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Staff briefs commission on Longmont urban renewal authority, TIF rules and possible Southeast amendment
Summary
Redevelopment manager Tony Chacon outlined how Longmont’s Urban Renewal Authority operates under state law, explained tax-increment financing (TIF) basics and said staff is preparing a possible Southeast Longmont urban renewal amendment to capture tax increment for a near-term project.
Tony Chacon, Longmont redevelopment manager, briefed the Planning and Zoning Commission on Jan. 22 about urban renewal authority functions, tax-increment financing (TIF) and the planning commission’s limited statutory role reviewing urban renewal plans for conformance with the city comprehensive plan (Envision Longmont).
Chacon said urban renewal in Colorado operates under state statute and that the city’s Urban Renewal Authority (LURA) functions as a separate governmental entity with specific powers. "Urban renewal is directed by state statute," Chacon said. "The authority is not a taxing entity. They cannot institute a property tax mill levy against any properties within this urban renewal area or the city itself."
Why it matters: urban renewal designations and plan amendments can unlock TIF revenue that may be used to fund infrastructure and site remediation in defined areas. The planning commission’s role is advisory and limited to assessing whether an urban renewal plan conforms with the city’s comprehensive plan.
Key points from the briefing - LURA structure and powers: Chacon said Longmont’s authority was created in 2005, is governed by bylaws and can accept grants, incur debt, negotiate public–private partnerships, acquire property (including use of condemnation with council approval) and implement blight‑remediation and redevelopment activities. - Blight finding and plan approval: Chacon explained that state statute requires a blight survey and a finding of specified criteria (an area must typically meet several statutory criteria) before a district may be designated. City Council must approve a plan and any subsequent amendments. - Tax increment basics: Chacon described how TIF captures the increase in property tax revenues (the increment) tied to new development above a defined base year and reiterated that TIF proceeds are not new taxes but revenues generated by development activity. "They're not new taxes," he said. "They're revenues that are generated from the development itself." - Existing districts and likely amendments: the city currently has two urban renewal areas — the Southeast Longmont URD and the Twin Peaks Mall URD (Village at the Peaks). Chacon said staff is preparing an amendment to the Southeast Longmont plan to allow a targeted TIF capture for a specific near-term project within the existing URD and estimated a 45–60 day timeline for that amendment process to reach the commission and council.
Commission role and next steps Chacon emphasized that the Planning and Zoning Commission’s formal role is to review urban renewal plans or substantive amendments and comment on conformity with Envision Longmont. He said the commission should expect an amendment to the Southeast URD in the near term and possibly future amendments related to other parcels (for example, the former Walmart site in the Twin Peaks area).
Ending: schedule and contacts Chacon told commissioners to expect the proposed Southeast URD amendment within several weeks and said staff will route materials through the usual review channels. He encouraged commissioners to review the plan materials when released and noted that council action is required to start a TIF clock.
