Caught in the loop
Developers, Nordic Center, San Juan County try to come to table

For more than 60 years, the Durango Nordic Center has provided locals and visitors with cross country skiing and snowshoeing opportunities in the San Juans. The center, along with the Durango Nordic Ski Club, has introduced the sport to countless converts and even raised future Olympians.

But, the land they’ve used for decades, east of Highway 550 near Purgatory Resort, has never been theirs.

The Nordic trail system crosses private and U.S. Forest Service land. But recent plans for a luxury motorcoach development on a portion of the privately owned lands is leaving the future of the trails in doubt.

How did we get here?

In the 2000s, the real estate arm of what was once Durango Mountain Resort began creating a Master Development Plan for the private lands surrounding the ski area.

It was a public process involving the community, property owners and representatives from La Plata and San Juan counties.

In the end, the plan for the area near Boyce Lake, which covers the northern portion of the Nordic Center’s trail system, was single-family homes with room for trails, even Nordic trails.

But, during a scheduled review of the plan a couple years ago – and before the latest development was on the table – San Juan County withdrew from the master plan.

The withdrawal meant the county was no longer bound to the plan and any emphasis Durango Mountain put on trails was no longer relevant.

The parcel in question was formally owned by Durango Mountain Holdings, the real estate arm of DMR. Gary Derck, the former CEO of DMR, was involved with the land sale as CEO of Mountain Springs and development manager for Durango Mountain Lands. He said the purchase agreement included language asking the developers to meet with representatives of the Nordic Ski Club.

Ski Club President Tom Holcomb wasn’t with the club during the master plan process and, like many others, first learned about the possibility of development last fall.

Those involved with the Nordic Center and the Ski Club decided to focus on the winter season and teams, and discuss long-term options in the spring. Then, news came of a meeting before the San Juan County Planning Commission last week – one that would move the development forward.

As word spread of the meeting and the proposed development, it created a social firestorm.

Holcomb said he’s heard from concerned fans of the Nordic Center, not just in Durango or Silverton, but Farmington, Los Alamos and Albuquerque.

And, according to Mark Reavis, planning director and land use administrator for San Juan County, as of last week

he had already received about 150 emails commenting on the development.

“I get it,” Reavis said. “It’s a beloved spot.”

Although the Nordic Center would only lose about 8 – 9 percent of its overall trail system to the development, the section in doubt is what Holcomb calls the “crown jewel.”

It’s part of the northernmost section, called the North Loop, and what makes the land just right for Nordic skiing is also what makes it just right for development – flat, even ground.

Reavis said one thing those who oppose the development might not realize is that the property is privately owned. “And, it has been master-planned for development,” he added.

Holcomb said he absolutely understands that the North Loop runs across private land and wants to work with the developers. “We want to partner with them to come up with a solution that benefits all,” he explained.
Brandon Pogue, the owner of Pogue Texas and co-developer of the new project, plans to meet with Holcomb in the coming week. He said he’s excited about the meeting and is bringing a couple of ideas to the table. “We have our engineers working on a solution,” he said.

What’s the big idea?

According to Pogue, the proposed development is not a trailer or RV park. It’s something completely different.

The vision is luxury motorcoaches, the kind with six-figure price tags, heading up for the summer. Each lot will have a casita or cabin nearby where extended family can stay. Those permanent dwellings could also be used in the winter, either by the owners or as vacation rentals. With a home-owners association and year-round maintenance, the property would be self-governed.

“These are mom-and-pops who’ve made it big,” Pogue said of his potential clientele.

The proposed development, which is mirrored after Hearthside Grove in Michigan, would include about 160 lots over 67 acres. Pogue said there would be as much natural cover as possible. The development would not be an eyesore, but constructed respectfully with trails, nature and San Juan and La Plata counties in mind.

The property in question is just over the border in San Juan County, making it a possible tax windfall for the cash-strapped area.

“It has the potential to be a one-third increase (in tax revenues),” Reavis explained.

Pogue described it as the third train into Silverton, creating as much revenue for the town as the Narrow Gauge Railroad.

He said he’s been coming to the area for the past 30 years, and has owned property in several neighborhoods surrounding Purgatory – including Cascade Village.
Pogue said he loves the area, calling it a hidden treasure, and after traveling the world counts Southwest Colorado as one of his favorite spots. And he wants to share that treasure with others.

Pogue’s project isn’t the only one slated to cause some changes in the Nordic system.

The Purgatory Metro District is in the middle of its own development process for a new Wastewater Treatment Plant. Much like the situation in Durango, the state is requiring an update to the facilities by 2020.

According to District Manager Eric Hassell, the updates will require rerouting some of the Nordic Center’s current trail system, something the two groups are working on together.

Many hope the same will be true for Pogue’s project – that the two can work together. In fact, they need to talk to keep things moving forward.

Where do we go from here?

Reavis said the nature of the county’s land-use designation in the area also means the agreement between San Juan and Pogue Texas must be very specific. The county has five bullet points it’s requiring the developers to address before the next steps can be taken: fire protection, water and sewer, noise concerns, vacation rentals and, of course, the Nordic Center.

“The process isn’t over,” Reavis explained.

First, the county has requested that the developers and Nordic Center talk, which they’ll do in the coming week.

Second, the developers need to comply with the fire protection district, which right now isn’t able to service a luxury motorcoach village.

The area is serviced primarily by Station #16, near the county line, which has one volunteer firefighter. Although

this volunteer lives in the area year-round, according to Karola Hanks, fire marshal for the Durango Fire Protection District, nothing says this person has to be at the station at all times.

The closest career firefighters are at Station #15 near Electra Lake, about 7 miles south. Hanks said the response time for a call to the new development could be 11 minutes on a good day, but on a bad day it could be significant.

“We are concerned about being able to adequately serve (the new development),” she said.

Ways to address those concerns include minimizing risks and considering impact fees to help cover the cost of needed capital improvements.

Hanks said it’s important for any developer to do what they can to minimize the risks, which is why they’ve asked Pogue Texas to put sprinklers in the cabins supported by an adequate water supply.
She said the developers have also agreed to include a secondary access road to the village and are discussing possible impact fees.

Third on the county’s list is water and sewer. The developers plan to connect to the Purgatory Metro District, adding about 2 miles of water and sewer lines between Tacoma Village and their property. These lines would also be available for future developers to access.

The final two points are noise and vacation rentals – both issues that could directly affect nearby neighbors like those at Cascade Village, which sits just across the highway.

The county will hear about the developer’s attempts to address all five points at its next public meeting scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Thurs., April 13, at the San Juan County Courthouse.