ProgressNow Colorado | Jen Caltrider's Blog: They Did It!!!

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They Did It!!!

By Jen Caltrider - Dec 13th, 2007 at 10:39 pm EST

Also listed in: Longmont LifeBridge

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The fabulous What's In It for Longmont grassroots effort did it!

LifeBridge will develop its Union project in Weld County
By Rachel Carter Longmont Times-Call

LONGMONT — LifeBridge Christian Church won’t be in Longmont city limits.

Congratulations to Jen Gartner, Doreen Peterson, Nita Lynch, Kaye Fissinger, Duane Leise, Karen Benker, Shari Malloy, Joan Peck, Doug Wray, and the hundreds of other volunteers who worked countless unpaid and under appreciated hours to make this happen!

This is what civic government looks like.

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We DO have the power

By Bobby Dec 14th 2007 at 8:54 am EST

Howard was right. When ordinary people join together in common purpose, they can do extraordinary things. These good folks in Longmont make me proud.

Re: We DO have the power

By Jen G. Dec 14th 2007 at 10:17 am EST

Thanks, Bobby! And thanks to ProgressNow for the grassroots infrastructure that let us organize ourselves and reach out to our friends and neighbors in Longmont!

Re: We DO have the power

By Pat J. Dec 14th 2007 at 3:59 pm EST

Lifebridge is your neighbor. How much reaching out did you do to them?

Re: We DO have the power

By Cheryl Spraetz Dec 14th 2007 at 10:37 am EST

I am thankful that Lifebridge has withdrawn their application, but I am even more thankful for living in a community with concerned citizens who are willing to work together for a common goal. I am hopeful that I will be able to work alongside many of these same people on future projects.

Re: We DO have the power

By Joanne Hyman Dec 14th 2007 at 12:20 pm EST

When I opened the Times-Call today, I showed my six year old that participating in government really works!!

A Major Loss

By Jaime R Dec 14th 2007 at 11:05 am EST

This isn't a win for Longmont. It's a loss. A loss of a great organization that has done endless good in the community for over 100 years. You have succeeded in pushing out of Longmont what has been a staple for thousands of Longmont citizens for those 100 plus years - members of the church as well as the countless individuals that have benefited from its charity and countless community service projects - those individuals include you by the way. One way that this is true is with the amount of tax money that was saved when Lifebridge helped volunteer to paint a couple schools in the district this past year - just one of many things that they constantly have going on to benefit the community. I'm sure they will continue their service to the community despite the fact you have succeeded in ostracizing them. Maybe that this is over now, you can focus your efforts on worthwhile goals that will truly benefit the community, as opposed to robbing it. You have stated the whole time that this was not a religious issue, but I know and you do too that if this was any other developer, this would have never been an issue. Lifebridge was not out to rob the community and stated multiple times that residences and businesses would pay taxes just like anyone else. Sad day.

Re: A Major Loss

By Joanne Hyman Dec 14th 2007 at 12:28 pm EST

Why is it that a church that wants to build over 100 houses, many of which will be priced at over $1M, when there are developments with houses in Longmont that are not moving at all. I have nothing against LifeBridge, but what I saw was that they wanted their own little city within our big diverse city. Had the candor been there from the start, perhaps this could have gone through. It does make me wonder, however, about why 4C now pulled its plans. Perhaps because it knew that the majority of Longmont's voters think the same way I do.

Re: A Major Loss

By Jaime R Dec 14th 2007 at 4:59 pm EST

Why did US Homes want to build here - why did they create Prospect? Why will other builder come in and build? Lifebridge has had these plans for something like 10 years now.

gift of a month

By Kathy Partridge Dec 14th 2007 at 11:19 am EST

I'd love to hear more backstory as to why 4C actually withdrew. Sounds like a holiday gift of a "month of time" for Longmont activists! What's everyone going to do? If you're interested in looking at military recruitment in St. Vrain schools, please join our group here at Progress Now.

Cheers, Kathy

Re: gift of a month

By Barb P. Dec 14th 2007 at 3:58 pm EST

Probably because they did not want to continue to put up with the slander and misrepresentations that this organization is spreading. They will follow the path of least resistance and develop in Weld county.

Your opinion no longer matters

By Kris J. Dec 14th 2007 at 3:51 pm EST

Union will develop outside Longmont. Your opinion no longer matters. Longmont will no longer be concerned with how much of the Union Project will be tax-exempt; because from now on all of it will be tax-exempt (from Longmont taxes, anyway). Instead of being greedy and trying to get the least amount tax-exempt, you have succeeded in removing it from Longmont's Revenue stream altogether. It will be built anyway and the traffic and impacts to the City will still be there, but Longmont will get none of the Tax Revenues. Yup Great Job!!?!!

Re: Your opinion no longer matters

By Ralph Dosser Dec 15th 2007 at 9:30 pm EST

"One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

I never heard a good explanation about how a supposedly Christian church had a "business wing."

Maybe somebody needs to tend the beam in their own eye before they worry about the mote in mine.

Re: Your opinion no longer matters

By Jaime R. Dec 17th 2007 at 1:41 pm EST

So Christians shouldn't be concerned with a place to live? It's a sin for a church to attempt to thrive or envision a place that to them fits their lifestyle just a little bit better. So what if they want to create a community of like minded indiviuals - how many cities started out like that. Sure we have seperation of church and state - and should - but why should that rule out a church from conducting business at all or starting new communities as long as it follows applicable laws (which Lifebridge will - as it has for decades). Why should Christians have any less rights than non?

Everyone is so focused on the fact that its a church, they have overlooked all the good things it does - and man does it do a lot - I've posted links for people to join in all the good things they do for the community, but I'm betting they've been overlooked by you all.

As far as 4C goes, I know they started the project with no business wing at first and I believe they thought that creating 4C would help with managing the project and also make the public feel more comfortable with their plans (whoa were they wrong there - right).

No one is worried about what's in your eye - you've got it turned around, it's you guys doing everything you can to look for whats in Lifebridges - to the point of looking for faults in some of the individuals involved and posting whatever you find - whether true or false, verified or not. You all really went all out on the attack to stop a good organization.