On Feb. 27, the Cone Zone Care Committee, an offshoot of the Main Street Advisory Board, hosted a public update on Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT’s) upcoming U.S. 160 reconstruction project through downtown Pagosa Springs.
The packed-house meeting at Motel SOCO included representatives from the Town of Pagosa Springs, the Cone Zone Committee, as well as CDOT and its contractor for the project, WW Clyde and Companies.
The update, at times, turned contentious, with local business owners expressing unhappiness with the original planned start date of March 17, which would have fallen during the spring break busy tourist season.
Local business owners pleaded with CDOT to delay the project by one week, with one saying it would be “crushing” for downtown businesses if the project starts the week of March 17.
The following day, CDOT and its contractor reported that they had listened to public sentiment on the issue, announcing that they would delay the project by one week, with the updated start date slated for March 24, weather permitting.
Meredith Greene, one of CDOT’s public information managers for the project, stated that the contractor made the date change to be a good community partner.
On March 3, CDOT revealed more detailed information on the project’s planned work, phasing and work schedule at an open house where maps and posters were shown to the public.
CDOT’s informational webpage on the project explains that the scope of work taking place through the downtown will include:
• Transitioning to a concrete road surface between North 8th Street and North 1st Street.
• Pedestrian crosswalks with flashing signs installed near 3rd Street, 2nd Street and 6th Street.
• Improvements to sidewalk ramps compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
CDOT states that “replacing the asphalt with concrete will increase the lifespan and longevity of the roadway, requiring less frequent maintenance,” and that concrete is also less susceptible to weather damage and regular wear and tear than asphalt.
The project, according to CDOT, is slated to last two construction seasons.
Greene and fellow public information manager Tracy Trulove explained that the first season of the project will include putting up barricades and establishing “the work zone.”
Greene encouraged all affected business owners to sign up for email updates “so everybody is informed” about what is happening.
She also explained that she will help make business owners aware, in advance as much as possible, when the brunt of the work zone would be impacting their businesses.
“When we know we are about to impact you, we will contact you,” Greene said, assuring that two lanes of traffic, one going each direction, as well as pedestrian access to businesses will remain open during the construction.
Main Street Advisory Board Coordinator Kathleen McFadden explained that the Pagosa Springs Community Development Corporation (PSCDC), in coordination with the Region 9 Economic Development District of Southwest Colorado, has set up a business assistance program to help businesses experiencing economic disruptions during the reconstruction project.
McFadden described the program as offering “low-cost loans to businesses” during the CDOT project, but also said that she’s “heard loud and clear” from the public that business owners prefer “grants, not loans.”
She explained that Archuleta County “has earmarked $100,000 to go towards grant funding,” adding, “we are now combining that grant money with the loan money.”
She explained that she’s still figuring out how the guidelines and the application process will work, “but we are going to give you the option of a low-cost loan or a grant, or perhaps a combination of both of those.”
She added, “We are just thrilled to now have that grant option,” thanking the county commissioners for making the funds available, which was met with applause from the audience.
But some in the crowd expressed frustration with what they saw as a low grant amount, saying that they don’t think the county’s grant program will be enough to go around to make up for the lost revenues if the project causes major economic disruptions.
One of the major concerns among both business owners and patrons alike is that there will be no on-street parking on U.S. 160 through the work zone. It’s estimated that up to 188 downtown parking spaces will be lost during the project.
Cone Zone member Rosanna Dufour, who also spearheaded a task force to offset lost parking during the construction, explained that the task force, in conjunction with the town, has “negotiated temporary parking west of the library, as well as south of the hot springs resort.”
She added that with these two temporary town-run parking areas, “we more than made up for the 188 spots.”
A map of the available parking during the construction will be circulated by the town and Archuleta County to help folks be aware of available parking, Dufour explained.
The Pagosa Springs Town Council moved forward with directing staff to implement time-restricted public parking during the project at its March 4 meeting.
Development Director James Dickhoff explained that this will allow “for customers to turn over quickly” to aid downtown businesses during their business hours.
Staff recommended two-hour limits along 1st Street, North 2nd Street, South 2nd Street, 3rd Street between the highway and Lewis Street, on Hermosa Street near Cotton Hole Park, as well as the parking areas at Town and Mary Fisher parks, Dickhoff noted. Other areas also proposed to be two-hour parking.
“Generally, those are the areas,” he said, explaining that Lewis Street would be the most “complicated” to implement parking restrictions on because of the middle school.
Parking areas near The Springs Resort, the library and Reservoir Hill will not have time restrictions, Dickhoff noted.
He recommended that staff implement 30-minute parking restrictions at the Visitor Center to keep that parking lot turning over throughout the day.
When asked in a later interview if staff would consider implementing the two-hour limit only during certain business hours, allowing patrons of downtown bars to leave vehicles parked on the street for longer periods of time if they are too intoxicated to drive, Dickhoff indicated staff would consider the issue.
Pagosa Springs Police Chief Bill Rockensock also noted that time restrictions only during certain times were not part of the original conversation, but that this could be considered before implementing the new parking rules.
Town contribution and upgrades
In partnership with CDOT, the Town of Pagosa Springs will also be replacing and updating outdated utilities underneath the roadway, as well as beautifying main street.
At the Cone Zone meeting, Dickhoff explained that it is important for the town to update the utilities under the roadway while the road is torn up, because it would be “very expensive to fix utilities in the future” after the concrete roadway has been installed.
The town’s expenses for the project will run somewhere between $4 million and $5 million and will include new street lights, side street improvements, new street trees and new sidewalks in areas that CDOT is not already improving, in addition to the utilities upgrades, Dickhoff explained.
In conversation after the meeting, Mayor Shari Pierce expressed that she wants the public to know about this significant public investment from the town, not only to upgrade the utilities under the roadway, but also to make main street more aesthetically pleasing.
At the council’s March 4 meeting, the council unanimously authorized staff to spend up to $310,000 for new street lights for the main street corridor.
An agenda document states that “the order is for approximately 62 street lights/poles and 14 intersection/crosswalk lights and poles.”
Staff recommended making the purchase for the street lights as soon as possible, because although “the steel used for the poles are manufactured in Utah with American made steel, the pending 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum will impact American Made steel products, thus price increases of 25% are expected in the coming month,” the document states.
Also at the meeting, financing for the bulk of the town’s utilities upgrades during the project was discussed with the town’s financial advisor, Joey McLiney, on hand, and Town Manager David Harris saying that the town’s “portion of the fixes” would land between $4 million and $5 million.
Harris noted the town could pay for these upgrades out of its reserve fund, but that reimbursing the fund comes with some uncertainty.
There are a lot of “unknowns that could affect our sales tax collections,” Harris said, citing the possible impacts on business from the CDOT project, as well as the looming possibility of a national recession.
The town just doesn’t know what will happen with the economy, Harris indicated, recommending that the town “preserve cash on hand.”
McLiney added that he could prepare a “reimbursement” plan for the council to consider at a later time.
Support for local
businesses
An audience member at the Cone Zone meeting commented that it would be important, now more than ever, for locals to support local businesses during the construction project, suggesting that a promotional program should be implemented to implore folks “who don’t normally go out to eat” to go out and support local businesses.
Dufour noted that the Cone Zone Committee, in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce, is working on exactly that, seeking a “forum” where businesses could come up with ideas to support each other and for the community to “support these businesses.”
“It’s absolutely on our radar on where we are trying to head with this group,” she added.
Mike Coggins, who represented CDOT’s contractor at the meeting, closed by saying, “Pagosa Springs is a resilient community … we have a job to do, and we’re going to get through this. We’re gonna work together … and we’re gonna make it happen.”
derek@pagosasun.com
