4TH OF JULY in a small town - there's nothing like it. An outdoor breakfast in Rotary Park, arts and crafts in Buckley Park, patriotic readings on Main Avenue, and a KCBS sanctioned BBQ Cookoff; downtown was packed.

The BBQ cookoff, sponsored by the Kiwanis as a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Clubs, drew 29 cooking teams from as far away as Florida. These were some of the guys you see on the Food Network specials. We spent 2 days preparing and serving chicken, ribs, pork shoulder and brisket to the public and judges. Our team raised over $3,200 for the area clubs.

The celebration was completed by a terrific parade lead by the Westwind Piper Band. Uncle Sam, Clydedales, Freemasons, Harleys and the Ladies and Gents of the Historical Society rounded out the spectacle that ended with a brilliant fireworks display.

Oh, by the way - we placed 6th in Pork Shoulder and 2nd in Brisket. Now THAT'S COOL!

http://HomesInDurango.com

This morning's headline in the Durango Herald is "County Pulls Plug on Land-use Code." WHAT!!!!!

After more than five years of having the new land use code shoved down our throats by the County Planners and Commissioners we're now told that the code is not "the best path to the community we want to see," by Planning Director Erick Aune.

Under previous planning director Nancy Lauro the planning department told us the new land use policies would control and limit urban sprawl. Now under planning director Erick Aune the planning department tells us the new code would actually increase sprawl rather than combat it. Aune says the county should focus on a comprehensive plan - "a central guiding document that would inform all functions of county government" - and from that a land use code would flow relatively easily. What a bunch of *#@^(*.

We have spent untold hours of effort and only God knows how much money to develop a land use plan for the county and now we're going to start over? These people need to take their educated rear ends and head back to Boulder or wherever it is they came from. ( And take the Commissioners with them.)

http://HomesInDurango.com

AFFORDABLE HOUSING??? The Durango City Council has adopted our first official affordable housing policy by passing the Fair Share Housing inclusionary-zoning regulation. The policy will be added to the Land Use and Development Code, and requires builders to provide a percentage of affordable units or pay a fee in lieu for each new development of more than 2 units. Under the amendment 16 percent of homes in new developments would have to be priced as affordable or attainable under a four-tiered income and pricing structure formulated by the Regional Housing Alliance of La Plata County.

No one disagrees that the Durango area is in need of more housing that is affordable for our citizens. But who is going to pick up the tab for the price reduction on the units or the fees in lieu. Simply put - the buyers of the other units in the development. Builders will pass on the costs and prices will escalate.

The solution to affordable housing does not lie within the city limits of Durango. Land is too expensive. Affordable development must happen in non-incorporated areas of the county. But that would be "urban sprawl" and good luck with county planners.

The bright side is maybe the situation will solve itself. The way the national economy is looking, we're likely to have plenty of cheap housing.

http://HomesInDurango.com
http://DurangoRealEstate.biz

THE DRYSIDE??? The arid western portion of La Plata County, where residents draw drinking water from wells or truck it home in tanks, appears ready to shed the "Dryside" label hung by old-timers.

Next week, ground will be broken on a $6 million intake at Lake Nighthorse southwest of Durango. Treated reservoir water then would be available for residents in a 250 square mile area on Fort Lewis Mesa. The reservoir, part of the Animas-La Plata Project, which is nearly complete, is to start filling in early 2009.

Critical funding for the intake project came from the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.

It's estimated that the 700 acre feet of water in Lake Nighthorse that is available to the project is enough to serve 3,600 homes on the Dryside.

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http://www.durangorealestate.biz/

THIRD QUARTER STATS: The median sale price for homes in Durango slipped 14 percent during the July 1 to September 30 period, while the number sold dropped 20 percent, and dollar volume fell 23 percent, compared with the same period in 2007.

The median price is the midpoint of all homes sold - where half of the homes cost more and half cost less. As sales of higher priced homes have slowed, the resulting "median price" has come down. Overall the value of real estate in our area has remained remarkably stable when compared to other markets throughout the nation.

We are hearing reports from Arizona, southern California and Las Vegas that these markets have bottomed out and are beginning to mend. If true, it bodes well for our Durango markets. Hopefully by the spring we'll see a return to normalcy.

http://HomesInDurango.com
http://DurangoRealEstate.biz

MORE FROM THE BLOTTER:

Monday:

11:05 p.m. A caller from the 5800 block of Main Avenue said her boyfriend was drunk and
belligerent. He was to spend the night in another room.

11:54 p.m. A caller from the 5800 block of Main Avenue said here boyfriend was passed out in
front of her room.

Tuesday:

11:49 a.m. A man sitting in a red van in the parking lot of Pueblo Community College, 701
Camino Del Rio, had been there since 9 a.m. watching people come and go.

Saturday:

2:00 a.m. A man was in the street screaming and hitting cars in the 2900 block of Richard
Drive. He had been kicked out of his house.

3:45 a.m. A neighbor reported a woman screaming in the 3600 block of 502. A deputy reported
finding a lot of cat hair in the road.


To Be Continued.....

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http://durangorealestate.biz/

CONSERVATION EASEMENTS: Since 2000, Colorado has encouraged land protection with a generous tax credit to conservation easement donors. The credit, worth 50% of the easement's value (but capped at $375,000), may be used against the donor's taxes or sold to other taxpayer's. Any portion unused/unsold in the year of the donation may be carried forward for 20 years. For 2008 the amount of this credit remains unchanged. However, House Bill 08-1354 has created new rules. Beginning in July 2008, easement appraisers must submit each appraisal, with a $600 fee, to the State for review; and beginning in January 2010, only easement granted to state-certified land trusts will generate a tax credit. The new certification program will begin accepting applications in January 2009.

http://HomesInDurango.com
http://DurangoRealEstate.biz