TL;DR

* Hyperscale data centers are banned in Longmont — or will be, once the ordinance is drafted. Council also directed staff to develop standards for smaller data centers. Two separate votes. First passed unanimously, second passed 5-2.

* Drive-thru ordinance is now law. New drive-throughs on lots adjacent to Main Street in the MU-C zoning district are prohibited going forward. Existing ones are grandfathered in. Passed 6-1, Crist opposed.

* 110 Emery Street purchase approved. The city is buying a 2.71-acre property for $5,125,000 to develop future affordable housing. Funded by a Boulder County grant, no General Fund impact. Passed 6-1, Crist opposed.

* Atwood Commons got a lifeline. A 72-unit affordable housing project at 3rd and Atwood hit a last-minute $1.4 million funding gap after the Longmont Housing Authority had to pull project-based vouchers. Council approved a 100% fee waiver and an additional $742,842 from the city’s Affordable Housing Fund, on top of a $1,000,000 loan already committed in 2023. Both votes passed 6-1, Crist opposed.

* Short-term rental framework for major events moving forward. Council gave direction on a new Type B license for events like Sundance opening the door for Longmont Residents to rent their homes out to Sundance Attendees. Ordinance comes back later. Passed unanimously.

* Additional city appropriations for FY2026 passed unanimously. Second and final reading.

* Safe Streets grant approved, including a new camera pilot. The DERC camera system tracks near-misses, not people. No plates, no faces. Passed 6-1, Marsing opposed.

* Front Range Passenger Rail bill supported. Senate Bill 26-172 refines district boundaries and designates the Secretary of State as certifying election official. Passed 6-1, Crist opposed.

* Union Reservoir recreation permits approved unanimously. Paddleboard, sailing, model aeronautics, and RC racing all got the green light for this season.

* Vision Zero update presented. No vote. Goal: zero fatal and severe traffic injuries by 2040. The City has tracked lots of data to make informed decisions about how to make our roads safer.

The Big Ones

Longmont Is Getting Ahead of Data Centers

Councilmember Popkin brought two motions before the formal agenda even started, both aimed at getting ahead of an industry moving faster than local zoning can keep up with.

The first was a ban on hyperscale data centers — defined as facilities with a projected peak electrical demand of 100 megawatts or more, which is more than the entire Platte River Power Authority’s system capacity. Some communities have been overwhelmed by these facilities’ electrical and water demands, and current Longmont zoning has no tools to address them. Council directed the City Manager to draft an ordinance banning them as an allowable land use. Mayor Pro Tem McCoy seconded. Passed unanimously. The ordinance will come back for a proper first and second reading before it’s final.

The second motion was for use-specific standards for smaller data centers — covering things like power efficiency, water consumption, noise, and lighting. Longmont already has smaller data centers, and the idea is to make sure future ones align with the city’s sustainability goals. This one will go through a more deliberate process including study sessions and advisory board input before an ordinance is drafted. Passed 5-2, Councilmembers Crist and Prieto opposed. Prieto’s concern was that it was solving a problem Longmont doesn’t have yet.

Atwood Commons: A Housing Project That Almost Didn’t Make It

Atwood Commons: A Housing Project That Almost Didn’t Make It

Atwood Commons is a 72-unit permanently affordable rental housing development at the corner of East 3rd Avenue and Atwood Street, right across from The OUR Center. It had its entitlements, its construction drawings, and was set to break ground in July 2026.

Then in February, HUD told the Longmont Housing Authority that honoring its commitment of 8 project-based vouchers for the project would put LHA in a budget deficit. LHA had to pull out, creating a last-minute gap of nearly $1.4 million with no other funding sources available in time.

The developer came to council asking for a 100% development fee waiver and an additional $742,842 from the city’s Affordable Housing Fund. The city had already committed a $1,000,000 AHF loan to the project back in 2023 — this approval adds to that, bringing total city support to just under $1.75 million. Staff confirmed the AHF has enough to cover it. The project serves households from 30% to 80% of area median income, with over half the units for those at or below 50% AMI. Council approved both requests 6-1, Crist opposed both times.

Short-Term Rentals: A New Framework for Sundance and Beyond

Sundance Film Festival is coming to Boulder, and Longmont wants to be ready for the demand it brings. Staff came back with a proposal for a new Type B short-term rental license specifically for major regional events, modeled after Boulder’s approach.

Council gave direction on the key questions: subletting allowed with written owner consent, ADUs and multiple units on a property allowed, deed-restricted affordable units excluded, and a one-year pilot program with a review after one year or two major events. City Manager designates which events qualify.

Council also expressed a strong preference that the license be limited to Longmont residents only, to prevent outside investors from buying up property just for event rentals.

Councilmember Kalkhofer moved to direct staff to draft the ordinance incorporating all of council’s feedback. Passed unanimously. The actual ordinance comes back for a vote later.

The Rest, Quickly

Vision Zero — Staff gave a data-heavy presentation on the city’s initiative to eliminate fatal and severe traffic injuries by 2040. 179 fatal and severe crashes analyzed from 2022-2024. 70% of them happen on just 9% of city roads. 19 top-priority locations identified. No vote, informational only.

Drive-thru ordinance — Final vote on the ordinance prohibiting new drive-throughs on lots adjacent to Main Street in the MU-C zoning district. Existing drive-throughs are grandfathered in, but that status is lost if the use ceases for 180 days. Passed 6-1, Crist opposed.

110 Emery Street — City approved purchasing a property on Emery Street for $5,125,000 to develop future affordable housing. Funded entirely by a Boulder County Affordable and Attainable Housing Tax grant. No General Fund impact. Pre-development through 2027, construction 2028, delivery 2030. Passed 6-1, Crist opposed.

Safe Streets grant / DERC camera pilot — Council approved an IGA with the Federal Highway Administration for a Safe Streets and Roads for All grant. Includes a pilot of DERC cameras, which track near-miss interactions between vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists. These are not enforcement cameras. No plates, no faces. Data access is limited to the city, with a report on effectiveness shared with the federal government. City Manager noted a trial captured 15,000 instances of red-light running at one location in three months. Passed 6-1, Marsing opposed over data privacy concerns.

Additional appropriations — Ordinance 2026-17, the city’s additional appropriations for FY2026, passed its second and final reading unanimously. Nothing new to report.

Union Reservoir permits — Four recreational use permits approved unanimously: Rocky Mountain Paddleboard, Union Sailing Club, Longmont Electric Aircraft Flyers, and LRC Raceway for RC vehicles. Fun stuff at the reservoir this season.

Front Range Passenger Rail bill — Council voted to support Senate Bill 26-172, which refines the boundaries of the Front Range Passenger Rail District to the areas where the rail will actually run. Passed 6-1, Crist opposed.

First call public comment brought: two speakers opposed to the Axon surveillance camera contract, including one who read Facebook comments in support of a camera vandal; Lance with National School Bus Driver Appreciation Day, Superhero Day, Blueberry Pie Day, and Brave Hearts Day; two Library Advisory Board members asking for more city funding and a second branch; several Step Drive neighbors about a resident repeatedly lighting illegal open fires during a historic drought; a May Day organizer promoting the general strike and a Longmont events Discord; and a Harvest Junction Village resident about construction traffic and speeding from Costco rerouting.

Final public comment brought: a domestic violence survivor urging council to fund LEVI and Safe Shelter of St. Vrain Valley; a second speaker echoing that call and asking council to make a public statement on the CNN Rape Academy article; and a therapist advocating for library funding as a critical safe space for teenagers.

Council comments: Popkin flagged an upcoming waste and compost rate discussion and a Planning and Zoning Commission session on the prairie dog ordinance. Marsing addressed public concern about the model train in the library children’s section — it’s being retired but replaced with a smaller Longmont-themed model. Crist announced the Water Board is recommending a mild drought response including a 10% reduction in city water use on assets like golf courses. Kalkhofer shared insights from a Waste Services ride-along — don’t put things you wish were recyclable in the recycling bin, and please place your bins correctly. Mayor Hidalgo-Fahring announced Cinco de Mayo at Roosevelt Park and the Indian American New Year event at Erie High School.

Timestamps

00:53 Hyperscale Data Center Ban

02:47 Data Center Standards Debate

05:15 Compost Week And Vision Zero

07:56 Public Invited To Be Heard

13:45 Drive Through Ordinance Vote

15:07 Union Reservoir Permits

15:49 Pulled Items Housing And Cameras

19:48 Atwood Commons Funding Gap

20:50 Sundance Short Term Rentals

23:02 Passenger Rail Bill Position

24:48 Final Public Comment Highlights

27:13 Council Updates And Library Train

30:46 Sustainability Ride Along Notes

32:45 Events Notices And Wrap Up

Links

LEVI — local domestic violence and victim services organization:

https://www.longmontdomesticviolence.org/

Safe Shelter of St. Vrain Valley: https://www.safeshelterofstvrain.org/

CNN article exposing the “Rape Academy” website: https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2026/03/world/expose-rape-assault-online-vis-intl/index.html

Ologies podcast episode with trash scientist researcher — https://www.alieward.com/ologies/discardanthropology

Ana MW in Once Upon a Mattress at Longmont Theatre — opened May 1, runs through May 16. Friday and Saturday at 7:30 PM, Sundays at 2:00 PM. Go support local Longmont theatre! https://longmonttheatre.org/once-upon-a-mattress

Longmont City Council Board Committees and Commissions Applications: https://longmontcolorado.gov/boards-committees-and-commissions/application-process/

Longmont City Council Meetings: https://longmontcolorado.gov/government/city-council-meetings/

Coffee with Council: https://longmontcolorado.gov/government/coffee-with-council/

Mayor and City Council Members: https://longmontcolorado.gov/government/mayor-city-council-members

Finding Your Council Representative: https://longmontcolorado.gov/government/mayor-city-council-members/mayor-or-city-council-representative/

This is an independent recap. We do our best but we are not the official record. Links to official documents, meeting minutes, and other resources are above.

Thanks for listening!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit longmontcitycouncilrecap.substack.com