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Airport open house

Learn about and weigh in on Durango-La Plata County Airport plan

One of the more important issues Durango and La Plata County will be facing in coming months is what to do to improve the passenger terminal at the Durango-La Plata County Airport. It is a question that will at some point affect everyone in the county, regardless of how often – or even if – they travel by air.

To advance an understanding of that and the process now underway to choose a path forward, airport officials will hold an open house from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Durango Community Recreation Center. At that open house, the public will be shown how the master plan has progressed so far, what alternatives are being considered and how the process is expected to unfold. The organizers want to encourage the public to attend, to ask questions and to weigh in.

That makes sense. The airport belongs to and serves the people of Durango and La Plata County. Moreover, any improvements or expansion will be at taxpayer expense. It is only right that those taxpayers have the chance to voice their hopes or concerns.

By the same token, however, those residents and taxpayers owe it to themselves to take advantage of opportunities such as this to stay abreast of and involved with what is being done in their name and with their money. Waiting until the bulldozers start or a bond issue is before them is too late. Many of the decisions that will drive events and, at least in part, determine the final outcome are being made now. Those who care, but ignore the process, will have no one to blame if the end result is not to their liking.

And everyone should care. Not only is the Durango-La Plata County Airport rapidly becoming the regional airport for all of Southwest Colorado and the Farmington area, it is the transportation hub for a growing segment of area industry. It is also an important component of local tourism – not to mention the travel plans of local residents.

None of that suggests how the airport should be reconfigured or how much should be spent on any expansion. It does, however, point to the idea that whether frequent flyer or concerned taxpayer, Thursday between 5:30 and 7 p.m. would be a good time to stop by the rec center.



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