TL;DR * First and Main, the new innovation campus and transit hub planned for downtown, is moving forward. The whole cluster of agreements passed unanimously, including a $4 million commitment from Front Range Community College toward their downtown campus, a development agreement with Vertikal Richmark to build a parking garage and transit hub, and several affordable housing financing pieces. Construction on the parking garage starts later this year. * The hyperscale data center ban is now law. After fixing some last-minute wording issues, the final ordinance passed 6-1 with Crist opposed. This bans any data center using 100 megawatts or more of power from operating in Longmont. Standards for smaller data centers are still being developed. * Council took the first step toward putting open space protections on the November ballot. Two votes happened. First, whether to proceed at all, which passed 4-3 with Crist, Prieto, and McCoy opposed. Second, the timeline, which passed 6-1 with Crist opposed. If it clears two more readings in late July and August, it goes to voters November 3rd. * The city is changing how it funds local nonprofits through its Human Services program. Three changes were discussed. A $10,000 minimum funding request passed 6-1 with Prieto opposed. A possible 30% cap on city funding per program is going to an advisory board for feedback first, which passed unanimously. And aligning funding with council priorities passed 6-1. The Big Ones First and Main, Longmont’s New Innovation Campus, Is a Go If you’ve been following this project, tonight was a big step. The vision: transform the area between 1st Avenue and Boston Avenue, east of Main Street, into a walkable urban campus with a Front Range Community College innovation hub, a parking garage, a transit station, and mixed-use development with offices and shops. Tonight’s agreements covered the partnership with FRCC, who is putting in $4 million toward pre-development of their campus, and a development agreement with Vertikal Richmark to build the parking garage, transit hub, and private development. The garage will be five stories with about 700 parking spots, and construction starts later this year regardless of what happens with future phases. NextLight is already lined up as a tenant in the office building. The RTD transit station next door is expected to break ground in October. One item from this cluster, a tax increment financing agreement with the Longmont Urban Renewal Authority, got pulled out for a separate vote so Popkin could ask a few questions about the numbers. After getting his answers, it passed unanimously too. Council members had thoughtful questions about the design, mostly around walkability and how much of the site is surface parking versus usable space. Everyone is genuinely excited about this one. The Hyperscale Data Center Ban Is Now Law This one has been in the works since April, and tonight it crossed the finish line, though not without a hiccup. The ordinance bans any data center using 100 megawatts or more of electricity from operating in Longmont. For context, that’s roughly 1/14th of Platte River Power Authority’s entire system capacity, so we’re talking about genuinely massive facilities. The ordinance accidentally said the ban applied to facilities using “no greater than” 100 megawatts, which is the opposite of what was intended. Popkin caught it and made three amendments to fix the wording and add some clarification about how the city evaluates projected demand. The wording fix passed 6-1 with Crist opposed, and the other two passed unanimously. During public comment, opinions were mixed. Some speakers worried this closes the door on future opportunities and pointed out data centers don’t actually employ many people on-site. Others supported the ban but wanted to make sure it also addresses water use, not just electricity, and questioned whether the city can actually enforce it. On enforcement, city staff explained there’s a two-step approach: first, the city simply won’t issue permits for anything over the limit, and if a facility somehow exceeded it anyway, the city could cut off its water. The final vote passed 6-1 with Crist opposed. The ban is now law. Standards for smaller data centers are still being developed and will go through study sessions before becoming an ordinance. Open Space Protections Take Their First Step Toward November Back in April, council directed staff to work on three different open space protections. Tonight only covered the third part, the ballot question, because it has a deadline tied to the November election. The other two parts are still being developed and will come back later. Quick context on all three: Part one strengthens the existing rules around selling or repurposing city open space. Part two would require conservation easements, a legal tool that limits how land can be used, on open space the city owns or acquires. Part three, which is what council voted on tonight, asks whether to put a question on the ballot that would add open space to the city charter alongside parks and water rights. Right now those two have charter-level protection and open space doesn’t, meaning it can be sold or repurposed through a regular ordinance. Adding it to the charter would mean voters get the final say on any major changes. Two votes happened. The first was whether to proceed at all, which passed 4-3 with Crist, Prieto, and McCoy opposed. They had concerns about the complexity of the ballot language and how this fits with other things that might be on the November ballot. The second vote was about timing: council picked the option that gives staff more time for legal review, with a first reading July 28th and second reading August 11th. That passed 6-1 with Crist opposed. Popkin raised a bigger-picture point: he wants all the potential November ballot measures, including this one and ranked choice voting, considered together so council can see the full picture before deciding what actually goes to voters. He pointed back to 2023, when several measures went to voters at once and many didn’t pass. If this clears its final readings, it heads to voters November 3rd. The Rest, Quickly Airport noise and a possible legal brief — Before the regular agenda, the Mayor announced that the town of Superior is suing over aircraft noise from touch-and-go training flights at Rocky Mountain Airport, and asked nearby cities including Longmont to file a brief supporting their case at the Colorado Supreme Court. Since Longmont owns and operates its own airport with its own noise complaints, this isn’t a simple decision. No vote was taken. Council will discuss it with attorneys in a closed session on June 16th. Eleven building codes are now final — These have been working through the process since mid-May and all passed unanimously tonight. The headline for homeowners: the residential code no longer requires fire sprinklers in new single-family homes. The rest cover everything from plumbing to fire safety to swimming pools. Board of Adjustment is being formally dissolved — This board used to handle requests for exceptions to code rules, like setback requirements. It hasn’t been able to get enough members since January 2024, so the Planning and Zoning Commission has been filling in. This ordinance makes that arrangement permanent. First reading passed unanimously, back for a final vote June 23rd. Parking fines are going up — As part of an update to the traffic code, parking fines will increase for the first time since at least 2009. Longmont’s fines have been well below neighboring cities. The update also adds a fine for misusing EV charging station spots and a new hit-and-run provision. First reading passed unanimously, back June 23rd. Water and landscaping design standards updated — These technical standards for things like water lines, wastewater, and irrigation haven’t been touched since 2007. The update requires native plants and water-wise irrigation in new development. First reading passed unanimously, back June 23rd. The Longmont CAReS protection is now final law — This closes a gap that could let the city disconnect someone’s utilities while they’re waiting on an approved CAReS rebate. Passed unanimously. Human services funding changes — The city is adjusting how it funds local nonprofits doing housing, food access, mental health, and other support work. A $10,000 minimum funding request passed 6-1 with Prieto opposed. A possible cap limiting city funding to 30% of any program’s budget is going to the Housing and Human Services Advisory Board for feedback first, and that direction passed unanimously. A plan to better align funding with council priorities passed 6-1. Several council members said they’re not yet confident these changes solve the underlying problem, which is that demand keeps growing faster than funding. Staff returns in December with recommendations for 2027. Public comment highlights — A representative from HOPE shared that the organization has facilitated over 3,100 shelter stays this year with a 92% housing retention rate, and is on track to help house about five people a month. Speakers also weighed in on open space protections, the data center ban, and ongoing concerns about surveillance technology in town. During final public comment, a longtime advocate who works with people facing eviction shared that the overwhelming majority of cases come down to medical debt and the inability to pay rent, and that Longmont relies on lottery-based housing assistance while similar services in Boulder have dedicated funding. Council comments — Kalkhofer toured the city’s water and wastewater treatment plants and Platte River Power Authority’s Rawhide facility this week. McCoy attended the groundbreaking for PRPA’s new battery storage facility, which will be one of the largest of its kind in the state. Crist shared that a poli
