In Durango’s history, there have been three key relocations of facilities that have proved invaluable to the city’s vitality: moving the airport from town to Oxford, moving Fort Lewis College from Hesperus to the former airport site, and moving landlocked Mercy Hospital to Three Springs.
Housing affordability is now one of our biggest challenges. Attainable housing requires low-priced land and low-priced infrastructure. The challenge is that there are very few places that meets those requirements.
However, with one facility relocation, we could open up the potential for hundreds of new housing units to meet this critical need. Ewing Mesa (now Durango Mesa) was originally slated to be the next place for housing and business growth for Durango. It is now dedicated open space.
Hillcrest Golf Course sits on over 120 acres of city-owned property. It has sewer, water, broadband, public transit, and is adjacent to one of our most important institutions, Fort Lewis College. It is time to consider moving the golf course to create in-town, attainable housing.
Durango Mesa might be the right site for the golf course. The relocation of the city golf course to Durango Mesa would undoubtedly be contentious and difficult. But there are no easy places, politically, for building attainable housing.
Leadership is key for achieving any attainable housing goals. Moving the golf course is our best opportunity to help solve attainable housing. The next City Council can lead on housing by opening this discussion with the Durango Mesa board and the community as well.
Roger ZalneraitisDurango
