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Happy hump day, Longmont! With just 10 days left until Halloween, if you don’t have a costume yet, you’re rapidly crossing the verge of “thoughtfully-planned-out, ordered-something-cool-on-Etsy” costume territory and into “scrounged-around-Goodwill-for-45-minutes-then-said-screw-it-I’ll-just-be-Marty-McFly-again” territory.
If you need ideas, Google’s top trending costumes include Buddy the Unicorn, Nikki from Obsession, and Agammemnon from The Odyssey.
Today — we check out highlights from last night’s Longmont City Council meeting, a suspicious letter sent to Longmont’s U.S. House rep, and Longmont’s newest coffee shop.
Let’s dive in.
TOP STORY
🌎 Latest look at the future of 1st & Main Transit Hub
View on Main Street looking northwest at the transit station (left) and the residential/commercial development (right). Courtesy: City of Longmont, Tebo Properties.
New images were revealed to Longmont City Council during last night’s regular session, offering the latest look into the future of the 1st & Main Transit Center.
The images were introduced by City of Longmont Housing Director Molly O’Donnell as part of an ordinance approving a development agreement to coordinate construction of the facilities with real estate owner and developer Tebo Properties.
Here’s the plan:
Build the parking garage (groundbreaking happened October 9) which will include a bus station with 10 bus bays and about 700 parking spaces, 150 of which will be designated for open parking.
Then construct a mixed-use development (planned to begin construction in early 2027), which will wrap around the garage. This will include roughly 250 residential units, 14,000 square feet of commercial space along Main Street, and additional parking for residents and visitors.
The ordinance was approved unanimously by city council, but the bulk of the discussion was focused on a future art project.
Mural pathways:
As pictured above, the south face of the parking garage is mostly empty. The current plan is for a mural to be painted over it to help the facility serve as a welcoming gateway into Longmont.
The mural would be about 5,000 square feet.
It could cost as much as $200,000. That figure may sound like a lot, but it covers the next 20 years of mural maintenance, and — as City Manager Harold Dominguez explained — due to the dangerous nature of creating a mural so high off the ground, insurance will be costly.
The city faced controversy recently after a North Carolina-based artist was tasked with painting the mural on the side of the new parking facility next to Hotel Longmont. To avoid further backlash, Councilmember Jake Marsing suggested codifying into law an amendment that would provide local artists with a better chance of being selected.
Marsing pitched adding a condition that the “call for entry” to artists add a “distinct local preference.”
However, given the large scale of the project, if a Longmont-based, or Colorado-based artist with the necessary experience, skills and resources proves hard to find, there is a contingency plan.
O’Donnell said a “mentor-mentee” program will be integrated into the project. Therefore, if a Longmont artist isn’t selected for the bulk of the work, they’ll still be involved, but it would moreso resemble an apprenticeship.
Marsing’s amendment faced pushback from some of city council, including Mayor Susie Hidalgo-Fahring, who felt sufficient guardrails are already in place, and she trusts the Art in Public Places Commission to carry out the changes requested following the backlash from the Hotel Longmont parking facility mural.
“The only way something for sure ever happens in this city is if we codify it,” Marsing said.
The amendment ultimately passed 5-2, with the mayor and Councilmember Diane Crist in opposition.
View is from Main Street looking southwest at 1st Avenue at the mixed use development. Courtesy: City of Longmont, Tebo Properties.
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Headlines
3 Big Things
Longmont resident sentenced to 48 years in prison: After a June conviction of 19 counts of Child Sexual Exploitation Material and one count of Habitual Child Sex Offender, Stevie Brown has been sentenced to 48 years in prison, per the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office. It’s below the DA’s sought-after 72-year-sentence, but, in a statement, the office still found the sentence “appropriately lengthy.” The sentencing follows the February 2023 discovery of over 3,200 images and videos of explicit content, the majority of which depicted girls between the ages of 4-14. Brown had a prior offense in 2013, which involved attempted sexual assault on a child and sexual exploitation of a child.
New coffee shop opens in central Longmont: Secret Grounds Coffeeshop is the newest brewhouse to take a jab at caffeinating Longmont. Self-proclaimed the “best kept secret in coffee,” it offers a variety of lattes, drip coffee, pastries, non-coffee options, ample couches and cozy seating, and more. Per its website, Secret Grounds says “We have a created a hidden gem of a gathering spot. We aim to make a gathering space for the community with incredible coffee creations.” The shop is located off 1st Avenue and Emery Street just south of Wibby Brewing. It’s open daily from 7 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Leaf collection begins next week: Starting Monday, the City of Longmont will kick off leaf collection operations. Crews will pick up leaves at homes north of 9th Avenue between Oct. 26-30, then head to homes south of 9th between November 2 - 6. All leaves should be bagged, and left in front of your house before 7 a.m. on the Monday of your week. Bags can be left out all week, and if you need a bag, you can get 10 for free at the Longmont Recycling Center. Learn more here.
Check this out
“Suspicious” letter with white powder sent to Longmont’s congressman
Rep. Neguse addresses locals at a Longmont town hall.
Longmont’s U.S. House Representative Joe Neguse is among the latest to receive a “suspicious letter,” inside which was white powder.
The letter was delivered Monday to Congressman Neguse’s district office in Boulder, per a press release from Neguse’s office. The letter to Neguse is among more than three dozen letters that have been mailed to congressional offices and election offices. So far, none of the letters have been identified as hazardous, and authorities are still trying to identify the culprit behind them.
Powder trip:
Five members of Colorado’s congressional delegation have been among the recipients. They include U.S. Reps. Jason Crow, Brittany Pettersen, Diana DeGette, and U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper.
Both Republicans and Democrats have been targeted: U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer are among the highest profile Democrats to be sent letters, while U.S. Senators Ted Cruz and Pete Ricketts are among at least five Republicans.
Neguse said the incident is under investigation by federal authorities, including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, FBI and U.S. Capitol Police.
Moving forward:
Neguse says the incident “will not prevent me and my team from working day in and day out to serve the people of Colorado’s 2nd District.”
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From 1974 to 1987, silver more than doubled gold's returns. After 2008, it beat gold five-fold in three years. Since March 2020, silver is up 402% against gold's 186%. Our research team's free playbook explains why, and how the team would position.
Last Call
Today’s Longmont weather forecast predicts a mostly sunny day with a high of 77 degrees and a low of 49 degrees, per the National Weather Service.
Gas prices are holding steady. The average price for a gallon of gas in Longmont-Boulder is $4.27, according to AAA. That’s a penny higher than a week ago and 12 cents less than a month ago.
Longmont City Council unanimously voted to officially abolish the Golf Course Advisory Board at its meeting last night.
More than 2,000 people attended Longmont Museum’s Grand Reopening celebration last Saturday.
A power outage in north Longmont Monday that knocked out residents’ electricity around 3 p.m. was caused by a “squirrel issue,” per a City of Longmont staff member. Power was restored by about 3:40 p.m.
St. Vrain State Park restocked Coot Pond with 3,500 trout and Pintail Pond with 1,900 rainbow trout.
Until next time,
The Longmont Brief
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