The Longmont City Council will reconsider its decision to deny a request to annex property at 150 Francis St. into the city limits.
The council previously approved the annexation on a first reading on July 11. However, during its second reading on July 25, the City Council denied the annexation in a 4-3 vote on second reading.
Mayor Joan Peck along with Councilmembers Susie Hidalgo-Fahring, Shiquita Yarbrough and Sean McCoy originally voted against the annexation.
Mayor Pro Tem Aren Rodriguez and Councilmembers Marcia Martin and Tim Waters supported it during the July 25 meeting.
On Tuesday, Yarbrough made a motion for the council to reconsider its previous decision to deny the Francis Street annexation. Yarbrough’s motion passed 5-2 with Hidalgo-Fahring and McCoy voting against it.
The total annexation proposal encompasses roughly 2.26 acres that would be zoned residential mixed neighborhood.
The property owner requested the annexation to “connect to city sewer service when available,” according to a council memo.
“No development is proposed on the property at this time,” the memo said.
Yarbrough said during Tuesday’s meeting that she wanted to ensure that if the property ever was developed, that it would be subject to all of the city’s design and safety standards.
The site currently has two single family homes on it that were built in 1930 and 1971, both of which are on septic systems.
Several small sheds, fences and other accessory buildings are also on the property.
“The homeowner should make sure that that property is taken care of,” Yarbrough said during Tuesday’s meeting.
McCoy, who has opposed the annexation from the start, did not think the property owners were being sincere about their intentions for the land.
“That doesn’t pass the smell test,” McCoy said Thursday.
While the council was told the property owners want to connect to the sewer system, McCoy thought the real reason for the annexation was to develop the land at a later time.
“They are not fooling me,” McCoy said.
The land in question is adjacent to the undeveloped Bohn Farm property where a developer wants to build roughly 70 townhomes.
Residents have raised myriad concerns about the potential Bohn Farm development including traffic and compatibility issues.
Many of those same residents also asked the council to oppose the nearby Francis Street annexation.
The council is scheduled to reconsider the annexation on Sept. 12.
