Dolores, U.S. Forest Service to negotiate land exchange

Dolores, U.S. Forest Service to negotiate land exchange

August 16, 2001

By Janelle Holden
Journal Staff Writer

The town of Dolores agreed Monday to begin negotiations with the U.S. Forest Service to swap part of the Dolores Industrial Park for part or all of five parcels of land the Forest Service owns in or near Dolores.

Mike Znerold, district ranger of the Mancos-Dolores Ranger District, told the town board at its Monday meeting that the Forest Service is looking for additional land to build a new fire complex, complete with a warehouse and bunkhouse, with room to eventually consolidate administration and equipment buildings.

Because it would literally take an act of Congress for Znerold to get the authority to purchase land outright, a land swap is the only feasible option, said Znerold.

The Forest Service owns two city lots on the corner of 19th Street, one on the corner of Hillside and 19th, an equipment yard about 1 1/2 acres in size adjacent to Highway 145, undeveloped property across the Dolores River from Joe Rowell Park, and property adjacent to the town’s sewer ponds and McPhee Reservoir.

The Dolores Industrial Park includes 56 acres and is located near the intersection of highways 145 and 184 west. It is currently undeveloped, and lacks infrastructure such as water, sewer, and electricity. Znerold said that if the Forest Service built on part of the industrial park the agency would be responsible for providing services to the building.

Znerold said the swap would occur based on a commercial real-estate appraisal of equal value, and estimated it would take six months to a year to complete.

The town plans to discuss the swap further at the Monday workshop scheduled for Aug. 27 at 6:30 p.m.

In other business:

Carol Stepe approached the board on behalf of the Vanderpool family, which owns a 600-foot-long strip of property between the Dolores River and Highway 184, east of the Dolores Post Office. Mr. Vanderpool cannot develop the strip, and is proposing to swap his property for the 1,300-square-foot lot directly east of the post office.

"The lot next to the post office is used right now as a dump, and I’m pretty sure everyone will agree it’s a dump," said Stepe.

Currently, no buyer could build on Vanderpool’s property because of zoning and its narrow width, but Stepe said there have been business owners interested in building on the town’s property in the past.

"I’d like to see the town grow not fast-fast, but grow nice and slow. I’d hate to see another business go out of town," said Stepe.

Stepe said the assessed value of the town’s lot is $45,000 and Vanderpool’s strip is assessed at $65,000. If the swap occurs, Vanderpool plans to sell the town’s lot for commercial use, and give the town an easement to build a new, looped access into the post office. One problem with the sale is a drainpipe that lies on the town’s property, but Stepe said a structure could still be built adjacent to it.

"It looks good on paper, but there are still a number of things to be worked out," commented Mayor Jim Moore. The issue is scheduled for discussion at the town board’s next workshop.

The town is also trying to settle a dispute over which entity, the current owner of the post-office property or the town, is responsible for paying for repairs to the post-office access that would include a new curb and gutter, pavement and sidewalks.

Montezuma County Sheriff Joey Chavez proposed that the town either hire an overtime deputy to cover speeding on Railroad Avenue or provide the funds for another full-time deputy to cover the town.

"Recently we’ve had a lot of complaints about speeders," explained Chavez, who said this was the only solution he could see to the problem. The overtime deputy would cost the town $495.67 a week for the coverage.