Longmont city council will soon look at asking voters for tax increases that could create a performing arts center, new library branch and new recreation opportunities.
On Tuesday, council gave staff direction to move forward with work on specific ballot measures supporting amenities in Longmont. Further details are needed — including updated cost estimates and tax impacts — before the language is finalized.
Recreation
The most interesting part of Tuesday’s discussion centered around a public-private partnership proposal from the local YMCA. City Manager Harold Dominguez explained that the YMCA approached the city late last week with a potential land swap and project at Centennial Pool.
During a survey on the amenity proposals the city was contemplating, one that saw a lot of discourse around the idea to convert Centennial Pool into courts. The 50-year-old pool only has a few years left of its operating life, but community members did not want to lose the swimming resource. Others felt the city was not investing enough into resources in northern Longmont.
Dominguez said the YMCA has proposed to exchange the Centennial land for the land of the current YMCA site at Ninth and Lashley.
Through a public-private partnership, which would cost the city an estimated $10-12 million, the YMCA would build there an expanded daycare facility, pool, ice rink, court and gym space and possibly even a library quick stop.
There could also be up to 100 units of affordable housing built on the site. Dominguez added that there is an opportunity to build attainable housing on the land exchanged to the city.
Immediate work is needed and not all questions have been answered yet about the proposal. Dominguez said the city needs to look at deed restrictions on the Centennial site and adjust financial analysis as the YMCA taking over would remove the city’s ongoing operating costs for Centennial.
There would be some sort of agreement for a joint membership between the city and YMCA users, but that still needs to be worked out.
Council was excited by the proposal, but had many questions. To get this project moving, a tax to support the city’s contribution to the recreation aspects of the project would likely need to be on November’s ballot, and staff has a lot of work to do.
Council also voiced their support for a new recreation center in southwest Longmont, along with a small expansion and rehab work at the existing Quail Campus. It was unclear whether these recreation projects would be packaged with the YMCA proposal and will likely be decided at a later meeting.
Center for Arts and Entertainment
Council wanted to move forward with the Center for Arts and Entertainment question, which has seen a vocal outpouring of support. The center comes with a unique funding opportunity that made the council feel the proposal was worth bringing to voters.
The Longmont Alliance for Arts and Entertainment has proposed a private-public partnership with the city of Longmont to build a world-class cultural center in the city. The group would need to raise $35 million within five years before Longmont would issue a $45 million bond to pay for the building.
The wording still needs to be finalized, but the property tax — along with a perpetual sales tax to support the operating costs of the center — would not begin until the initial $35 million is raised.
New library branch
Additionally, council was strongly in support of asking voters to fund a new library branch and a sales tax to support the library at its preferred level of support.
The Longmont Library is 51,000 square feet and was built to support a population of 68,000 people. Longmont is expected to reach a population of 100,000 this year, according to city estimates.
Council agreed that the library had been underfunded for far too long.
For all three ballot amenity initiatives, Dominguez said cost estimates need to be updated due to ongoing inflationary pressures. This will impact the final tax ask that may go to voters, and council did note that the total cost of taxes could change what questions do finally make it on the ballot.
Each measure would then need to garner voter approval before any taxing or work on the projects would begin.
