Old Town business owners and residents press Arvada council for action on safety as homelessness issues persist

Dozens of Old Town Arvada business owners and residents used the Feb. 3 Arvada City Council public-comment period to press the council for immediate action after months of rising incidents they described as threats to public safety and local commerce.

Speakers gave first-hand accounts of open drug use, people sleeping in alleys and on patios, repeated vandalism, human waste and aggressive behavior that they say is driving customers and staff away from Old Town businesses. "I've had numerous occurrences with not only myself feeling unsafe, but my friends and customers at the winery feeling unsafe. We're afraid to come to Old Town at night," said Kristen Sherr, owner of Silver Vines Winery. Joe Hengstler, executive director of the Old Town Arvada Business Improvement District, told the council, "It should not be an unreasonable expectation that a family can walk through the square to the library without having to go by open drug use and dealing" and that business owners are cleaning needles, feces and drug paraphernalia daily.

Why it matters: Speakers said the problems are reducing foot traffic and revenues and placing ongoing burdens on police, fire and business owners. Several requested faster progress on a navigation center and more regional coordination for shelter and outreach services; others called for better enforcement of bans and clearer jurisdictional responsibility for downtown public spaces.

Business owners described repeated incidents that they said undermine safety and the customer experience in Old Town. Mike Papantonakis, who works on Grandview Avenue, said his security camera has recorded people defecating against a fence and that people use a stairwell to change clothes. Phil Schell, a broker-owner at RE/MAX Alliance, said Old Town remains "something very special" and urged the council to "find some solutions" before businesses begin leaving. Cindy Trudell, co-owner of Breadwinners, said damage to patio curtains and repeated thefts have cost thousands of dollars to repair.

Nonprofits and volunteers offered complementary context. Mindy Moore, who volunteers with Mission Arvada, said many of the people causing the most problems are banned from the shelter and that Mission Arvada operates limited hours: "Mission Arvada is only open 9 to 1AM, Monday through Friday. They're not open on weekends. They're not open at nights," she said, adding that those gaps leave people with nowhere to go overnight. Moore urged the council to find a 24-hour solution and to work with regional partners and Jefferson County to secure funding and locations.

Several speakers tied public-safety complaints to broader decisions about shelter planning. Joyce Richardson, an Arvada resident, said she was "dismayed by the vote last week to sell the ECA building and begin all over again to find a site for a navigation center and a 24 hour shelter." Richardson and others urged council members to accelerate site selection and to explain the city’s approach to reduce community concern.

Not all comments framed the issue solely as homelessness. Debbie Pearson characterized the problem as a small group causing most disturbances — people she called the "nuisance homeless" who she said "don't want to be housed" — and called for targeted responses to that subgroup.

Council members did not take new formal action on navigation centers, enforcement changes or shelter siting at the Feb. 3 meeting. City staff did respond to specific property questions raised during public comment (for example, a city staff member said they would follow up with a commenter about irrigation and drainage concerns in Westwood Village). Several speakers asked for better coordination with enforcement and social-service partners, and volunteers and business representatives urged quicker timelines for a permanent navigation or shelter facility.

What happens next: Council moved on to a workshop on the city’s 2024 community survey and did not hold a vote related to Old Town safety or shelter siting during this meeting. Multiple speakers urged more rapid regional collaboration and clearer communication about interim enforcement and outreach steps.

Votes at the meeting included routine consent items and appointments (see separate article and vote record).