Family Gives Up Forever Home After Learning What Will Be Next Door
LONGMONT, Colo. (CBS4) – Concerned homebuyers in Longmont's up-and-coming Harvest Junction neighborhood allege they were not given common courtesy in the home buying process after one person learned a gravel mining operation was permitted to start operations. Many of the homes were already built.
City of Longmont documents show official plans for a gravel pit mining operation to begin work as early as 2020 across the street from the Harvest Junction neighborhood. The neighborhood nearby is currently being developed by Richmond-Meritage Homes.
One man, who wished not to be publicly identified, told CBS4 he paid the down payment on what he thought would be his forever home in Harvest Junction. He, and his pregnant wife, planned on spending around $500,000 on their home.
He alleged the builder, Meritage, never mentioned anything about the potential for a decade-long mining operation to start next door, potentially within the coming year.
"They gave you a lot of information about parks nearby, all the amenities, the school nearby. But, this was not disclosed in any way," the man told CBS4's Dillon Thomas.
A self-described "researcher," the man said he decided to look in to the surrounding community after putting his deposit down. When he looked into the zoning of the neighboring property, he was offset by the Planned Unit Development (PUD).
After requesting documents from the Longmont City Planner, he realized more than 138 acres of nearby land was slated for future gravel mining. He believed the mining operation could last longer than a decade.
"(The document) clearly outlines the gravel mining operations to begin in 2020," the man said. "Right when I saw that, my heart sunk."
The home buyer told CBS4 he and his wife had already completed the design phase of their home. They had already selected their carpet, counters, paint and more before he realized the mining plans.
Though told the salesman on-site was originally unaware of the mining plans, the home buyer believed Meritage Homes could've done more to disclose the operation planned for the neighboring property.
After raising concerns about the alleged lack of disclosure, and potential for health and noise pollution concerns, the home buyer cancelled his contract. He said he recently learned other buyers were in the process of doing the same.
He told CBS4 Meritage Homes cited a "May or May Not Minerals Clause," in the original contract, using it to keep his down payment.
"I understand I am not getting my money back from the purchase. I am okay with that," the man said. "I just want to let people know, and let them make the decision if they want to live by this."
CBS4 called Richmond-Meritage Homes several times for comment on this story. Calls to the neighborhood sales office, the Denver corporate office, and corporate headquarters out of state resulted in no official response from the builder at the time this story was published.
