Longmont Council Approves $2.9M Agricultural Open Space Purchase

LONGMONT, CO -- The Longmont City Council voted Tuesday night to approve a more than $2.9 million purchase of agricultural property north of Union Reservoir. According to a city staff report recommending the acquisition, the 71.57-acre property will protect prime farmland and limit development on the north of Union Reservoir and within the Union Reservoir drainage basin.

The council packet memo on the purchase states that city staff intends to sell the property to a not-disclosed buyer for about a quarter of the city's purchase price, roughly $733,000. The new owner would then be responsible for the long-term management and maintenance of the property, eliminating those potential future costs from the Open Space budget. The City would retain a conservation easement on the land that would prevent further development

The property at Double Six Ranch is located to the northeast of the existing Hartman Open Space property, extends north to State Highway 66, and lies west of Weld County Road 5. The seller will retain all mineral rights, but staff reports that due to a restrictive covenant the property's surface will remain undisturbed by any further development of minerals — including oil and gas.

Do you like this article? Join the Boulder Patch on Facebook! Stay in touch with the news and events that shape Boulder County. Sign up for your free Patch newsletter here.

Image credit: Mara Abbott/Patch