The Pagosa Springs Town Council will be considering this year’s Fourth of July celebration at its meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
Parks and Recreation Director Darren Lewis explained that this would be “a great opportunity” for the public to voice their comments about this year’s celebration.
Lewis noted that the town will be considering three options:
• To have a parade following the same route as last year’s parade, along Hot Springs Boulevard, Apache Street and South 5th Street near Yamaguchi Park.
• To have a celebratory party at Yamaguchi Park, instead of a parade, that would “lead into the town’s fireworks display.”
• To have a “stationary parade” on 6th Street, where the floats can line up along the street for spectator viewing.
Lewis explained that he will “point out” to the council the “safety concerns,” as well as potential parking problems, with a traditional mobile parade along the Hot Springs Boulevard route.
He said that town staff is really “looking forward to putting on a Fourth of July celebration,” but that the town’s options are limited due to the Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT’s) main street reconstruction project on U.S. 160 through the downtown.
With the construction slated to begin this spring and Hot Springs Boulevard being shut off for the parade route, very little parking options would be left for a parade route, he explained.
Administrative Service Manager Kathy Harker explained at a May 23, 2024, meeting that the Hot Springs Boulevard option was “an opportunity for us to test a new route … to take a test run on that to see how it works.”
But Lewis suggested that the new option for a stationary parade on 6th Street would be “centrally located,” with “easy” accessibility for walkers, and would be located away from the CDOT construction zone, avoiding the parking concerns of the Hot Springs Boulevard route.
Lewis also suggested that the option for a celebratory party at Yamaguchi Park, culminating with the fireworks show, would also avoid the parking and safety concerns of a traditional parade.
He added that he encourages the public to attend the upcoming meeting and to participate in the public comment section of the meeting to voice their thoughts on the three options.
“The public is welcome to make public comments in person or by Zoom regarding the topic,” he said, adding that “ultimately this will be a town council decision.”
The meeting will begin at 5 p.m. at Town Hall. For more information on the meeting and agenda, see www.pagosasprings.co.gov.
derek@pagosasun.com
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