{"id":32698,"date":"2023-07-26T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-26T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/our-view-no-to-industrial-rezoning-next-to-cortez-open-space\/"},"modified":"2023-07-26T09:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-07-26T09:00:00","slug":"our-view-no-to-industrial-rezoning-next-to-cortez-open-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/our-view-no-to-industrial-rezoning-next-to-cortez-open-space\/","title":{"rendered":"Our View: No to industrial rezoning next to Cortez open space"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/figure>\n

All it takes is one look at Independent Log Co.\u2019s northeast property line where it meets the trailhead for the 72-acre Carpenter Natural Area to understand that the city of Cortez should flatly deny the company\u2019s request to rezone from commercial to industrial. The contrast is stark. The gem that is Carpenter, with trails winding through the subtle beauty of high desert, is too delicate and well-loved to risk harm.<\/p>\n

Industrial zoning is incompatible next to this open space and an established neighborhood. If this property were to go industrial, there\u2019s no going back.<\/p>\n

Already, south bordering neighbors in Montview are worried by recent activity on the ILC property \u2013 the digging into the hillside below homes; the grading and moving of fill material toward Carpenter\u2019s marshy water and floodplain; the cutting of vegetation and burning of slash piles. The storing of more heavy equipment. All without permits.<\/p>\n

In 2021, Anthony D. Moore and Mary K. Lan\u00adcaster purchased this previously vacant commercial land on Lebanon Road, once the old drive-in theater, to store heavy equipment and build log homes. Their rezoning application includes a proposed firefighting training facility that would store firefighting equipment, too.<\/p>\n

But this property isn\u2019t the place for that. If the city is swayed by ILC\u2019s request, it should instead initiate a land swap for a more suitable property. This 10-acre parcel could then be reclaimed by Carpenter\u2019s watery extensions that seasonally drain west with some flooding. Grasses, cattails and willows, and their inhabitants could fill in.<\/p>\n

But first things first \u2013 absolute \u201cno\u201d to industrial zoning.<\/p>\n

Concerning, though, is Cortez Contract City Planner Nancy Dosdall\u2019s June 6 memo \u2013 where we detect bias \u2013 to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Dosdall said: \u201cThey have been cited for code violations for operating without permits. This request, if approved, would bring the property into conformance with the City of Cortez Land Use Code (LUC).\u201d<\/p>\n

Bringing this property \u201cinto conformance\u201d should not be the city\u2019s concern or business.<\/p>\n

Also in the memo: \u201cThe proposed uses related to wood products do appear to fit in the definition of \u2018manufacturing, wood products\u2019 and \u2018manufacturing, heavy,\u2019 which the code lists as a Conditional use in the Commercial Highway zone and a permitted use in the Industrial zone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Later, with industrial \u201cthe most permissive zone in regards to outdoor storage and uses in general,\u201d a tacked-on Conditional Use Permit could \u201callow the proposed outdoor storage uses, for which the code is unclear,\u201d Dosdall\u2019s memo said. Unknown is exactly what an additional permit would provide. Cortez Land Use Code section 5.07 (j) doesn\u2019t permit open storage \u201cexcept as an accessory use to a main use located in a building.\u201d No junk or salvage yards or high stacks of logs out in the open. But no building is planned.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s confusing. But there\u2019s a feeling of permits meeting company\u2019s circumstances, rather than circumstances meeting criteria for permits. This is backward.<\/p>\n

LUC section 6.02 (d) asks, \u201cAre the proposed uses compatible with the surrounding area or uses?\u201d No, wildly incompatible, to answer the question.<\/p>\n

ILC owners purchased a commercial property \u2013 it should remain that way. Sure, rezoning would benefit owners with the expansion of uses. But a greater number of people \u2013 neighbors, walkers and wanderers, bikers and bird watchers \u2013 would suffer the impacts.<\/p>\n

For water quality alone, it would be bad news to use fire suppressant chemicals and toxins on a property with a flood plain. Near Dolores and Mancos, log processing operations billowed dust and fires took too long to extinguish. Too risky.<\/p>\n

Noise, smoke, fumes, lower property values and potential harm to Carpenter are all reasons for Cortez to say \u201cno.\u201d Not here.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all happening too quickly. Some neighbors recently learned about the situation. One reason being city code requires notice sent to neighbors within 300 feet, which were only two. Even though others could see, hear and smell what\u2019s been going on, they weren\u2019t aware of the rezoning request.<\/p>\n

The ILC prop\u00aderty is bounded by city open space to the north and east, residential properties to the east and south, and Lebanon Road to the west.<\/p>\n

Carpenter, south of the Geer Natural Area, is home to more than 170 species of plants and wildlife. Locals keep tabs on families of foxes, rabbits and birds. Frogs sing on spring evenings. The paved trail is a favorite for hospital workers on break. Volunteers show up in force on annual cleanup days to pull invasive weeds and maintain trails. After rains, varieties of sage and mock orange are lightly fragrant, and Indian ricegrass and other native grasses bend in waves in the breeze.<\/p>\n

Cortez City Council will make the rezoning decision. A reading of the application is on Aug. 8. Councilors will hear public comments, then vote on Aug. 22.<\/p>\n

We hope councilors honor residents who value Carpenter and neighbors\u2019 peace of mind by voting \u201cno\u201d on this rezoning request. It\u2019s not the place for it.<\/p>\n

\"Naturalist
Naturalist Al Schneider installs a label for a prickly pear cactus at Carpenter Natural Area in Cortez.<\/span>Jim Mimiaga<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

it takes is one look at Independent Log Co.\u2019s northeast property line where it meets the trailhead for the 72-acre Carpenter Natural Area to understand that the city of Cortez should flatly deny the company\u2019s request to rezone from commercial to industrial. The contrast is stark. The gem that is Carpenter, with trails winding […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32699,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[125],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-32698","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-newsletter-opinion"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32698","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32698"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32698\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32699"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32698"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32698"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32698"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=32698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}