Camino del Rio was made for cars with many parking lots and few sidewalks, but redevelopment and a good plan could transform the area.
City officials sought residents’ opinions for Camino del Rio at a meeting Thursday at a Durango City Hall. It was one step toward revising development standards to encourage change.
A tunnel under Camino del Rio that would link the Animas River Trail to downtown is a recently revived idea, that resonated with some residents because it would make crossing the busy road much safer.
“The only thing I hope is a change is made before somebody really gets hurt,” resident Shawn Candelaria said.
He lives on West Park Avenue on the river, but Camino del Rio traffic is so thick he doesn’t feel comfortable crossing the street with his young child. He would also like to see change at the Camino del Rio, Main Avenue and 14th Street intersection.
“If you are from out of town that is a pretty scary intersection to deal with,” he said.
An underpass, that would separate cars and pedestrians, first discussed about ten years ago, is going to be studied again next year.
“It is feasible, but there is going to be challenges associated with doing it,” Community Development Director Kevin Hall said.
The city aims to encourage greater building density because right now the area is largely dominated by parking lots.
In addition, a study looking at the feasibility of a business park recommended looking at ways to promote infill instead because people want to be in the heart of Durango, Shine said.
Infill can help keep taxes lower by encouraging growth in areas that already have infrastructure, said Jeremy Nelson, a part-time Durango resident and planning consultant.
“The growth is happening. ... Can you get ahead of the growth and put it in the places where you are ready to serve it with infrastructure?” he asked.
This can help keep city budgets’ in check, he said.
Paul Silverman, an Albuquerque developer who came to learn about Camino del Rio, sees potential in the arterial.
“I think the Camino corridor is a fabulous resource, which is badly abused,” he said.
But speedy redevelopment can’t rely solely on private developers. Funding from a variety of sources such as public-improvement districts, the state, the federal government and grants can all help reinvigorate the street, he said.
One option could be taller buildings with retail space on the lower floors and workforce housing above.
For this kind of mixed- use affordable-housing project the company would have to build five-story buildings for the project to make financial sense, said Kalvin Davis, who works for Silverman at Geltmore.
This would allow the buildings to qualify for workforce housing credits.
More information about plans for Camino del Rio and other areas can be found at https://districts.durangogov.org/
mshinn@durangoherald.com
