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Alexia, left, and Brandon Arzate enjoy some riverside recreation at Oxbow Park and Preserve on Tuesday. According to city officials, the park, set between Highway 550 and the Animas River, could give the residents living along Animas View Drive a park of their own./Photo by Steve Eginoire |
Now and laters
Present and future concerns plague plans for Oxbow
by Tracy Chamberlin
No ribbon cutting. No champagne popping or coming-out party. There was no fanfare for the latest edition to Durango’s park system.
Parks and Recreation Director Cathy Metz called it a “soft opening” for the 44-acre Oxbow Park and Preserve. One that’s been beset with issues ever since.
No ribbon cutting. No champagne popping or coming-out party. There was no fanfare for the latest edition to Durango’s park system.
Parks and Recreation Director Cathy Metz called it a “soft opening” for the 44-acre Oxbow Park and Preserve. One that’s been beset with issues ever since.
The city plans to address those matters during a joint public meeting of the Parks and Recreation and Natural Lands advisory boards at 5:30 p.m. Thurs., July 25, at the Durango Recreation Center.
The property that sits north of town along Animas View Drive, formerly known as Cameron-Sterk, was purchased by the city last year. The intention is to develop it into a public access point on the river, a conservation easement and a park.
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Metz said currently the nearest park to that neighborhood, set between Highway 550 and the Animas, is Pioneer Park on 37th Street. Oxbow would give the residents living along Animas View Drive a closer option. “This is going to be their park,” she added.
But not everyone in the neighborhood is getting that vibe.
Since the start of the summer, visitors have been heading out to Oxbow; however, no construction is under way and those visitors don’t have access to any of the typical park amenities like parking, garbage collection or restrooms.
“It’s a ton busier (since it opened), even in the weeks since school’s out,” said Luke Angel, who lives in the neighborhood surrounding the park. “Pretty much any sunny day.”
Now the city and the neighbors find themselves dealing with problems like trash and traffic today, as well as the ones that some say are destined to crop up in the future like overuse and harm to the environment.
The most immediate concern on today’s docket is just getting there. Whether residents park, walk or ride the trolley to Oxbow, it’s causing some commotion.
Animas View Drive is a narrow road that doesn’t conform to the typical city standards. Durango annexed it years ago and the roadway essentially came as it was – without a shoulder or sidewalk.
The lack of parking means that some visitors are using private lots or driveways. Others simply pull over as far as possible along the cramped street. It’s Angel’s number one concern, and Metz acknowledged that it’s causing issues.
According to Kevin Hall, director of natural lands, trails and sustainability for the city, there’s been a lot of discussion over the years about road improvements along Animas View Drive.
The creation of a special district is one way the area could implement these improvements. Hall described it as a “technical process,” but one that’s been brought up at previous meetings. Twin Buttes and Three Springs have used this community-driven process, and it’s being discussed in the La Posta Road area.
For Animas View Drive, it’s a future option. Not one that could address the issues cropping up today, though.
The city attempted to address the parking problem by encouraging visitors in a June press release to walk, bike or take the trolley. That’s not alleviating the problem for some neighbors.
After all, there’s no sidewalk. One’s not going to be built either. The city’s looking to the future development of the Animas River Trail to tackle the issue of pedestrian traffic.
“Who knows when that will happen?” Angel said.
Future plans for Oxbow do include a parking lot for park users. They also include restrooms and a boat-launch area.
The city plans to begin developing Oxbow next summer, along with the 33rd and 29th Street river access points, but officials admit it could take a couple of years.
At this point in the process, the future management plan for the park is still just a draft. And it’s one that’s already heavily debated. The comment period on the plan is over, but everyone’s not on board.
The three main topics voiced in the comments by river users, neighbors and locals alike are whether or not the access point could increase river use or alleviate congestion downstream, the impact of commercial usage on the river and neighborhood, and the potential impact river users could have on the environment.
Anne Markward, a Durango resident who’s worked in sustainable tourism all over the world, thinks the additional access 4 point at Oxbow will not only increase river use, it could also adversely affect the riparian environment.
“The city is pushing the belief … that it will alleviate pressure on downstream access points,” she said. But Markward’s not convinced.
It’s not just private users that would be taking to the water. Commercial users are also invited. The draft management plan lists as one of its envisioned improvements, “a river put-in/take-out for nonmotorized crafts (including commercial).”
And for Markward, “once you open the flood gate, you can’t close it.”
Of course, not everyone sees heavy traffic as a certain outcome. Owner of 4Corners River Sports Andy Cora said the additional access point will help river congestion. He called Oxbow the “best opportunity” to alleviate congestion at the popular 33rd Street put-in.
Cora’s been paddling the Animas for 35 years and although he’s involved in the rafting business, he doesn’t speak for the industry. “The hat I’ve been wearing most is from the private boater,” he added.
For him, the issue of commercial boating is something that may be open for debate. What shouldn’t be is that people should have access to the river.
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The 44-acre Oxbow property sits along Animas View Drive, north of Durango. Specific areas are designated for development and will include a parking lot, restrooms and boat launch. Construction isn’t slated to begin until next summer and could take more time to complete. The map is part of the Draft Oxbow Park and Preserve Management Plan, which is available for viewing on the city’s website, www.durangogov.org/oxbow. Map from City of Durango draft plan
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Whether the access is commercial or not, the environment is still a concern and something the city has been looking at since the beginning.
The majority of the 44-acre property is intended to be a conservation easement, something required under the Great Outdoors Colorado monies used to purchase the lands. Part of the approval for the $400,000 grant was a guarantee that most of it would be set aside as a conservation easement.
However, some have expressed concerns for the future of the easement. The city’s plans for development have already expanded. What began as a 3-acre development area has morphed into a 6-acre area leaving some residents thinking that number could continue to climb.
Markward said there’s a difference in the wording between park and preserve. She’s concerned what the repercussions from increased river use, private or commercial, would be on the natural life and landscape.
“You have no idea what impact this is having on the riparian environment,” she added.
One way to address the conservation question is to consider whether or not to close a portion of the park to wildlife, either seasonally or year-round. It’s one of the issues Metz looks to address at Thursday’s meeting.
A meeting that Markward, Cora, Angel and city officials all plan on attending. And, with auto and pedestrian traffic concerns already cropping up at Oxbow and debates surrounding the city’s future plans, it’s likely both the docket and the house will be packed.
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