A bid to reinstate major land-use permitting in the Animas Valley passed its first hurdle.
The La Plata County Planning Commission unanimously endorsed the land-use code change at its meeting Thursday evening. The board of county commissioners will make the final decision at a yet-to-be scheduled public meeting in May.
If approved, the change would restore major-level review for larger or more impactful projects in the Animas Valley when they meet countywide impact thresholds, such as project size or traffic intensity. All projects in the valley have been required to meet only the minor-level review after a change was made several years ago.
Major-use permits, which represent high-density residential or larger, intense commercial activity, would be subject to a more rigorous review by the board of county commissioners. Minor-use permits represent lower-intensity development and are reviewed and approved by the planning commission.
Animas Valley residents say this reduced oversight in their area compared to the rest of the county is unfair and leaves them more exposed to disruptive development projects.
The Animas Valley Action Coalition, a citizen group dedicated to advocacy and communication regarding Animas Valley development issues, requested major permitting thresholds be reinstated for significant projects. In 2025, an attorney hired by the coalition sent a letter to the county advocating for the major land-use code change.
The group has also opposed the development of the 275-stall luxury RV park (Trimble Lane – County Road 252), proposed by Arizona-based developer Scott Roberts.
The letter argued that the code allows a large, high-impact development – like the proposed RV park – to undergo less review simply because it’s in the Animas Valley.
The request was supported by the Animas Valley Registered District Advisory Committee.
“We worked on this since 2023, and we have a petition with over 300 people who want this approved,” said Shirley Dills, a member of the Animas Valley RDAC, Thursday during public comment.
She said residents want the same level of review for significant projects as elsewhere in the county.
Under the current code, a wide range of “special uses” are automatically treated as minor projects, including RV parks, apartment complexes, condos, townhomes, motels, restaurants and manufactured home parks.
jbowman@durangoherald.com
An earlier version of this story misspelled Scott Roberts last name.
