Megachurch withdraws annexation application

A megachurch has withdrawn its application for annexation to the City of Longmont.

Life Bridge Christian Church, in Boulder, purchased more than 300 acres of land in 2000 on the eastern edge of Longmont in unincorporated Weld County with plans to build a new church campus.

In the past two years, church officials worked with Longmont city officials developing a 20-year impact analysis, which predicted the new church could bring up to $5.59 million to the city.

Though the city conditionally approved the annexation of the property for the proposed church-sponsored mixed-use development project on Aug. 14, a referendum petition to repeal the decision was submitted to the council in October.

The plan, which has received scrutiny from some community members, includes around 300 apartments, condominiums and single-family homes; 40 acres of office, commercial and retail space; and 57 acres of religious and civic space.

The newly elected city council decided, based on public opinion and new priorities, the project did not fit with its future plans.

Martin Dickey, the chief operating officer of the Corporation for Community Christian Connections, a subsidiary of LifeBridge Christian Church founded to develop the property, said the church has a 116-year history of being a part of the community, and plans to continue with the project in Weld County.

“For a church to be in the community as long as it has, meant to be a source of bridge building, this has become much more divisive than anyone would have thought.”