Visions of an industrial hub in the Animas Air Park area south of Durango have circulated for years among local business leaders.
Progress, however, has been slow.
Now, the La Plata Economic Development Alliance, in concert with a group of stakeholders, are renewing efforts to determine what development is possible – and what it would take to make it happen.
In January, the alliance approached StoneAge, La Plata County, the city of Durango, air park property owners and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe to propose a joint effort to fund a fiscal and economic impact study for the area.
The $50,000 study will analyze potential tax revenue, job creation and economic benefits relative to existing county services and costs.
All parties supported the effort, including the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, which had previously opposed proposals to annex parts of the La Posta Road area into the city of Durango, including land within the reservation.
While the tribe was in favor of an economic feasibility study, any development within the reservation boundaries, “must be done in coordination with the consent of the Tribe,” spokesperson Summer Begay said in a written statement to The Durango Herald.
“It must uphold and protect the tribe’s cultural resources, safeguard the environment, preserve our limited water supplies, and fully honor the Tribe’s inherent sovereignty,” she said.
Preserving the tribe’s interests, as well as those of all the other stakeholders, is one of the main goals of the study, Tober said.
Some landowners and business leaders who have long pushed for development remain skeptical the latest study will produce different results than past efforts. Proposals to expand activity in the Air Park and La Posta Road corridor have repeatedly stalled because of regulatory and infrastructure barriers.
“At this point, anybody that has land that wants to increase the number of employees or visitors or customers or residential stuff is stuck,” said Jerry Zink, former president of Animas Air Park Property Owners Association board and co-founder of StoneAge.
No one is able to get through the county planning process because of the lack of a secondary access road, he said.
Limited access is one of the biggest obstacles. The Air Park has only one primary road – Air Park Drive, which connects to La Posta Road – and no continuously open secondary route. County planners and fire officials have previously said approving additional development without another access point would pose safety risks, Zink said.
No new development has been approved in the area since at least 2002, following the Missionary Ridge Fire, said Gregg Delvin, owner and operator of Gregg Flying Service. He said the county cites ingress-egress rules adopted after the fire when denying proposals.
The policy, Delvin said, has created an “unofficial moratorium” on any expansion or development in the area.
“We’re kind of frustrated with them – a lot frustrated with them – on that account,” he said. “We’re trying to move the dial with them in different diplomatic circles and seem to keep running into the same stone wall.”
Businesses operating there say demand exists despite the limitations. JD Parsons, owner of Colorado Highland Helicopters, said aviation activity has increased significantly in recent months, yet growth is constrained by space and permitting barriers.
“It’s part of the county’s deal that they’re not allowing any building or permits or new businesses to come up there, which has definitely been something that’s very frustrating,” he said.
Parsons said the air park predates the region’s commercial airport and is uniquely suited for flight training because of the area’s climate, altitude and terrain. He estimates about 90% of his students move to Durango specifically for training.
Limited aviation infrastructure is compounded by competing land uses. Parsons said more hangars appear to be occupied by nonaviation businesses than aviation operations, making expansion difficult for flight schools.
Many of his aircraft must be parked at Durango-La Plata County Airport because there is not enough hangar capacity at the air park.
Still, he said that parcels not directly connected to the runway could be better suited for light industrial development.
Despite past tensions, project leaders say the renewed study is intended to reset the conversation and encourage collaboration.
“Everybody is looking at this as a fresh start – a fresh new outlook on putting eyes on this project – while not ignoring the work that’s been done in the past,” said Sarah Tober, executive director of the economic alliance.
A major focus will be clarifying development requirements. Some owners cannot expand because their properties fall out of compliance with government standards, which can depress property values and limit business flexibility.
The study aims to compile a definitive list of requirements like access roads, turning lanes and design standards so property owners know exactly what must be met and the goal post does not keep moving, Tober said.
Infrastructure costs are another key question. Tober said analysts will examine what investments, such as a multimillion-dollar secondary road, might yield in tax base and economic activity, and whether funding should come from public sources, private sources or a combination.
Supporters of developing the area say the stakes are high for the local economy as the county lacks sufficient industry to support upward mobility for younger residents and new arrivals.
“Right now, our region severely lacks light industrial, commercial areas, and Animas Air Park is a natural choice for that,” said La Plata County Commissioner Elizabeth Philbrick, adding that existing industrial surroundings could help minimize visual impacts.
Also, expanded industry could increase commercial tax revenue, she said.
Zink said attracting high-tech light manufacturers that produce small, high-value products could create stable, well-paying jobs while reducing reliance on tourism’s seasonal cycles.
Existing tenants, like Parson’s helicopter flight school, would also benefit from opportunities to expand.
“Aviation in this area has ramped quite a bit,” Parsons said. “We have the demand, but the feasibility of expansion does make it hard.”
The feasibility study is in the early stages, but is estimated to be completed some time this June. Hopefully, Tober said, it will provide a better road map, and more cooperation to find a way forward that works for all.
jbowman@durangoherald.com
