The Longmont City Council Tuesday night is scheduled to hold a public hearing and consider the controversial rezoning of a portion of an 11.5-acre parcel on the northeast corner of Colo. 119 and Zlaten Drive for a 7-11 with a retail convenience store and sit-down restaurant.
The property was formerly part of the Dickens Farm Homestead, dating back to 1885 and the site still includes a farmhouse and outbuildings that may be demolished due to building safety and asbestos concerns, according to a city staff report. The buildings are also targeted for destruction to “facilitate development on the site,” the staff report states.
The Historic Preservation Commission reviewed the demolition request at its July 12 and Sept. 9, 2021 meetings and recommended the project not move forward until a better preservation plan is in place.
The public hearing on the rezoning will take place during the council’s regular session starting at 7 p.m.
Only about 2.5 acres of the 11.5-acre parcel is developable, the staff report states. The site is an unusually-shaped parcel with topographic and floodplain challenges, and borders a city greenway on the east which requires land dedication. The parcel also includes a 150-foot riparian setback where development is prohibited, the staff report states.
