Results from the city of Durango’s latest downtown questionnaire show residents want more outdoor patio space and more room on sidewalks for foot traffic.
The questionnaire, which was available online from Dec. 17 to Jan. 7, received 938 responses, more than three times the city’s target for feedback.
Savannah Lytle with the Durango planning division attributed the high number of responses to the fact that residents have a strong relationship with downtown and Main Avenue. Downtown represents who they are as Durangoans, she said.
“It (downtown) has a sense of place,” she said. “It’s not just a location, but everyone has an emotion behind it, too, whatever that may be. I think people feel very involved with it. It gives them a sense of identity and a sense of place.”
Lytle said the questionnaire was used to give the city a baseline of understanding for what works and what doesn’t work.
She said the city based its goal of 300 responses on past questionnaires from similarly sized cities. Not only did the city far surpass its goal, but it reached its demographic goals for non-white, female, age 65-plus and other respondents.
Seventy-six percent of respondents said enjoying and supporting local businesses was the most important facet of downtown Durango. Fifty percent of respondents indicated that comfortable and safe experiences for cyclists and pedestrians are the most or equally important.
Only 8% of respondents appeared to value efficient travel for cars along Main Avenue as the most important area to be addressed.
According to the questionnaire results, “other” responses were concerned with economic prosperity, downtown cleanliness, historic preservation and personal safety.
The survey asked residents what elements they would like to see included in the downtown. One of the options was “other,” in which several residents indicated they would like to see it become a downtown pedestrian mall, according to an analysis.
“It’s likely that people enjoy qualities of a pedestrian mall such as a unique destination, very safe pedestrian space, ample gathering space, public art opportunities, and function for special events,” the analysis says.
Ideas such as community gatherings, showcasing Durango’s character and unique seasonal experiences all ranked below the “other” category.
The majority of respondents said the activities they pursue first and foremost in downtown Durango are visiting bars, coffee shops and similar businesses; shopping; attending special events; and using services such as gyms, banks and hair salons.
Only 20% of respondents said they work on Main Avenue in downtown, and just 1% said they live along Main Avenue in downtown.
Eighty-four percent of respondents said they visit downtown weekly, and 31% said they visit daily.
A virtual public meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. Feb. 15 where four conceptual designs for updating the downtown will be presented by Lytle and consultants.
Feedback from that meeting will be applied to the designs, which will be whittled down and fine-tuned to be presented again in April, she said.
Tim Walsworth, executive director of the Business Improvement District, said the conceptualization of downtown’s future is an exciting project.
“Everybody has an opinion on what downtown needs or doesn’t need,” he said. “So it’s really cool to see some trends and responses to the questionnaire, and then see those play out in conceptual drawings.”
Downtown bump-outs presented a chance to play with a different way to configure downtown, and residents, city officials and the BID all took note.
“Everyone sees it,” Walsworth said. “There’s really good things about them and there’s some things that could be better.”
A link to the virtual public meeting scheduled for Feb. 15 will be distributed on the city website at a later date.
cburney@durangoherald.com
