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Council sends pump house discussion to staff; substitutes add preservation protections, postponement set for two weeks
Summary
City Council on June 23 adopted a preservation‑minded substitute to a resolution on the Cheyenne Auxiliary pumping station and then voted to postpone final action two weeks while staff and council gather appraisals, title details and tour the site.
City Council considered a resolution June 23 directing city staff to make the Cheyenne Auxiliary pumping station at 1504 Dylan Avenue available for public listing and sale, with conditions suggested by historic-preservation advocates. Representatives of the Cheyenne Historic Preservation Board and Historic Cheyenne Inc. urged the governing body to protect the pump house’s historic fabric and recommended deed conditions to prevent demolition, require adherence to the Secretary of the Interior’s standards for rehabilitation, and preserve the building’s eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places.
Councilmember Dr. Aldridge introduced the resolution and a substitute amendment (dated June 20) that added language requested by the Historic Preservation Board: (1) a statement of the pump house’s historical significance; (2) a requirement that the city not permit demolition or exterior alteration that would render the building ineligible for the National Register; and (3) a firm date for staff to report back on the status of any sale process. The substitute was adopted by the council with three recorded no votes (Councilmembers Seagrave, Roybal and one other). The substitute also directs the city to obtain an appraisal of the property.
Multiple public commenters — Milward Simpson (Historic Preservation Board chair), Randy Byers, Stephanie Lowe (president of Historic Cheyenne Inc.) and others — urged preservation and urged the city to pursue options that would allow use of historic-preservation tax credits and other incentives. Several speakers described the pump house’s early role in Cheyenne’s water system and argued the site is part of the city’s patrimony.
Council members debated practical barriers to sale or conversion: a prior RFP (2019) generated no offers, staff said an appraisal and any real-estate solicitation would take months, and Purchasing Manager TJ Barnlebauer explained statutory advertising requirements for surplus property sales (minimum three consecutive weeks). Council members also raised technical issues: the pump-house parcel includes adjacent wetlands and former alley property in a single deed; DEQ monitoring wells and prior cleanup activities may remain on the site; and access and right‑of‑way constraints near Ames Avenue and the greenway complicate redevelopment.
After debate, Councilmember Dr. Aldridge moved to postpone the matter for two weeks to allow council members to tour the property, have Historic Cheyenne Inc. provide a public presentation about the pump house’s history, and gather outstanding information on title, appraisal timeline and access issues. The postponement motion passed (Doctor Rainey voted no). No sale or surplus decision was made at this meeting.
