City approves replats of current and potential future home of BFD

The Breckenridge City Commission has approved a pair of items concerning the Breckenridge Fire Department’s current location and a potential future new fire station. 

During their meeting Tuesday, Oct. 14, the commission conducted three public hearings regarding matters of the city’s code of ordinances. The most substantial matter was the approval of replating the property where the Breckenridge Fire Department currently resides.

The fire department property located at 120 West Elm, legally described as “Original Addition, Block 4, Lot SW/4 & NW/4,” includes the old fire station on the southwest part of the lot, a truck bay on the southeast side and temporary housing trailer on the northwest side. 

Following a recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Commission, which held a public hearing Monday, Oct. 6, the city approved the replatting of the property into two lots to separate the parking lot and bays from the old fire station. This move opens the possibility of facilitating a future sale of the building while preserving the parking lot. 

“There is an opportunity, if the commissioners so choose, that we would do a sealed bid for the fire department (building) and see if there’s any interest or for private investors to reinvest in the property and do something with it to bring it back on the tax roll,” City Manager Cynthia Northrop said. “So even if you (the commission) don’t decide to do that, it still gives us flexibility on making sure that we’ve got that parking lot preserved.”

The topic of the old fire station and a new location have been under discussion for much of the year. After months of evaluating options, the commission approved actions related to city-owned property at 300 East Walker, the site of the former YMCA. 
Currently, this property is at the top of the list for options for a new fire station according to Northrop.

“We are going to be bringing a proposal to you guys for consideration. One of the other properties we looked at when bringing options to you…fell through,” she said. “So right now, this would be the top one. What we’re doing is preparing for that eventuality.”

The first agenda item approved was the closure of a platted alley running east to west through block 12. The city owns the property described as lots 2, 3, 4 and 5 (YMCA) and determined that the alley was not used as a public thoroughfare or for utility access. 

Following that decision, the commission approved the replatting of the property containing the YMCA building. The property consists of four lots, with the YMCA building on the southwest lot and the remaining three lots vacant. The replat separates the building from the vacant lots, creating the potential future site for a new fire station. 
Northrop also added that there is a deed restriction on the YMCA property, which the city’s attorneys are reviewing. 

“It was basically given to use with the deed restriction of use for public use,” she said. “So I don’t know if that is one we are going to be able to do a sealed bid on or not. We have our attorney looking into that. But in any event, this prepares us to be able to potentially use the rest of that property for a fire station.”

Breckenridge Fire Chief Malcolm Bufkin noted that while they don’t have a new fire station design yet, there would be wide enough of a space to drive through at the YMCA property as well as public parking behind the building.