Montezuma Ave. may be given historic attention

Montezuma Ave. may be given historic attention

Dec. 14, 2000

By Janelle Holden
Journal Staff Writer

WEDNESDAY MORNING’S snowfall frosts the median on Montezuma Avenue. The Cortez City Council is considering an ordinance that would make the street a historic site.

As council member Karen Garner put it, Montezuma Avenue is "the only extremely attractive street in Cortez."

But despite its acknowledged aesthetic value, the Cortez City Council decided last night to table a resolution designating the boulevard as a historic site.

The resolution, No. 34, Series 2000, was tabled primarily because of concerns voiced by Darlene Dennison — the only citizen to speak about the resolution. Dennison asked the board to allow more time for residents of Montezuma Avenue to comment on the proposal before they voted.

The proposal was recommended by the city’s Historic Preservation Board, which is composed of seven members. Jim McBride, the board’s chairman, said on Wednesday that, if approved, the historic street would stretch from the corner of Linden Street to Mildred.

McBride said the resolution would not affect the property rights of the houses along the side of the street because the designation would only run from curb to curb.

Also, the city would still be able to do maintenance and repair because it would be a city designation, not a state or national designation.

The only change the designation would bring is that new signs would be put up noting the historic nature of the street, McBride said.

Dennison, however, asked the board to consider the rights of the adjacent property owners, who, from her reading of the land-use code, may need the city’s approval before conducting any property changes.

"It’s just like the national monument," Dennison charged. "You lose property rights. It’s just not a feel-good — this is good for tourism routine. You don’t want to have to get an attorney every time you want to make a change to your house."

McBride said that, as far as he knew, a city designation would not affect property rights, but if there are those concerns, "We can always stipulate in a request to council that its designation will have no effect on private property rights or on the citystreet improvements," said McBride.

Montezuma Avenue is the only street in Cortez that has a median, except for a small portion of Market Street, north of Empire. McBride also said that it is one of the oldest streets in Cortez, dating back to the 1890s.

Ric Plese, the owner of a house on Montezuma Avenue, said that if the resolution protects the median, he is in favor of it.

"Being a horticulturist, and an arborist, when I walk my dog daily it’s a pleasure just to walk right out there under the big trees that are manicured," said Plese. "It’s even better taken care of than Third avenue in Durango."

The board decided to table the measure until January, so that other citizens might have the chance to comment.

"I think the intent is good, but we don’t need to go this far," said Garner.

In other business on Tuesday:

State Rep. Mark Larson (R-Cortez) met with the council during an early work session to "get his marching orders" to take back to the Colorado legislature. The council asked Larson to consider ways to revoke TABOR tax restrictions, advocated implementing a state Internet sales tax, and wanted to speed up road construction on South Broadway.
Mayor Joe Keck asked Chief of Police Roy Lane and City Manager Hal Shepherd to discuss ways to stop a trucker from driving over a resident’s yard in order to park in front of his house. The woman, who is elderly and bedridden, lives on Texas Street off of Main, and has complained numerous times. The council discussed, with her permission, putting up a steel post on the corner of her property.
The council agreed to postpone a decision on whether to sign a fiber-optics contract with Fone.Net to the Jan. 23 board meeting. Keck asked the council to attend a presentation by the Durango City Council on Jan. 8, explaining the implementation of Durango’s fiber-optics ring.

The council agreed, but not without some hesitation. "I don’t think it’s going to get any better than what we’ve got on the table, and if we wait any longer we may be shooting ourselves in the foot," said Garner.

"I have a hard time thinking that I can look east and get any true wisdom," noted Herrick.

Lane reported that seven letters have been written and one citation issued, with one pending, for various refuse and weed violations on North Madison Street, which had been the subject of a complaint at an earlier council meeting.
The council passed on final reading an ordinance removing the 500-foot buffer zone between restaurants that serve alcohol and schools.

Student representative Daniel Puls was concerned that intoxicated clientele would wander into school sporting events on Saturday nights if this was passed. But the council pointed out that there were laws preventing restaurants from serving intoxicated customers, and besides, "Do you think that those people are going to want to hang out at the schools?" asked Garner.

Council member Jim Herrick was the only one to vote against the ordinance.