A recently town-purchased riverside property is set to become a river park, slated to increase public river access, with a new boat ramp and parking lot coming in spring 2026.
On Sept. 9, the Pagosa Springs Planning Commission approved a recommendation for the Pagosa Springs Town Council to rezone the property — at 1040 E. U.S 160, known as the Bob’s LP property — as Open Space/Parks.
Following this recommendation, the town council, on Sept. 16, approved an ordinance upon first reading to zone the future river park as Open Space/Parks. Ordinances take effect after two readings.
Town Development Director James Dickhoff explained that the rezoning would be in congruence with “the intended use of the property,” which is slated to become a river access park, accommodating boaters and other river recreationists.
Currently, the property is within Archuleta County’s jurisdiction, but the council is also slated to annex the property into its boundary, a unilateral annexation process that allows annexation without the need for the petitioning process since the town is the property owner.
For its part, the town’s planning commission recommended to the council that it designate the river property as Open Space/Parks (OP) zoning.
Dickhoff explained that most of the properties surrounding the river parcel are within the town’s boundaries, and that annexation into the town is fairly straightforward since the town owns the property and it meets the one-sixth contiguity rule under Colorado state law.
Dickhoff added that phase one of developing the property would include a boat ramp, gravel parking area and portable toilets coming in spring 2026.
He added that the parking area would be somewhere between U.S. 84 and the Town of Pagosa Springs sign, but its location won’t be finalized until the town receives an access permit from the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Future phases, dependent upon funding, would include a permanent bathroom structure, a paved parking lot, a fishing pier and the extension of the Riverwalk trail connecting the property with the existing trail and the Pagosa River Domes, he said.
Town staff has named the future park the East Gateway River Park and is seeking input from the public about what it wants to see developed at the site.
The town’s conceptual design for the park was discussed on Sept. 10 in a public forum, providing information on the project and allowing public feedback.
Public comment regarding the project can also be voiced online at mypagosa.org.
Planning commission member Mark Weiler suggested that he was surprised that he did not even know that the town was planning to develop the park, and that the property was purchased almost entirely with grant funding should be something the town actively advertises.
He added that he wished the town would do a better job of getting the message out, adding that if it was him, he would be “shouting from the rooftops” information about the park.
Dickhoff said at a previous meeting that, “currently, we don’t have any formal public [boater] access on this side [the East End] of town. It’s all private property.”
The river park would fulfill a “community vision to create public river boat access facilities at the eastern gateway into Pagosa Springs, where no formal public boat access currently exists,” the design plan states.
The funding for the town to acquire the property came from a Great Outdoors Colorado grant and a federal-level Land, Water, Conservation Fund grant.
Dickhoff also stated at a previous meeting that public sentiment has shown a strong “community desire to see more public river access,” pointing to the River Corridor Master Plan (2011) and the East End Multimodal Plan (2022), which both identified this particular property as “the last missing link” for expanding public river access.
At the council meeting, he described the property as a “keystone” parcel that brings these longer-term visions together.
Council member Brooks Lindner noted that he really appreciated that town staff had connected the project with the “master plan from 2011.”
“Thank you for making those connections,” he said.
Council member Gary Williams added that town staff “should be very proud” for making this public benefit happen with little to no cost for the town.
When a motion was made to approve the first reading of the ordinance rezoning the property to parks and open space, it was seconded and passed unanimously by the council.
Council member Matt DeGuise was absent from the meeting.
“Access to the San Juan River is important for recreation, economic development and community culture. As the natural environment is critical to the tourism industry, its protection is necessary. Balancing access with preservation of the natural system will assure the environment remains healthy and vibrant,” the town’s 2018 comprehensive plan states.
It also states, “Pagosa Springs values, protects, and enhances the beauty and health of its natural environment.”
“The new park improvements will substantially improve the east gateway entrance to our community and provide a new recreation access for the public to enjoy the San Juan River and provide a future opportunity for extending the Riverwalk trail,” Dickhoff stated.
The second reading of the ordinance is anticipated to take place at the council’s Oct. 7 meeting, which will begin at 5 p.m. at Town Hall.
derek@pagosasun.com
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