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La Porte resident asks Larimer County to help preserve old Fire Station No. 7 as community center; commissioner pledges follow-up
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Summary
At the April 22 Larimer County administrative meeting a La Porte resident urged the county to explore options to keep the old Fire Station No. 7 for community use; Commissioner John Kefalas said he will meet with county management and keep a May 10 community conversation on the calendar.
Kosta Sofianos, a La Porte resident, told the Larimer County Board of County Commissioners on April 22 that the community would like the county’s help to preserve the old Fire Station Number 7 as a community center.
Sofianos said the station, which he believes is owned by Poudre Fire District, has a kitchen, “a large area in the back,” and could host after-school programs, community events and serve as a disaster-relief staging site. “I just feel like this might be a missed opportunity, if we don't take advantage of potentially using county, maybe public–private partnership to to do a purchase of this property,” he said.
The request matters because La Porte serves as a hub for several foothills and mountain communities; preserving an existing building could create space for local programming and emergency uses. Sofianos told commissioners LAPAC (the La Porte area planning group) and the community have discussed a community center for about 20 years, and he proposed exploring fundraising and local tax mechanisms to help finance a purchase.
Commissioner John Kefalas said he had received emails from neighbors about the property and that he had already asked the county manager to meet with him “after this meeting … to just exchange some ideas about what kind of guidance, what kind of support the county might be able to give.” Kefalas added the county “typically don't buy buildings, but there might be some other creative ideas.” Chair Kristen Stevens said the commission would follow up.
The board did not take formal action on the property during the meeting. Commissioners left the May 10 community conversation for La Porte on the calendar; at the April 22 meeting Kefalas said he would attend that May 10 event so county staff and residents could continue the discussion. No timetable, purchase agreement, funding commitment or formal county acquisition was approved at the session.
Next steps recorded on the meeting record: Kefalas and County Manager Lorinda Volker are to meet after the April 22 meeting to discuss options, and the county will follow up with the La Porte community. A community conversation for La Porte remains scheduled May 10, 2025.
