Ignacio town officials reported some good news on the economic development front to the Southern Ute Tribal Council at a recent meeting of the town trustees and council members.
Family Dollar has signed a contract to construct a store on the south end of town on the lot across from Ignacio Post Office owned by Richard Olguin.
Also, a Subway was scheduled to open this week on the corner of Goddard Avenue and Highway 151. The building previously housed another restaurant and a real estate office.
There was some joking between town officials and tribal employees about which would open first, the Subway or the new stoplight on Goddard on the tribal campus.
The two groups met on Feb. 5 at Sky Ute Casino as part of a series of quarterly meetings they have to discuss water lines, housing, sales taxes, police protection, and other subjects that impact the Town of Ignacio, which is largely surrounded by Southern Ute tribal land.
The town wants to start looking at a 10-mile-long trail between Ignacio and Bayfield, said Lee San Miguel, the town manager. He hopes it could be used for horseback riding, walking and cycling and could be started in conjunction with Trails 2000, a Durango group that builds and maintains trails in the area.
"We know the important part is the tribal land," San Miguel said. "We think it could be a great destination point for Ignacio."
Tribal councilors, including Chairman Clement Frost, did not comment on the idea, but one staff member said the tribe would need to study possible wildlife impacts if it were to consider a trail.
