Durango Park & RICD Meeting

[riojedi]

Noticed there wasn't anything up on this meeting. Thought you might be interested, it's on Monday.

http://www.durangogov.org/news_detail.cfm?article=757

Good luck down there!

[mania]

ok - so I went to the meeting. there were a few vocal naysayers (surprisingly one raft outfitter). I said I don't know about XYZ outfitter but my rafting clients want a little more than riffles. anyway overall it was positive but there was very much a lack of the actual users who would benefit most!

it is almost more important for durango boaters to show up for tuesdays meeting! 4pm in City Hall (949 East Second Ave) in Council Chambers. bring a kayak paddle with a sign that says 'whitewater park YES'. this is how the skaters got their park - we can outdo some skater punks can't we?

C'mon people - wake up you lazy slackyakers! this is your only chance to make this happen.

[sward]

Strong work to Scott Shipley who not only knew his business, but presented it constructively.

Sounded like to me the support is there, the opposition was where to put it?

I support the 9th street location. After the community sees that grouted features don't move and can integrate the community with the river, get in there and renovate the existing.

my $.02

If they can spend 1.5M on a skate park that doesn't get used, they can spend 400K for a park that will be seen and enjoyed by many.

Steve.

[drewboater]

Too bad you missed the end of that meeting steve. I suppose boaters are expected to bend over backwards for fishermen. Guess that's just how it is in this state. They expect us to be isolated to a play park/slalom course in one small section of the river (smelter). There are enough boaters in Durango that we need to be spread out more. The 9th street option would solve that problem. However, the fishermen apparently have the upper hand in the politics of the whole situation. To me what they are implying is they don't care at all about the water rights by saying they absolutely oppose a park at 9th street. From the public meeting it seems like the majority (at least those at the meeting) want the new park to be just that, a "new" park at 9th street. Also, talking to local business owners who are also boaters the vote seems to be for 9th street.

If there is a boater out there in Durango that has enough politcal push with the corp of engineers and/or DOW to make this happen at 9th street please make a stand now! The fishermen have obviously already done this.

As of now, the Animas River Task Force is officially recommending to city council that the RICD application be for smelter. I'm about the only one left on the task force that disagrees with this recommendation. Maybe I'm the only boater left on the task force trying to listen to what the majority of boaters want. My role on the task force is to represent playboaters and that's all I'm trying to do. If playboaters would rather see Scott Shipley and Gary Lacy go into Smelter than 9th street please speak up now and I will change my tune. Otherwise I'm sticking to it.

[mania]

so the task force asks us to vote and we vote for 9th street, but now they ignore us and recommend smelter?! bastards (no offense drew).

[mania]

ok, i take back what i said - there is too much opposition to a new site to get it thru in time for the water rights - which is the more important issue.

funny thing is - at the proposed new park - i see all the fishermen (the main opposition) fishing in a man made eddy for an old mill.

oh well, kudos to the task force and scott shiply and even our city council. now c'mon God do your part and send us some snow please.

[mania]

here is the news on it:

Durango Herald Online
http://lnk4.com/hNzj