A 69-acre enclave for nature lovers home to bald eagles, ospreys and at least two elevated goose nests is now under the protection of Longmont and Boulder County thanks to an agreement recently approved by city council.
Longmont and Boulder County will each pay $700,000 for the McLachlan property, which is in unincorporated Boulder County and has been coveted by Longmont for at least six years, according to a staff report to council.
“The property is a haven for a variety of waterfowl species, including bald eagles and osprey,” the report states. “There are a couple of elevated goose nests on the property. By partnering with Boulder County, the county and city will be able to preserve this important property.”
The parcel is located at the northeast corner of Nelson Road and North 65th Street. The property fits into the city’s open space plans because it offers natural areas, wildlife habitat, wetlands and visual corridors, as well as a potential for the development of a nature area, low-impact trails and low-key recreational uses, the report states.
The property also is adjacent to Clover Basin Reservoir. Longmont is the majority shareholder in the Clover Basin Reservoir and the city wanted the McLachlan property to create additional open space around the reservoir, according to the staff report.
The property also is adjacent to Boulder County’s Clover Basin Ranch conservation easement parcel.
Starting in 2014, the city began asking the county’s participation in buying the property and earlier this year both sides began firming up the intergovernmental agreement.
Boulder County bought more than 74 acres of the McLachlan land and wants to create two 2-acre lots on the northwest portion of the property to be sold for limited single-family homes, the staff report states.
The initial cost of the McLachlan property is $2.4 million. After the anticipated lot sales of $1 million, the expected total is $1.4 million, the report stated. The price would be split 50-50 by the city and county, according to the report.
Sixty-nine acres will be open space owned and managed by the city of Longmont, according to the agreement. After council’s approval last week, the city will reimburse the county for half of the purchase price. The city’s $700,000 will come from open space bond funds and will be paid within a two-year period, the staff report states.
The county will be issued a conservation easement for the 69-acre property.
