Longmont’s Ballot Issue 3E is about more than recreational facilitie…

If Longmont voters approve Ballot Issue 3E in November, it would lead to the construction of two new recreational facilities in the city — but that’s not all, supporters say.

More affordable housing and expanded child care — two amenities that city officials say Longmont desperately needs — would also come to fruition.

In a nutshell, Ballot Issue 3E would authorize tax increases to fund a new $72 million recreational facility at Dry Creek Community Park along with a land swap in which the city would give $12 million and its Centennial Pool site at 1201 Alpine St. to the YMCA in exchange for the YMCA’s existing property at 950 Lashley St.

The YMCA would demolish the ailing Centennial Pool in order to make room for a new, four-story 67,610-square-foot facility at the corner of East Mountain View Avenue and Alpine Street. The new YMCA facility would include “expanded affordable child care and preschool,” a 25-meter indoor and outdoor pool, an ice rink, a gymnasium, fitness spaces, group exercise studios, roughly 116 affordable housing units and more, according to the YMCA of Northern Colorado’s website.

“For the citizens … they get a new pool, ice rink and affordable housing and expanded child care for what it would cost, basically, to renovate the Centennial Pool,” said Chris Coker, YMCA of Northern Colorado chief executive officer. “So, it’s a hell of a deal.”

A deal would also be worked out to allow city recreation pass holders to access the YMCA facility for a small fee and vice versa.

Coker said it is too early to know exactly how much the additional fee might be, given market conditions.

In addition to the YMCA demolishing Centennial Pool for its new facility, the city likely would use the YMCA’s property to build more affordable housing.

“At this time, the idea is that the former Y land would be used for affordable housing, but that has not been finally decided by Council,” Longmont Assistant City Manager Sandra Seader said in an email.

The city’s existing recreation center at 310 Quail Road was built in 2002 and serves 750,000 visitors each year.

To pay for the construction of the new recreation center at Dry Creek Community Park, the city would need to increase property taxes by up to 2.78 mills, which amounts to an additional $99.39 on a $500,000 home annually, for no more than 20 years.

The city also would increase property taxes by an additional two mills for three years to fund the land swap.

A sales and use tax increase that would amount to 11 cents on a $100 purchase would fund the operational and maintenance costs of the new recreation center at Dry Creek Community Park.

“I think it may be the best use of tax dollars … for this purpose that Longmont will ever enjoy the opportunity to spend,” Councilmember Tim Waters, who is the Council liaison to the city’s Parks & Recreation Advisory Board, said Friday.

This year’s election will occur on Nov. 7.