A local developer has proposed a new 28-lot RV park and tavern near Trimble Lane, about 10 miles north of Durango.
According to county records, the project – called Willow Springs RV Resort – would be located behind the Trimble True Value/PJ’s Gourmet Market shopping center. The property is about 4 acres and has one structure on it previously used as office space that would be removed as part of construction.
“This is going to be an upscale park,” said Geoff Schlittgen with Horizon Properties of Durango.
County records show the project would have 28 RV spaces, a 2,400-square-foot pavilion with room for food trucks and a bar, as well as a 1,000-square-foot office with laundry facilities.
In 2009, the property received approval to build a 37-unit hotel and two mixed-use buildings for a total of 14,619 square feet of commercial space, but it was never constructed.
“The owners of the property have decided to significantly downsize the project and are now proposing a much lower impact project,” the developers wrote in their application.
The Animas Valley is the only part of unincorporated La Plata County that has traditional zoning. The property in question is zoned commercial.
Megan Graham, spokeswoman for La Plata County, said the developers need to obtain a Class 2 land-use permit. That process is ongoing, and a neighborhood community meeting is scheduled for Oct. 3.
“On its face, the project matches the zoning, but there are still a bunch of requirements,” Graham said.
The property is surrounded by other commercial zoning to the north (townhomes) and west (Trimble Crossing shopping center).
To the south is the Dalton Ranch golf course that includes single-family homes. County records show the nearest home is 300 feet away, and developers say a berm will be built to mitigate light and noise impacts.
To the east is an undeveloped tract the U.S. Forest Service recently sold at auction to a buyer who has yet to be named.
“It’s going to be screened off,” Schlittgen said. “We want to create a sense of privacy within the park. You’ll hardly see anything from the outside.”
Schlittgen said the resort will likely attract retired couples. No generator use is allowed.
Developers say the park will provide nightly rentals on a year-round basis. The food truck pavilion, which they hope will serve as a neighborhood gathering place, will also be year-round, and hours are expected to be from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
If approved, the development would be accessed by Trimble Lane (County Road 252) and also from Trimble Crossing Drive by an easement. It would also receive water from the Animas Water Co.
jromeo@durangoherald.com