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Westminster council orders building assessment for Blakey Park, forms ad hoc with historical society
Summary
After hours of debate about ownership, prior ARPA spending and public access, the council voted 3–2 to fund a structural and ADA assessment of Blakey Park’s Midway City Women’s Club building and to appoint an ad hoc committee (Mayor and Councilmember Nam Kwan Nguyen) to work with staff and the Westminster Historical Society.
A divided Westminster City Council voted 3–2 to authorize a professional condition assessment of the Midway City Women’s Club building at Blakey Park and to form an ad hoc committee of the mayor and Councilmember Nam Kwan Nguyen to coordinate with staff and the Westminster Historical Society.
The council debate, which lasted more than an hour, centered on who has operational control of the museum site (the historical society and the city share undivided ownership), how much the city has already invested and whether staff should proceed with technical work before finalizing a partnership agreement. City staff told council that $236,873 in ARPA funds had been spent on Blakey Park improvements ("the total completed project ... is $236,873"), and recommended a licensed architect and landscape architect perform the condition assessment.
Mayor Wynne said the council could not move forward with options for a cultural center without the assessment and clearer coordination: "We cannot move forward if we are not taking any action today." Supporters of the motion argued the assessment is due diligence — to identify hazards, asbestos risk, ADA needs and structural work — and to protect the city from liability if the public uses the building.
Opponents urged a different sequence: several council members said staff should first finalize an updated memorandum of understanding with the Westminster Historical Society and resolve ownership and operational questions before spending on additional studies. They argued that without an agreed partnership the work could sour relations with the society and duplicate prior effort.
Staff described a history of mixed engagement with the historical society, including meetings that did not reach resolution; staff said it would continue outreach but needed council direction to pursue the assessment or pivot back to negotiating an MOU. The council ultimately approved the assessment and the ad hoc committee with the requirement that any ad hoc findings be brought back to the full council.
The ad hoc committee was appointed to meet with staff and the historical society and return recommendations to the council for any subsequent actions.
