Messages

1

Building Sale Discussion Area / Re: thoughts, more in sadness

« on: January 20, 2026, 12:57:05 pm »

Agreed, the LAB is primarily involved in federal lobbying for dollars for bike and ped infrastructure around the country- which they do very well- and they run the Bicycle Friendly America program, which helps state and local advocates in securing infrastructure and education projects for communities, businesses and universities. Although they are a membership organization, the sense of community does not exist like it does here at ACA.

2

Building Sale Discussion Area / The building sale price is way under projected real estate growth values

« on: January 18, 2026, 02:09:07 pm »

One very important point that needs to be considered: the current sale price of $250/sq ft will be a bargain price in just a few short years. The proposed buyer is local, whereas the board who made this decision are not. Given that the proposed development around the area where the building is located is projected to increase real estate values to $400/sq ft within the next few years, this local buyer sees a deal and is ready to pounce on it, at ACA's expense. Consider that once this deal closes, the new owner makes any needed repairs and flips the building within the next few years and gets his $400/sq ft rate. Further, those lease options the board is so confident about are flimsy at best. Once a buyer comes along with that unbeatable offer but wants those lease options gone, you can rest assured that they will be, and ACA will be out in the cold, not only physically in the loss of office space at a discounted rent but in the lost opportunity to leverage the potential future value of the building. This is what happens when you have a remote board and staff who are not privy to local knowledge. Vote NO and insist that the board open dialog with members to come up with a strategic plan that leverages the building's value.

3

Building Sale Discussion Area / Re: The Prime Directive

« on: January 14, 2026, 04:39:49 pm »

The Prime Directive

Finally this: I was curious to see the vote proposed in the first place, and asked for the ACA’s By Laws. I find nothing there that requires a membership-wide vote on this; in fact, this kind of decision-making is specifically invested in the Board to ‘take care of business.’ So my vote will be to sell the building and support the Board and staff in getting on with seeking every best possible way to fulfill our purpose—which lives on the road and trail under an open sky, not in any building.

Signed, (Rev.) Gary M. Keene, 52 years a Velo-Tourist

Gary-
Montana state law requires a vote of the membership when a non-profit corporation wishes to sell a major asset. State law supersedes the non-profit's bylaws. Note that the listing for the building contains this information at the bottom.