Residents urge Arvada to keep Frontline Farming on Majestic View after city moves to terminate lease

Dozens of residents and organizational leaders told the Arvada City Council on June 16 they want Frontline Farming to remain at Majestic View Farm, arguing the nonprofit’s seven years of stewardship produce food, provide education and support vulnerable residents across the metro area.

At public comment the evening’s largest block of speakers—farmers, CSA recipients, food-access advocates and elected officials—described Frontline’s role as a distribution hub, a youth education site and a provider of thousands of pounds of donated food. “Our production has grown from about 16,000 pounds in 2021 to roughly 25,000 pounds in 2025,” said Dr. Damien Thompson, a Frontline cofounder, describing yields and the group’s food-distribution work. Supporters asked council to rescind the city’s notice and to negotiate a long-term lease or mediation.

The case crystallized after city staff identified an unauthorized electrical line last March. City staff later determined the temporary buried wiring crossing public areas had not been permitted, did not meet electrical-code requirements and posed a safety hazard; Ryan Stevenson, the city’s Vibrant Communities director, told council the discovery was decisive. Stevenson said the city did not plan to repurpose the leased farming area and allowed Frontline to continue operations through the growing season to provide time for transition, but said the city could not continue the lease while addressing public-safety and documented compliance concerns.

Supporters disputed the severity of the safety issue and described a record of partnership and community benefit. “This is not just a farm — it’s a living classroom,” said Dr. Janine Duran, co-chair of Frontline Farming and a university faculty member, highlighting school partnerships, youth camps and workforce training. Multiple speakers, including state Senate President James Coleman, urged the city to prioritize a solution that preserves the farm’s programs and relationships.

Speakers described failed communications before the termination and pressed for clearer, fairer processes. “We asked for meetings, we proposed solutions and asked for accountability. Instead, communication broke down,” said Fatuma Imad, Frontline cofounder and executive director, adding that the group had tried to remediate concerns and had apologized for the unpermitted electrical work. Community partners including Colorado State University extension agents and nonprofit funders described joint projects—beehives, soil studies and summer camps—that would be disrupted by a loss of land access.

The council did not make a formal policy decision on the floor that night. Several council members emphasized separation of powers: the council noted the city manager has authority over leasing decisions and said it would not override an operational decision lightly. The exchange left the immediate outcome intact: the city is allowing Frontline to operate through November to minimize near-term disruption while the underlying lease decision remains in effect.

What happens next: Frontline and the city will have to negotiate transition or remediation steps, and supporters asked the council to press the city manager to pursue mediation, a longer-term lease or infrastructure allowances that would keep the farm on public land. City staff published a web page with a timeline and supporting documents referenced by the administration; Frontline supporters said they will continue outreach to the council and the public in the coming weeks.

Sources: Public testimony and city staff statement at the June 16 Arvada City Council meeting. City staff cited discovery of an unauthorized temporary electrical installation crossing public-use areas as a key compliance and safety concern; Frontline and witnesses described program scale, donated food and partnerships but asked for a negotiated solution. The council emphasized the operational authority of the city manager over leasing decisions and did not reverse the termination at the meeting.