Residents urge council to prioritize fire station over leased bar project in downtown

Several speakers used the meeting’s public-comment period on July 14 to press the City Council to prioritize funding for fire stations and first responders over a city-backed lease for a bar in a city-owned building.

Jim Fenimore, a long-time Westminster resident, said the city should not spend about $4.5 million on what he called "the bark," and instead should direct those funds toward expanding Station 1 and other fire facilities. “Instead of spending 4 and a half million dollars on the bark ... should be spending on the fire station that’s gonna save lives,” Fenimore said. He argued the proposed bar would create liability risks and that the building should be repurposed for community needs instead.

Fenimore also raised concerns about the city’s leasing terms, including a rent schedule he described (the first lease year reportedly free, then $1,700 per month), and questioned the projected payback period. He said the city previously spent funds on nearby properties (referencing downtown activity and Schoenberg Farm investments) and urged council to redirect resources to public safety.

Council members did not take action during the meeting on the speaker’s request; public comment was acknowledged and recorded. The city manager’s report and subsequent agenda items addressed multiple capital projects and a special town hall on July 24 that will discuss first-responder needs and neighborhood pavement priorities.

Next steps: Council did not respond directly with a motion; the public-comment record will be part of the administrative record. The city’s July 24 town-hall on paramedics and pavement will address first-responder needs in more detail.