A small group cheered Tuesday inside the historic U.S. Forest Service buildings in downtown Dolores on the corner of Sixth Street and Central Avenue.
The buildings have sat empty for five years, something that will no longer be the case following a signing ceremony Tuesday that transferred the property to the Dolores School District.
The transfer of the land was under the Education Land Grant Act, through which the school district was able to acquire the property for educational purposes for $10 per acre and payment of the associated costs of transfer. In addition, the Dolores School District agreed to purchase the four buildings on the property under the U.S. Forest Service Facility Realignment and Enhancement Act for $114,500 following an appraisal to establish market value.
The buildings will provide working space for district offices, training space for district staff and classroom space for students on alternative placement among other educational uses.
This is a long time coming, said San Juan Public Lands Manager Bill Dunkelberger. This is a really innovative way to allow the school district to occupy this building. I worked here in 1987 as a seasonal employee in the basement, so I have history here.
The school district will make payments to the forest service and likely will own the buildings in two years.
School Superintendent Mark MacHale signed the purchase and conveyance document Tuesday morning, and Scott Cooper, MacHales replacement starting July 1, signed a special use permit to allow the district to occupy the building while payments are being made.
To me, this is a win-win, Dunkelberger said.
Dunkelberger thanked U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., for working on the project. A representative of Bennets handed out the following statement Tuesday:
This common-sense transfer of land and a ranger station that the Forest Service no longer needs will help the Dolores School District gain much-needed additional space to better serve its students. I am glad that the Forest Service and the school district were able to work together with the local community to make this a reality and that the school district was able to collect the necessary resources for the purchase.
In 2009, Bennet asked the forest service to approve a request from the Dolores School District to transfer the land and building to the district. His office also identified the federal legislation that allowed the transfer of federal land to a school district.
MacHale said the school district administrative office will move into the main building. They are currently located at the top of the hill west of Dolores and behind the bus barn in an old, failing, modular building.
We really do have a need, MacHale said. We have a failing building. This is a win for the town, restaurants will benefit, the bank will benefit and the school will benefit. There will be 10 to 20 people here every day. We have this historic building back and useful for Dolores. We needed a solution and this was the most cost effective solution.
School board president Allan Thayer said he is thrilled with the transfer of the buildings.
I think its great this many groups can work together to accomplish something, he said.
There are four buildings on the land. The main building will be used for district staff. A large building the forest service converted from a garage into a conference room will be used for training. Two other buildings might be rented to other educational entities such as San Juan Board of Cooperative Educational Services.
The Civil Conservation Corps constructed the buildings in 1938. On Tuesday, the buildings showed their five years of neglect. Bricks were crumbling on the front steps, paint was peeling inside and the courtyard was overgrown.
But a school district crew was already busy trimming back overgrown hedges, cutting down vines that obscured windows and mowing thigh-high grass.
MacHale said the building just needs a little sweat equity.
It has been said that in September 2006 when the forest service moved all its employees out of Dolores to new buildings off Colorado Highway 184, it hurt Dolores, but many people hope occupying the downtown buildings again will help the town.
I think it will be good for the community. Im excited, school board member Linnea Vass said.
The property can only be used for contracted public school purposes and cannot be transferred.
