At Tuesday’s regular meeting the Salida City Council unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Chaffee County supporting the creation of a natural resources center. Under discussion for a number of years, the center would provide for the collocation of federal, state and local agencies. According to proponents, consolidating agencies on a single campus will improve the experience of visitors as well as create efficiencies for and improve communication between agencies.
Six separate federal and state natural resource management agencies currently operate twelve different facilities throughout Chaffee County. According to the city, each of these has expressed interest in a partnership to consolidate existing and proposed facilities into a single, multi-agency campus.
A feasibility study completed in July 2006 included a review of four potential locations as well as an economic impact analysis. The economic study found that the construction of the center would result in $26.6 million in (mostly) local spending and $3.9 million in new annual spending.
The campus will likely be located on Vandaveer Ranch, adjacent to Highway 50. The MOU, which will guide the cooperative effort by Salida and Chaffee County, was signed earlier Tuesday by commissioner Frank Holman.
City Administrator Lewis described the resource center as “a true economic development project that the city has gotten behind for all the right reasons.”
Looks great! Lets hope it fits into the master plan at Vandeveer.
cough…what master plan at Vandeveer? cough