The city may buy about 10 acres of land north of Greenmount Cemetery.
The Natural Lands Preservation Advisory Board voted unanimously to recommend the city spend $440,000 on the property.
The Durango City Council will have to approve the purchase.
The Spirit Trail runs through the property, it is surrounded by open space, and the city has been interested in the property for many years, said Community Development Director Kevin Hall.
The Elks Club owns the property, and it approached the city about selling it to the city, Hall said.
“I say seize the day,” board member Mike Matz said.
This purchase would not preclude the city’s ability to buy anything else in the immediate future, Hall told the board.
City Councilor Sweetie Marbury asked how the city planned to address camping on city land because the proposed parcel is near an area where La Plata County Sheriff allows homeless people to stay if they keep their camps clean.
This area is not particularly appealing for camping because of the trails and because a piece of it is wide open, Hall said.
In addition, the city sends staff members to clear illegal camps every summer, and that will continue, Parks and Recreation Director Cathy Metz said.
“Whenever there is evidence of camping, it is removed,” she said.
Signs prohibiting camping and fires are also in place, she said.
The city is also working with the county and Manna Soup Kitchen on the feasibility of housing for homeless people, Hall said.
Vice Chairman Mark Smith suggested the Natural Lands Board get more involved in helping address homelessness to help protect the lands the city has purchased.
“We need to participate in some way because this is a big, big deal,” he said.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
