Bayfield town trustees have said "Thanks, but no thanks" to a grant to do a historic assessment of the dilapidated tower in the Fox Farm subdivision near the elementary school.
The tower's fate has been in question since the subdivision was approved in the mid 2000s. It has deteriorated year by year. The subdivision was developed by the Durango non-profit Community Development Corporation (CDC) to provide lots for affordable housing. Habitat for Humanity continues to build duplexes there. Other duplexes were built by the now defunct Colorado Housing Inc. The subdivision also has a few market rate lots for single family homes.
The $14,500 grant from the State Historical Society would pay to assess the tower's historic value, whether it is structurally sound, and potential options for use of the property, Town Manager Chris La May told trustees on Jan. 19. The town would be the grant recipient on behalf of CDC, which still owns the land the tower occupies. The parcel is 4,500 square feet.
"There's a structure built onto (the tower) maybe in the 1950s. There's a question of whether it has any historical value," La May said.
CDC representative Reid Ross attended the meeting to argue for the grant. Attorney Doug Wallis was there on behalf of Habitat and the homeowners' association, which he said is pretty much non-functional.
Trustee Ed Morlan commented, "My concern is, the end game is the town will end up with this and will have to maintain it. Why burden the town with that?"
Ross countered, "The question would best be answered after we find out what the cost will be. The grant doesn't obligate us to do anything. Take the $14,500 and find out. I believe there are ways to operate and manage that tower as a historical site, but there's no point in looking at that until we know how much it will cost."
He asserted, "There is significant potential contribution from people in this town to restore the structure." He didn't know what CDC would do with the property if the assessment determined that restoration wasn't feasible.
Morlan said he has looked at the tower. "The grant is free, but it will take our time and effort. I really question the value of this. If it's historical but will cost a gazillion dollars to restore... Get rid of it now."
Trustee J.J. Sanders added, "I've been up there three times. I don't know if historical means dilapidated or falling down... It's really dilapidated. It's bad."
Wallis said, "There are teenagers hanging out there, young children playing in there. Someone is going to get hurt... It's an ongoing cost for the police to patrol it. A couple years ago, we had homeless people camping in there. ... If it's torn down, we'd probably negotiate with Reid Ross to buy the property for a single family house."
Ron Dunavant was at the meeting for the Pine River Historical Society. He nixed any prospects that the volunteer group would own and maintain the tower. Their funds go to their museum on Mill Street, he said.
Morlan said, "I've been involved in several historical renovations. This I just see no end game. It will come back to the town. Nobody else will take it."
A motion to accept the grant lost on a 3-2 vote, with Morlan, Sanders, and Matt Nyberg voting no, and Michelle Nelson and Matt Salka voting yes.
