Since 1985, Archuleta County has been operating one of the more scenic transfer stations and recycling facilities in America, if we are considering simply the view of the distant San Juan Mountains.
The County has hopes of expanding its uses there.
At their Tuesday, June 6 regular meeting, the Pagosa Springs Town Council was provided the opportunity to discuss four potential gifts of public land. Two of the gifts — a possible donation of 2.6 acres of Town-owned property to the Archuleta County government, and perhaps 3 acres to La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) — were among the real estate topics discussed during a 2-hour, closed-door executive session.
Donate property to Archuleta County and LPEA? Ask them to buy the land? Work some kind of trade?
We heard both sides of these arguments, following the executive session.
The Town currently owns a 21-acre parcel on Trujillo Road located roughly two miles south of town along Trujillo Road (CR 500) which was the site of an old town landfill decommissioned in the mid to late 1980s when the new county landfill was built further down Trujillo Road in 1985. The Town does not currently use the land for any purpose.
Archuleta County has been leasing 2.6 acres for $1 per year since 1985, as the location for a transfer station and recycling center.
In addition, LPEA has indicated a need to locate a substation near their transmission line, to help with redundancy and critical infrastructure. They’ve asked the Town for a gift (or reasonably-priced sale?) of 2-3 acres adjacent to the transfer station.
The folowing map shows the Town-owned property, with the existing transfer station structures in the middle, and a drawing of a proposed electric substation to the south.
The open area to the north of the transfer station is the old landfill, which cannot be developed, if I’m understanding the situation correctly.
As many Daily Post readers know, the community is facing some challenges with landfill capacity. The Archuleta Board of County Commissioners has expressed a desire to enhance the transfer station, to help lengthen the life of the County landfill by providing “more holistic” trash and recycling services. The County would like to include more opportunities for recycling, including a glass crusher, and perhaps build an enclosure to hold trash and debris before it can be trucked out of the area or down to the landfill as needed.
The County has, however, expressed concerns about investing more public funds into a property they don’t own.
I’m not entirely sure what all is involved in providing “more holistic” trash services, but glass crushing appears to be part of the picture.
A while back, the County asked the Town to donate the 2.6 acres now used by the transfer station. This would save the County $1 a year in lease payments, but more importantly, it would give them authority over future uses on the property.
Will this transfer of property prevent the County landfill from running out of capacity within the next decade? Not likely. But it might make us feel like the County is trying to find solutions to the trash problem.
Here’s Town Council member Mat deGraaf:
“I’ll just say that I do not believe we should be giving anything away…
“I think the transfer station is not only valuable to the community, but its location is also valuable to the County, and I would like to see them come with an offering of a trade. The County has properties, perhaps the Town could benefit from…”
He wondered if the County would like to trade the transfer station property for, for example, the San Juan Basin Public Health building on South 8th Street.
A curious suggestion, considering the County’s desperate need for a facility for their new County Public Health Department?
Council member Brooks Lindner stated that the adjacent property, where LPEA would like to locate a substation, is “still valuable land… I think that’s undeniable. Even with its proximity to the transfer station. So I agree with Mat, that I don’t think we should be just giving this away… with the size of the property, and with the value of property these days.”
Many of us have become acutely aware of the value of property these days, what with the new property valuations from the County Assessor.
Council member Gary Williams suggested that the Town sign a long-term lease with the County — maybe 40 years? — rather than donate the property. He also mentioned that LPEA is charging the Town for fiber optic cable use, and perhaps they could be talked into working a trade for the requested land.
Council member Matt DeGuise proposed that an expanded recycling facility would be a great benefit to the community, and reminded us of the County’s claim that they will not expand the facility unless they own the parcel. Council member Maddie Bergon agreed with that sentiment, as did Council member Leonard Martinez.
Mayor Shari Pierce:
“I support the community aspect of this. We’ve worked with the Commissioners; we’ve had conversations with them about this; and I hate to do an ‘about-face’ on this now… I don’t know what that says about us as a board, that we get this far down the road and then all of a sudden we’re changing our minds…
“I would move forward with the sale of the property.”
I assume the Mayor means, “the donation of the property”… but maybe I’m missing some important information about the agreement?
At the conclusion of the debate, Council member Bergon moved to have the staff bring forward an ordinance to donate the properties (to both the County and LPEA, I assume) and also, to ask about the willingness of the County and LPEA to consider some type of ‘trade’ — but not hold up the transfer if no trades are forthcoming.
The motion passed 4-to-3.
But this was not the only donation of public property considered at Tuesday’s meeting.
The Council also discussed — also at some length — the public property at South Pagosa Park, and how two local non-profits might benefit from property there.
One being Seeds of Learning Early Childhood Center, already located in the southeast corner of the park.
The other non-profit being the Pagosa Multi-Purpose Pavilion — the folks who have been operating a marginally successful ice skating rink for the past 10 years, during the winter months… most recently atop the poorly-maintained South Pagosa Park basketball courts…