The Durango City Council unanimously approved the comprehensive plan update Tuesday after hearing some concerns from residents about the cost of water.
“It incorporates so many community passions, arts and culture, multimodal, maker spaces, downtown infill” Mayor Christina Rinderle said.
The plan outlines how the community may accommodate an increase of population from 18,500 to 31,500 by 2040, so housing is a key piece of the document. The plan encourages dense housing, growth on top of Farmington Hill, along Florida Road and in the Animas Valley.
For the first time, it outlines the city’s vision for an arts and culture committee and new cultural facilities.
John Simpson asked the council to consider updating the utility portion of the plan because water usage has declined and the city may not need an additional water treatment plant.
Durango’s high rates force residents to pay for a water plant that they may not need, he said. “This billing practice is unfair,” he said.
The utility rate study completed in 2014 is the guiding document that the council used to determine what water rates should be charged and it is based on reliable data, Rinderle said.
A single parcel off Florida Road on Jameson Drive was a point of contention for residents who want their neighborhood to remain quiet.
The site of Puckett Electric is for sale, and the buyer wants to build a new home for the Rock Lounge there, which would require a zoning that would allow a commercial use.
The council decided to designate the parcel as medium density residential. But a developer could ask for this designation to be changed in the future.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
