As mentioned in Part One on Friday, the April 4 presentation about the proposed Highway 160 reconstruction in downtown Pagosa Springs was handled mainly by Julie Constan, CDOT Regional Transportation Director for Region 5, covering southwest and south-central Colorado.
The standing-room-only audience in the Senior Center dining room included a good number of downtown business owners and downtown residents, some of whom had come prepared to object to the apparent scheduling of a major disturbance, to traffic and parking, during our busy summer tourist season — the season during which many downtown Pagosa businesses take in the lion’s share of their revenues.
Should I say, most downtown businesses? Or maybe even all downtown businesses?
Director Constan had explained that the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) expected to open bids for the project on April 11, and that — if all the pieces fell into place — we would see the project start in mid-June, with mobilization and staging. The selected contractor would have 382 working days to complete the project, which entails the removal of the asphalt pavement between 8th Street and 1st Street, installation of new underground utility infrastructure, laying a concrete road surface, replacement of sidewalks, installation of new crosswalks with safety features…
A complete highway facelift, in other words. The 382 work days would theoretically be spread over two years. Theoretically.
It can never be an easy thing for a small town, when the highway that runs directly through a downtown business district needs to be reconstructed.
It was not a easy thing, for example, when CDOT Region 5 decided to reconstruct the section of Highway 160 running through Monte Vista, a town of 4,200 on the other side of the San Juan Mountains. As here in Pagosa Springs, where Highway 160 also serves as our ‘main street’ Highway 160 in Monte Vista is also known as ‘First Avenue’. The 2013 reconstruction of Highway 160 through downtown there was handled by CDOT and its contractor, Concrete Works of Colorado, Inc. of Lafayette, Colorado, who was awarded a $3.9 million contract for the project.
We heard mention of this project during the ‘public comment’ portion of the April 4 meeting, after Regional Director Constan had given a thorough overview of how the Pagosa project will be scheduled and managed. She acknowledged that CDOT would defer to the selected contractor, to determine which sections of downtown will be impacted during which phase of the project.
Local businessman Jeremy Buckinghsam — co-owner of historic Goodman’s Department Store — presented his concerns.
Goodman’s is centrally located in Pagosa’s downtown business district, at the corner of North 4th Street and Pagosa Street.
Mr. Buckingham:
“First up, I want to say thank you, to you guys, for coming down here. I appreciate it… And please realize, it’s not my intent to beat you up. But it is to express to you how dangerous this is for our businesses. The majority of our income does come in… I looked at my numbers for last year, and I had a 100% increase in revenues between June 14 and June 15.
“And that continued until the end of July. It tapers off through August — it’s still a very good month in August – and then in September it really drops off. Then it picks back up as we approach December, and then we are dead from January through April. So we’re feeling passionate, and struggling with this, not because of the project that we saw ten years ago, and that we’re in agreement on, ten years ago… it’s about how it’s being done, and the timing of how it’s being done.”
Mr. Buckingham didn’t immediately clarify what he meant by “ten years ago.” Perhaps he was referring to Monte Vista?
“Our fear is… we could have started a month ago on this project, and it would have minimally impacted my business during Spring Break, and it would have hurt. But it would have hurt a lot less than July. That first week in July? I need that to survive. I don’t need the winter.
“We’re talking hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of dollars for the downtown businesses who will lose a significant amount of revenue is just that second half of July, because we have such a big influx of people…”
Mr. Buckingham noted probable impacts from the planned reconstruction, on downtown sidewalks.
“So now you’re looking at starting in mid-June, and again, my revenue is supposed to double that time of year. I can tell you, I’m paying to stay open the rest of the year, because I want to take care of the locals, 100% of the time. I can’t do business based just off of tourism, because that’s not taking care of my town.
“And where we see the long-term impacts of this is, I don’t see tourists coming back next year, when they wasted their money this year, on the Fourth of July, and spent their vacation money to come here…
“So we’re going to lose all of downtown; we’re going to lose Walmart and City Market… and Pagosa will die…
“Where I’m struggling — and I’ve talked to a lot of businesses — is the timing of the project. Based on what you’ve said, we could be starting this in September…”
Or possibly next March? Rather than the very start of tourist season?
“If it’s a possibility, I feel like the businesses would really appreciate that.”
Mr. Buckingham explained that he spent ten years working for the state, and he understands the restrictions that CDOT might be working under, but he said he’s not hearing that CDOT is willing to write into the contract, CDOT’s authority to define which portion of the downtown project will be addressed during peak tourist season.
“I want this project. I fully support you… But I feel like we’re pushing to have this happen [in June] rather than at the right time, and we’re not putting in the right restrictions to make sure it’s happening at the right time, in the right way…
“So I’d like to know what you think about that; what you’re willing to do, to step out and protect us. Because it’s not just the 400 Block, and our families… it’s going to impact uptown, and their families. It’s going to impact our community.
“And I don’t want to be Monte Vista.”
At that point, the audience, which had been listening quietly, broke out in applause.