City and county officials decided on temporary and short-term solutions to help ease the
The Durango City Council and the La Plata County Commission agreed that airport staff members should make small changes to handle more luggage and create more parking. They also agreed officials should talk with airlines about requirements to park airplanes closer together and building a temporary structure for equipment.
“For significantly less than a million (dollars), we can approve the functionality of the existing terminal,” Councilor Dean Brookie said.
The boards rejected more expensive proposals that would require Federal Aviation Administration grants because they would require the airport to revise its master plan and a commitment to improving the existing terminal. At least some of the officials still favor building a new terminal on the east side of the runway.
“I still think the east side makes the most sense,” Commissioner Julie Westendorff said.
But the boards did not embrace a scaled back proposal to build a terminal on the east side that would cost $68 million, instead of an estimated $85 million terminal, which voters rejected. The smaller one-story building would not even meet the existing needs, said Michael Spitzer, an architect with RS&H.
“What we don’t want is for people to walk into the airport and say ‘this looks exactly like the old one,’” Westendorff said.
The projects that the boards backed can be paid for with airport cash reserves, and three smaller projects may be finished this year, Interim Aviation Director Tony Vicari said.
To accommodate more luggage, Vicari proposed changing a carousel that carries skis and other large items so it could handle all luggage. This could cost between $15,000 to $30,000, according to the written proposal.
Some additional parking could be created by relocating fencing to create an extra row. Eliminating a lane between the credit card lot and an overflow lot could also create more space. This project could cost between $5,000 and $75,000, the proposal said.
The airport will also explore requiring airlines to use tugs, specialized vehicles, to move planes so they can be parked closer to together. This would allow another airplane to be parked overnight, and it would allow recruitment of more air service, Vicari said.
Vicari also plans to talk with airline employees about a temporary structure that could store equipment.
The airport could build a shelter for about $160,000, but it likely would not be heated or cooled. A nicer facility could cost about $390,000.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
