Longmont council refers Distal–Toll land-exchange plan to Parks and Recreation Advisory Board amid composting and wildlife concerns

Longmont City Council on Jan. 14 unanimously voted to refer a proposed land exchange—trading the city’s Distal open-space parcel for a portion of the Toll municipal property—to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB) for detailed review and public input.

The measure would let the city study whether the Distal property, currently used for sand-and-gravel operations, could host municipal uses such as a regional composting facility, a recycling center or a fire-training site, while moving open-space protection and water-storage opportunities to the Toll site. City staff and multiple residents told council the swap needs more analysis on wildlife, reclamation and truck traffic before any final decision.

Why it matters: The proposal ties two long-standing city assets into a larger question about how Longmont balances open-space protection, waste diversion and municipal operations. Staff said Toll contains a conditional water right that could be used for raw-water storage and habitat restoration; supporters and some council members said that could make open space “whole” or better. Neighbors and open-space advocates urged more environmental study and clearer commitments on housing, traffic and reclamation timelines.

City staff presented the proposal as an initial concept and asked council to send it to PRAB for analysis and recommendation. City Manager Harold (role listed in the meeting as city manager) told council “the Toll property … has a conditional water right tied to the property for water storage,” and Assistant Director of Water and Waste Chris Huffer outlined…