Luke Zarzecki
lzarzecki@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Westminster City Council voted unanimously May 9 to approve entertainment districts in the city.
The two proposed area boundaries would be The Orchard Town Center district, which would be bordered by 147th Avenue on the north, 144th Avenue on the south, I-25 on the east and Huron Street on the west.
The downtown entertainment district would be bordered by 91st Place on the north, 88th Avenue on the south, East Park on the east and the retail center west of Harlan Street on the west.
Lindsey Kimball, the city's economic development director, said previous year's special events, such as the Orchard Concert Series and the Latino Festival, could take place in the districts as well as regular events and events that are more frequent, such as Barks and Brews on Fridays.
“It draws people back and brings familiarity,” she said.
Kimball said an entertainment district is meant to be a community gathering space for concerts, activities, festivals and more and could help improve business. Other cities in Colorado have taken advantage of them, including Aurora, Black Hawk, Denver, Fort Collins and Greeley.
“It’s driving business to our restaurants and retailers,” she said.
The districts can’t be larger than 100 acres and must contain two premises licensed to serve alcohol that would work together to create a common consumption area. The state and city of Westminster would conduct frequent compliance checks, according to Ron Arguello, assistant city attorney.
Beverages served at events in the districts could be no more than 16 ounces, and each cup must bear the logo of the vendor.
There was no talk of requiring the events in the districts to be net-zero energy or zero waste during the May 9 city council meeting. But City Councilor Sarah Nurmela asked if the events would be net-zero during council discussions at an April 18 study session.
