I urge the Durango Fire District and Durango School District 9-R board to stop further action toward the sale of the iconic 9-R Administration building until more citizens and taxpayers, the actual owners of the property, are able to participate in the discussion about the future of the site.
Because of obscure public notifications by the school board, and the questionable rules about not disclosing details of alternative offers, most of us heard about the decision to sell the building to the fire district just days before the school board voted to accept their offer. We heard through word of mouth and have nearly no details about the board’s rationale or the rush to accept it without more time for public comment.
To be clear, I do not support a particular use of the property, nor do I think the use of the building as a fire station is is necessarily a bad one. I am simply suggesting that the public deserves to be involved with the decision-making beyond what has occurred to date.
To my knowledge, there is no rush to sell the building and therefore there is time to explore alternatives with the community.
The 9-R Administration building, formerly Durango High School, is a large and historic property in the heart of downtown Durango. The future use of the property will determine much about the city of Durango for decades to come.
Please do not rush this momentous decision. Allow the taxpayers to have an informed voice in the conversation.
Kim Martin
Hesperus
