
A potential land exchange between two City-owned properties southeast of the Longmont city limits is being considered by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and the Longmont City Council. This exchange would be between the City’s Tull Property (owned by Utilities and Public Works) and its Distel Property (owned by Open Space), both of which are just north of Weld County Road 20 1/2.
If the exchange is approved, the Distel Property may be considered as a site for a future composting facility, while the Tull Property would enhance the City’s open space resources.

- A utility-owned property with open space potential: One of these parcels, the property also known as “Tull,” was purchased with utility and public works funding but would be well-suited for use as open space due to its location near Boulder Creek, which would also help reinforce Longmont’s buffer. This land has seen less intensive industrial activity than the Distel Property.
- An open space-owned property that would be difficult to restore: The other parcel, the property also known as “Distel,” was originally purchased with open space funds. It still has gravel mining going on and would require a lot of attention to restore; it could, however, be well-suited to an alternative use such as a composting facility or fire training center.
- PRAB and the Council will review this: As required by the Code, and in order to be good stewards of City resources, the land exchange will be reviewed by both the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and the City Council before the City Council makes a final determination. The Code requires consideration of whether the land is of equivalent value, the ecological value of the parcels, and whether the obtained parcel would better meet the purposes of Longmont’s Open Space Program.
- Any uses will be considered later: Nothing is being built at this time. While both parcels have a number of potential uses if the land swap takes place, those uses will be considered separately as they come forward.
- The community has asked for expanded composting: Both city and county officials have had a number of requests for improved composting options, especially since last spring, when A1 Organics began restricting the material it would accept to food and yard waste.
- The City and Boulder County have been studying options: The City of Longmont and Boulder County have been studying the feasibility of a commercial composting facility to support the City’s and County’s mutual goals for zero waste and emission reduction. The County’s study should be complete in the second quarter of 2025.
- A California visit showed some possibilities: City and county officials recently visited two state-of-the-art composting facilities in Southern California which reinforced ideas for a city-county partnership in this area. Both facilities were simple and clean with a faint smell of wood and soil. See more about the visit in this video from Boulder County Public Works.
- Full-service composting could return to Boulder County: If pursued, a commercial composting facility would most likely restore the ability to have full-service composting – including paper products such as coffee filters and napkins – and allow a locally based solution.
Timeline
- Jan. 14 – City Council refers land exchange to Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB)
- Feb. 4 – Deadline to submit comments for inclusion in PRAB meeting packet
- Feb. 10 – PRAB meeting
- March 10 – Additional PRAB meeting if needed
- March 25 – City Council first reading
- April 8 – City Council second reading
Both are in unincorporated Weld County on the north side of Weld County Road 20 1/2, just southeast of the Longmont city limits. The Tull property is east of Boulder Creek, while Distel is a little further to the west.
The City of Longmont purchased both parcels from Aggregate Industries in 2019.
The properties are currently owned by different City departments. Because the use of the land would change, the ownership needs to change as well. Since the exchange impacts open space, City code requires that the exchange be considered by the City Council and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.
The Tull property is located near Boulder Creek and has good potential for restoring riparian and upland ecosystems, in addition to helping maintain the City’s open space buffer. If the Distel property is deemed suitable for a composting facility, it would be an opportunity to meet the needs of Longmont residents, divert material from the landfill and take another step toward becoming a zero-waste community.
That hasn’t been determined yet, but the uses could include habitat restoration, water storage or passive recreation among others. In all cases, the land would also be part of the buffer that helps keep Longmont a stand-alone community.
That also hasn’t been determined yet. Some of the possibilities include a composting facility and a fire training center.
Boulder County and Longmont have been studying the feasibility of a commercial composting center that could handle compostable paper products in addition to the food and yard waste currently accepted by A1 Organics – a “full service” facility. The study is still underway and a site has not yet been chosen, but it is a potential opportunity to address a need that has been raised by many residents.
Yes. In December 2024, City and Boulder County staff traveled to California and visited Republic Services’ facility in Chula Vista and the City of San Diego’s Miramar Greenery. Both were compact, clean and simple operations that used aerated static piles to limit odors.
If the Council approves the exchange, City and Boulder County staff will determine how to use the properties, including the type and scope of operations needed if a composting facility is pursued. This would include working with Weld County staff for permitting and review, and with Holcim (formerly Aggregate Industries) to ensure that Holcim’s plans for reclamation meet the City’s needs.
If the land exchange is approved and a use determined, the necessary planning, site development, contracting and other related activities could take approximately two years to complete.