Longmont residents unhappy with the decision to annex 350 acres so a church can build a community there delivered a referendum petition to the city clerk Wednesday to try to undo the City Council's action.

"There are just too many unanswered questions," petition organizer Jen Gartner said of the LifeBridge Christian Church's plan to build a $25 million sports arena, luxury homes, retail space and a mega-church on the property near Union Reservoir.

Gartner said city staff members never adequately explained how much of the property would be exempt from taxes because of the religious nature of the development.

LifeBridge members say the church plans to pay regular taxes on the homes and retail development in the community - everything except the buildings that are strictly church-related.

LifeBridge owns the property but wants to be annexed to Longmont to get help bringing water lines and other infrastructure to the area. The City Council approved the annexation on August 14.

City Clerk Valeria Skitt said she has five days to approve or reject the language of the petition.

If it's approved, petitioners will have about three weeks to collect 4,021 signatures. That's 5 percent of the number of registered voters in Longmont.

If enough signatures are verified, the City Council would have to rescind the annexation approval or schedule a vote of the people on the annexation question, Gartner said.

Rick Juday, an opponent of the annexation, said LifeBridge won too many exceptions from the council, including having to make only 5 percent of the residences affordable housing, getting a height limit of 75 feet and being able to buy out of its obligation to set aside land and money for public schools for just $1,400 a dwelling unit.

City Council member Karen Benker cast the only dissenting vote two weeks ago.

She agrees with Gartner and Juday and said she worries that LifeBridge will become its own separate "cradle-to-grave" community, connected to Longmont in name only.

The other council members say the issue has been discussed for a long time and there has been ample opportunity for public comment.

It's the first time in her 15 years as city clerk that residents have used a petition process to try to undo an action of the City Council, Skitt said.

scanlon@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-442-8729