I feel the decision to sell the historic Durango School District 9-R Administration Building to the Durango Fire Protection District to be converted to a fire station should be considered outside the purview of the five-member Durango School Board – especially considering they made this decision unilaterally, without transparency or real opportunity for public input or dialogue.
They report that “over 90 emails were received voicing opinions for the use of the building” yet, when queried, fail to disclose what these opinions were.
So, did my vote in favor of increasing funding of the fire protection district inadvertently put so much money in the pocket of the fire district that they are now able to outbid the obviously better choice for the use of that building, i.e., the Shaw brothers’ plan for a renovation of the Administration Building similar to that of the Smiley Building (while also providing affordable housing for teachers)?
In addition, why did I vote in favor of increasing funding for 9-R in order to provide for capital improvements only to read that the school board's decision was motivated by their need for funding for capital improvements? Didn't they just win an election granting them millions to do so without having to make this horribly inappropriate sale to the FPD?
This is something that will negatively change the character of downtown Durango. I, for one, would like to know why the Shaw brothers’ proposal isn't being seriously considered and if there is something we as a community can do to overturn this apparently rubber-stamped decision.
Mary Oswald
Durango
