The city is seeking a new name for the street between Backcountry Experience and River City Hall. The obvious choice is “Hoch Way,” after Greg Hoch, retired city of Durango Planning & Community Development Director, who served the city for 35 years until his retirement in 2016. Hoch led the city at a critical time in its growth and development.

As reported in 2016 (Longtime Durango Planning Director to Retire, The Durango Herald, Sept. 2016), Hoch worked to establish the city’s future boundaries, street tree standards (that have resulted in Durango being named a Tree City USA city 40 times since the program began in 1976), and design aesthetics as a principle consideration.

Under Hoch’s leadership, Durango was one of the first cities to participate in the Main Street program focused on economic revitalization and historic preservation. Hoch worked out of his office at River City Hall for over three decades. Even in his retirement, he was working to preserve the quality of life we all enjoy as the founder of Citizens Voice Durango, a group calling for increased public input into government decisions, namely the relocation of the downtown fire station.

It was Hoch who fought for the preservation of the 9-R administration building as a future Civic Center, preserving the character of downtown, Buckley Park, our community and economy, something that would not be happening today if it was not for Hoch and CVD. The legacy is Hoch’s and the street should appropriately be named in his honor. Please write in your vote at https://bit.ly/HOCHWAY.

Ellen R. Stein

Durango