On Tuesday, June 3, Longmont City Council voted to move an ordinance forward that would criminalize sitting, kneeling and lying down in the city’s commercial districts between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily and 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, including the 17th Avenue, 21st Avenue, Hover, Main Street, Downtown, Southwest and Ute Highway districts.
According to the ordinance, this law is “needed for the protection of the health and safety of the public.” Several cities throughout the state have a version of what is often referred to as a sit-lie ordinance in their municipal code, including Colorado Springs which extended the application area in January.
Proponents argue these laws keep sidewalks clear for pedestrians and aid in public safety; critics contend they criminalize homelessness.
Also on Tuesday, council:
- Struck down an ordinance after a 3-3 vote that would have allowed smoking indoors for cannabis hospitality businesses as an exception to the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act. State law prohibits smoking in indoor spaces, including smoke and vapor from cannabis products. This bill would have created a pathway for businesses to operate within city limits after council voted in February to authorize a total of four cannabis hospitality business licenses.
Under current city regulations, businesses would still be allowed to operate with a license to use topical cannabis products.
- Approved changes to the city’s development code regarding accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to be in compliance with a state law barring local municipalities from inhibiting the development of ADUs in municipalities.
ADUs have been legal citywide since 2001. These changes reduce rear setbacks for detached ADUs from 10 feet to the state maximum of five feet, eliminates the need for public notice and removes the requirement that a property owner must live in the ADU or primary home, while adding the contingency that any ADU applicant must be a Longmont resident at the time of application.
- Discussed an update on operations at Vance Brand Municipal Airport, including options for landing fees, lease terms and flight paths — voted to extend its meeting past 11 p.m. after nearly four hours of discussions and public comments.
A small but vocal group of residents have raised concerns about the frequency of touch-and-go operations — a training method where pilots land on the runway and immediately take off again in order to practice landings and maximize flight time — often citing noise and fumes as a pain point.
There were 59,000 landings at Vance Brand in 2024, which is expected to operate with an annual deficit of $60,000 for the next 10 years, excluding major capital improvements.
Council directed staff to explore vendors to implement landing fees at the airport as a means to provide more revenue. No official decisions on the amounts or who the fees would apply to were made.