Durangoans would have a new 1,800-acre cultural, athletic and recreational wonderland if plans envisioned for Ewing Mesa, now dubbed Durango Mesa by the city, come to fruition.
The three major elements in the Durango Mesa Area Conceptual Master Plan would include an athletic and sports field complex at the south end of the property, a new La Plata County fairgrounds/multi-events center in the middle and a cultural and special events center at the north end.
In addition, areas too steep to develop would be preserved as open space, and another 400 acres of the property would be reserved for development of specific-use trails – individual trails designated for mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding. Enough room exists even for a 6-acre dog park that would be segregated with sections for small-, medium- and large-sized pooches.
Ewing Mesa Conceptual Plan
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The conceptual plan was presented Tuesday to City Council. Staff members summarized various options for the timing and phasing of the property’s development.
“It’s important to note this is a conceptual plan. There’s a lot of room in it for flexibility, but we thought it important to present the vision for the area,” said Assistant City Manager Kevin Hall.
A pedestrian promenade would connect the three areas of the complex, and the path would graze the area reserved for specific-use trails – offering access there as well.
Plans also call for a transit area, providing access for buses and other mass transit options. Discussion even centered around distant plans for electric vehicle access from downtown to the transit area. Another idea is to provide a tramway from downtown to access the mesa top.
A trail would connect the eastern edge of downtown to the development.
A unique characteristic of the site is about 600 acres of pancake-flat land available for development.
Campgrounds similar to those at the Telluride Town Park are envisioned, and Telluride’s operation of its Town Park was held up as model for possible management of the campgrounds and music venues.
“Big ideas, big vision – you know, dream big,” Mayor Sweetie Marbury said.
One proposal also calls for a 55-acre bike park, far larger than the 17 acres now reserved for such a facility at Cundiff Park.
“This is Durango. We have a legacy,” said Cathy Metz, Parks and Recreation director. “I think we deserve a world-class bike park, and this is a place where you could do it and have the space to do it. It really doesn’t fit in Cundiff Park.”
But grandiose plans were also tempered with a dose of realism. Staff members noted early development could be done with only a modest initial investment for trail improvements and trail connections, and more sophisticated transit to the site could be delayed until improvements to the area justify their development.
The co-founder of Durango startup Mercury Payment Systems, Marc Katz, bought the land on Ewing Mesa adjacent to Horse Gulch in 2015 and announced plans to eventually donate it for public use.
The plan presented to councilors was developed with a $100,000 grant from the LOR Foundation, which is dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Intermountain West.
Hall said the plan honors Katz’s desires for the area’s development as a recreational and cultural mecca with a venue for music performances. The plan also builds on La Plata County’s idea to use a portion of the area for a new fairgrounds.
The area would provide a location for a special event center within a mile of downtown and offer breathtaking vistas to the northwest.
The cultural and special events center would include a long-range plan for an amphitheater that could hold between 15,000 and 20,000 people with space for side stages.
Katz offered praise for the plan but cautioned that pitfalls exist with a delayed and phased development.
“I see the beauty of an incremental approach. But I also see a difficult aspect to it. If I transfer the land, I want to know the city will be able to produce the vision,” he said. “I would hate to donate the property then have it stall out and regret not having a firmer commitment from the city.”
parmijo@durangoherald.com
Ewing Mesa Conceptual Plan (PDF)
Poll: What is your top priority for a proposed development on Ewing Mesa?
Music venue - 527 - 35.02%
Fairgrounds - 585 - 38.87%
Events center - 235 - 15.61%
Bike park - 158 - 10.5%
