amend the ordinance, or not approve the ordinance.

Stand With Our St. Vrain Creek is asking that City Council approve the ordinance. We’ll be attending the meeting and speaking during Public Invited to Be Heard urging them to do so.

If you value Open Space and want the City to be able to fund new acquisitions and, more importantly, maintain its natural areas, please consider attending Tuesday’s City Council meeting and wearing green to show your support for the ballot measure.

We want all Longmont citizens to have the chance to vote on this issue.

City Council Meeting

City Council has voted to add the Open Space Sales Tax permanent extension to the November 2024 ballot! Thank you to everyone who signed our appeal and/or showed up to City Council to show your support for the measure.

We’re looking for people to show up at City Council on Tuesday, July 23rd wearing green to show your continued support. The Longmont Natural Resources department will be making a presentation tomorrow regarding the Open Space program and future acquisitions/maintenance costs in response to a City Council request for such information. You will only need to remain for the public invited to be heard portion of the meeting.

We will also have Open Space Yes! owl yard signs for you if you’d like to take one for this election season.

Action Alert: July 23rd City Council Meeting

We will also have Open Space Yes! owl yard signs for you if you’d like to take one for this election season.

City Council Meeting

Please consider showing up wearing green to the June 25th Longmont City Council meeting to show your support for putting the permanent extension of Longmont’s Open Space Sales Tax on the November 2024 ballot.