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Residents urge Longmont council to withdraw Distal-Toll land swap amid composting concerns
Summary
Dozens of residents opposed a proposed land exchange that would make the Distal parcel available for infrastructure use and possible composting, citing open-space protections, wildlife, groundwater, odor and precedent concerns. The council voted to table the exchange pending legal negotiations.
Dozens of Longmont residents urged the City Council on July 29 to withdraw a proposed land exchange that would transfer the Distal open-space parcel in return for the Toll property, which council staff said would better serve utilities or public works. Speakers said the swap would break the public trust because Distal had been purchased with voter-approved open-space funds and could be used instead as a composting site or for other industrial uses.
Jeff Lester, a nearby resident, told council that approving the swap would “set a lasting precedent politically and culturally — that land purchased with voter-approved open space funds is negotiable, even expendable, if another city department has a compelling enough need for the land.” Several other speakers echoed that concern and added ecological, public-health and process criticisms.
Speakers identi…
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