The question of a parking garage addressed in The Durango Herald's Sunday paper verifies discussions regarding parking congestion in the downtown area for at least 37 years.
The answer to the question always seems to come back from our out-of-town experts hired by the City of Durango that “a parking garage is not recommended or needed at this time.” Over 37 years, we've had the same parking issue discussions. Over 37 years, we've tried numerous ways in which to accommodate our visitors and our citizenry, only to come back to the original issue, only to spend countless dollars on more studies and surveys, and only to re-address the issue again down the road.
Yet, it now seems that the city is willing to decide, once again, we do not need a parking garage “at this time” but rather a remake of the entire downtown area. What?
We are willing to spend millions on a downtown re-do that addresses some issues brought before our city officials, not by the downtown property owners, business owners or citizens, but by the city officials themselves who then hire more out-of-town consultants to prove that Durango needs a downtown makeover, not a garage.
How is it that the city is willing to spend millions on a newly identified project, while ignoring one that probably wouldn't cost any more and that has lingered for over three decades?
Build the confounded parking garage!
Bob Griffith
Durango
