City officials are working to ensure that there will be plenty of water available for the gravel mining operation near the Costco development in southeast Longmont as well as the land’s reclamation once mining is finished.
The City Council earlier this week gave its preliminary approval for two water supply agreements for the portions of the Costco site that will continue to be used for gravel mining. The council set Sept. 28 for a formal vote.
The Irwin-Thomas gravel mining operation is adjacent to the Costco parcel and was permitted by Boulder County in 2002 and annexed into Longmont in 2018, according to a city of Longmont website.
The mining work will continue under the existing permit and water supply agreements are needed to complete the mining, a city staff report states.
A temporary water supply agreement is required during the mining operations - which may take 10 years - while a reclamation water supply pact is needed for the post-mining and reclamation phase of the project, the staff report states.
The agreements allow for the state to augment any water depletions linked to the mining operation. If any state water is used to augment the project, Longmont will be reimbursed for the value of the water, the staff report states.
In July, the council approved three ordinances that changed land use designations, zoning categories and conceptual development plans for portions of the Irwin-Thomas Annexation. The area is bordered by Martin Street on the west, both sides of Colo. 119 to the north, 119th Street on the east and Quail Road on the south.
The changes allowed the construction of a 150,000 square-foot Costco wholesale store and fueling station on a 17-acre site near the Harvest Junction South retail and residential development. The agreement with Costco also enables the city to move ahead with a 9-acre affordable housing development.
At Tuesday’s meeting, the council approved spending $1.4 million for the 9-acre parcel.
