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 forming 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 does not want to use Boulder County land, nor do they want to go through their own stringent 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 updated and supported by six mayors and their councils, most recently in March of 2022. That plan was drawn up and approved by multiple city departments and 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 that 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 six 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 wants to make the industrial development 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 and the 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 a large industrial donut hole in the middle of open space and agricultural 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!”
Daniel Wolford worked 22.5 years as the Open Space manager for the City of Longmont and previously eight years as the operations manager for Boulder County Open Space. He is currently a Water Advisory Board member for the City of Longmont.
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