We concluded Part Two of this editorial series with a comment by business owner Jeremy Buckingham, during the well-attended April 4 public meeting hosted by CDOT and the Town of Pagosa Springs. Mr. Buckingham is co-owner of Goodman’s Department Store, located in the heart of Pagosa’s downtown commercial district. Goodman’s has been selling western clothing 1899, and more recently — since about 1990 — has focused its merchandise more towards collectable, tourist-oriented gift items.
Mr. Buckingham expressed his hope that CDOT, and its selected contractor for the upcoming highway reconstruction, could phase the project, this summer, so as to have as little impact as possible on the tourist-oriented businesses in the downtown core. He illustrated the degree to which summer tourist spending is crucial to the annual income of those businesses, and he then referred to a CDOT highway reconstruction project that took place, 10 years ago, in Monte Vista , located in Rio Grande County on the other side of the Continental Divide.
Mr. Buckingham was addressing his comments to Julie Constan, CDOT Regional Transportation Director for Region 5, a 15-county administrative region in southern Colorado.
“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.
Ms. Constan, who became Regional Director in 2021, grew up in Pagosa Springs and graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in civil engineering; she currently lives in Durango. I mention her professional history as a reminder that the people working for CDOT do not typically have a background in running tourist-oriented retail businesses… or in dealing with intense political situations.
She responded to Mr. Buckingham’s comment.
“We heard from several people that we killed Monte Vista, but I guess none of our team have those recollections. But anyway…”
Mr. Buckingham:
“I can tell you, my father-in-law [Bob Goodman] owns numerous buildings there, where they lost all their tenants. They took a huge loss on their investment, and they’re still struggling with the buildings now. The whole Main Street — and it happened during CDOT’s project to rebuild [the highway.]
“JR Ford brought it up at our last meeting, and I think Lisa…?”
He looked over at Lisa Schwantes, the Regional Communications Manager for Region 5.
“So Lisa probably has the notes from that meeting? JR Ford was partners with my father-in-law in that investment there, and they were there when CDOT reconstructed the main street [First Avenue/Highway 160] and it killed the town. It’s still not in business now…”
Let’s be fair. Monte Vista, Colorado, is not Pagosa Springs. It’s a much smaller town, a 15-minute drive from ‘big city’ Alamosa, and its economy was already struggling prior to the 2013 highway reconstruction. CDOT and its contractor, Lafayette-based Concrete Works of Colorado, Inc. Yes, the contractor may have made a mistake in removing too much of the highway — a whole stretch right through downtown, all at once — and an unseasonably wet summer didn’t help matters, when the opened holes filled with water and delayed the project while the contractor waited for the road base to dry out.
And yes, many businesses in Monte Vista closed down following that extended highway project — impacting an already struggling local economy — or else they relocated to the larger market in nearby Alamosa. A few years ago, Bob Goodman and his partners sold their beautiful commercial building there (perhaps at a loss?) and Monte Vista — in the opinion of some people — has still not recovered from the 2013 highway project.
Another factor in this discussion: the Town of Pagosa Springs seems to have a much better working relationship with CDOT than it had a decade ago, and I believe the improvement has resulted mainly from a change of attitude at CDOT. Sometimes, in years past, CDOT tended to limit the amount of influence Colorado communities were allowed when planning major highway projects.
Town Community Development Director James Dickhoff:
“We certainly have worked with CDOT many, many times on other important projects downtown, and I’m happy to hear they hired RockSol [as their project manager]. We worked very closely with them during the McCabe Creek Project, and really they did an excellent job. I know, from everyone’s perspective, it took too long, it was a pain in the butt, but really, being in those weekly meetings, I was really impressed with that management team. They did an excellent job, I feel…”
Things seem more cooperative lately.
But that didn’t stop uncomfortable public comments coming from the audience at the April 4 meeting.
Examples:
“As a business owner on Main Street, I’m hearing a lot of of ‘CDOT this and CDOT that’… but I’m not hearing anything about what you’re going to do for us. You’re talking about getting [penalty charges] back if they don’t finish on time. So you can get $80,000 a day back. Great for you. But what happens to our livelihoods?”
“You say you’re guaranteeing pedestrian access to the businesses… but where do we park?”
“The locals — we need to find our way around. So what I’d like to see is the County and the Town talk about what were going to do for the people who live here, who work here, and the plans to maintain the alternate roads, so that in fact, we can get around during the project…”
One particular exchange related to a business, that plans to construct a new patio seating area along the street. But… overlooking a highway construction project?
Audience member:
“I’m assuming my patio is going to be shut down for months… so I think it’s real specific, how you’re going to phase the work. It can’t be a blanket decision — ‘from this block to this block’. Livelihoods are going to be affected, for sure.”
Director Constan:
“I understand livelihoods are going to be affected. I understand businesses are going to be affected. I really do.”
Audience member:
“How… how do you say that… with a straight face?”
Ms. Constan, smiling:
“I do. I understand. I wish I had a pot of money I could come in, and give it out to the businesses…”
Audience member, showing his anger:
“It’s not about that. We don’t want that. We’re entrepreneurs. We make our own money.”
Ms. Constan explained (again) that CDOT will be reviewing the contractor’s phasing plan.
But will that be enough?