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For Immediate Release •
December 3, 2009
Staff Contact: Dale Rademacher,
Drector of Public Works and Natural Resources, 303-651-8355
View the most recent Press Releases.
DECEMBER 3, 2009 - The City of Longmont took another step forward to further develop its eastern urban shaping buffer and protect high quality agricultural lands and sensitive wildlife areas by purchasing 191 acres of land located at the southwest corner of Union Reservoir. Acquisition of this key parcel constitutes a significant accomplishment by the City in its efforts to preserve land adjacent to the City’s eastern boundary and near Union Reservoir.
The $8.0 million property purchase will preserve this land in its current condition as prime agriculture land while also providing the land needed for several key City initiatives. When coupled with other recent purchases in this area, Longmont advances its goals to keep Union Reservoir as an important wildlife habitat area, preserves prime agricultural land and provides land needed for the future enlargement of Union Reservoir necessary to meet the City’s future water supply demands. This land purchase also enables plans for future improvements to County Line Road and sets aside land along the Spring Gulch drainage-way for flood control purposes. This multi-purpose property purchase also will benefit the Union Reservoir Area District Park and provides for critical trail connections.
This purchase supports the Longmont City Council’s long-time community goal of preserving Longmont’s identity as a freestanding community. The Longmont Area Comprehensive Plan has identified the area east of Longmont around Union Reservoir and in Weld County as a community buffer for a number of years.
The Council approved this purchase agreement with the landowner, Chris Adrian, at the October 13 City Council meeting; the transaction closed and the deeds to the City of Longmont were recorded at Weld County on Wednesday, December 2, 2009.
PURCHASE DETAILS
The Purchase Agreement proposes to buy the entire Adrian property of approximately 191 acres for a price of $8,070,705.00. This is an average value of $35,000 per acre plus water rights. A combination of funds will participate in this purchase:
FUNDS |
ACRES |
PRICE |
Water |
22.48 |
$948,899.00 |
Storm Drainage |
64.95 |
$2,741,591.00 |
Street |
2.18 |
$92,020.00 |
Open Space |
101.59 |
$4,288,195.00 |
Sum Total |
191.2 |
$8,070,705.00 |
Water funds are being used to acquire that portion of the property needed for the future enlargement of Union Reservoir which is a project that has been included in the City’s long term water supply strategies and planning for many years.
Storm drainage funds will purchase the land that is located within the Spring Gulch #2 flood plain. By purchasing the property, the City will be positioned to minimize future channelization of Spring Gulch #2 along with the associated expense and environmental impacts of that type of project.
Street funds will purchase the necessary right of way for future improvements to WCR 1. Provisions are included in this overall acquisition to allow for the future realignment of WCR 26 to shift the roadway to the north thereby aligning with the intersection with 9th Avenue and WCR 1.
The balance of the property, about 100 acres, will be acquired by the Open Space Fund.
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