Parks district commissioners approved a memorandum of understanding at their January 9 meeting reserving Julius Fire Station for the five years for potential development as a library. Robert Dean, upper left at table, was appointed to fill the position left vacant when Heather Good moved out of the community. "I can see it being challenging but the position shouldn't go vacant," Dean said, when parks commissioners asked if he would take the job on. Photo by Meg Olson.



Just as parks district commissioners approved the first step toward converting Julius Fire Station into a new library, a far more ambitious plan for the library and other community facilities was proposed.

The January 9 meeting of the parks board was well attended by members of the Friends of Point Roberts Library (FOPRL) group and county library officials, all there to support the conversion of the fire station into an expanded library. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) obligates the FOPRL to raise the estimated $500,000 cost of the project while the library system would operate it.

Elizabeth Lantz, voters’ association president, offered an alternative plan.

“I’m absolutely not against a new and better library, but in my world I would go to Baker Field and use that property up there,” she said, explaining that the parks district already owned substantial undeveloped property north of the primary school. “I think there are other options to spending $500,000 on an old building.”

Lantz’s vision includes a new library space, a commercial kitchen, meeting spaces and even a small movie theater. She proposes having a small café on-site that would generate income for the parks district. “It could become a whole new community center up there,” she said.

As for the existing community center, Lantz proposed converting at least part of it into retail space to generate income and highlight local artisans and producers. It would honor the historical value of the building and fill a need, she suggested, for retail space in the business corridor. “An organic, artsy environment seems to be what most people want to see, not more parcel services and gas stations.” (Ed. note: Point Roberts zoning prohibits new gas stations from being built.)

The fire station could be converted to a community gym, Lantz said, and Steve Deller joined her to promote the idea. “This is a community building for community use,” he said. “I don’t see how storing vehicles is a community use.”

Deller said they had donated equipment from the CrossFit training system and could have a gym up and running as soon as space became available.

Parks commissioners were somewhat caught off guard by the magnitude of Lantz’s proposals. “What you’re introducing is a radical idea,” said parks board president Mark Robbins. “In my mind this (the Gulf Road community center) has always been the town center. You’re basically talking about moving the whole community center.”

Commissioner Linda Hughes suggested these new ideas could be further explored even as the FOPRL began fundraising to rebuild the Julius station. “I don’t think approving this MOU restricts the FOPRL in how they use those funds.”

Speaking for the FOPRL, Jean Barrington said they were in support of a larger library and had a workable plan for the Julius Fire Station, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t support a change of direction that accomplished the same goal. “I don’t have any objection to your ideas,” she told Lantz. “We simply feel the need for a better space to serve the community and this is what has been proposed.” She added the plans for the fire station remodel had the advantage of being tangible and having good community support, making fundraising easier.

Parks commissioners unanimously approved the MOU, which will now go to the county library system and FOPRL boards for approval.

“The purpose of this MOU is for the fundraising agency to know that if they raised the funds the building will be available for them,” Robbins said.

The agreement does not commit the parks district to funding the renovation, but to keeping the old fire station available for the library for five years.

 

 
Click here to read more about the proposed gym plan.