Of course, a larger, more modern fire station at El Rancho is a good idea, but the cost is too high. By cost, I mean the building of more commercial enterprises across the street from those already functioning — namely the hotel and gas station. More retail and hotel space will not increase the demand for it, because it’s already there. It won’t bring more revenue; it will take revenue from the existing businesses. Lakewood is a nice place, but most of us are here because we don’t want to live in Lakewood. We may need more housing as more people want to live here, but we have to be careful and thoughtful about how we want our living space to look and function. Growth for growth’s sake doesn’t make much sense if it ruins the appeal to prospective residents of what we like to call the mountain community. I don’t know that another hotel, gas station and convenience store translate to economic security.

Joanne Greenberg, Golden