LifeBridge Christian Church’s massive Union development — a church-centered retail and housing project spurned by Longmont residents — is once again facing a group that isn’t sure the proposal belongs in their community.
InformFirestone is trying to gather at least 250 valid signatures by Sunday to force a public vote on the Union annexation into Firestone. The Firestone Town Board voted for the annexation in May.
But a spokesman for InformFirestone said there are still many questions about the Union development in the community of 5,000 that need to be answered.
“Our biggest concern is that ‘Whoa, let’s slow down a bit,’ ” Dan Sanger said.
The group’s petitions ask that the Town Board repeal the annexation or put the matter up for a public vote.
There are worries that a group of board members, elected in April, didn’t carefully review the impacts Union will have before voting for annexation, Sanger said.
Those include the overall costs to Firestone, the strain it will put on services such as police and fire, and the availability of water.
“There are many unknowns on this issue,” Sanger said, “and although the town government has moved to annex Union, details regarding the cost to the citizens of Firestone . . . have not been fully examined.”
Similar concerns dogged the proposal when it came before the Longmont City Council last year. The 340-acre Union parcel — on Colorado 119 south of Union Reservoir in Weld County — is slated to include 700 homes, 680,000 square feet of commercial development and 1 million square feet of religious and civic construction.
The Longmont council annexed the property in August. But critics said Union developers were short on details about the proposal, including how much of it would enjoy tax-exempt status because of religious orientation.
Longmont residents collected more than 4,700 signatures in the fall, forcing a special election. LifeBridge, citing the divisiveness the issue was causing the city, dropped its bid for annexation in December.
The church approached Firestone, and the town agreed to the annexation, citing the sales-tax revenues the development would generate.
LifeBridge officials couldn’t be reached for comment.
Firestone Mayor Chad Auer said if enough valid signatures are gathered, the board will follow legal guidelines to reconsider the annexation vote.
LifeBridge, Auer added, has been forthcoming with all available information about its development. More will be known about Union, including its tax-exempt status, as the planning process weaves its way through the Town Board, he said.
“There will be lots of hearings and lots of steps along the way, and there will be opportunities for people to get information,” Auer said. “And I’m optimistic folks will be able to get that.”
Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com
