Parks Master Plan: An Element of the Durango Comprehensive Plan: Durango, Colorado

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2.1 DURANGO'S DEMOGRAPHIC CONTEXT Any analysis of park and recreation needs must take into account Durango's specific population dynamics: the significant influence of County and tourist visitors, in addition to the City's overall projected growth. The 1997 Comprehensive Plan projects a growth rate ranging from 0.5% to 3% per year. For the general purpose of establishing an order -of- magnitude, future projection we show below an average of 1.8% growth over the next 20 years, which yields a 2020 population of approximately 21,000. This represents a cumulative increase of 42 %. This increase alone will demand a significant increase in public recreation facilities. Durango also receives a significant tourism influx both in the summer and winter that is not reflected in the above population figures. For example, it is estimated that Durango receives up to 200,000 visitors each year related to the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Mesa Verde is thought to bring approximately 700,000 tourists annually to the general Durango area. Many of these regional tourists visit Durango and take advantage of City park and recreation amenities such as the Animas River Trail, Santa Rita Park, rafting on the Animas River, and mountain biking. They also utilize the City's park facilities to picnic, relax, get exercise, walk their dogs, etc. (Although this usage is thought to be significant, it is difficult to measure and therefore is not reflected in the level -of- service calculations in this Master Plan.) Similarly, Durango is a commercial and service center for La Plata County. Many residents of the County that reside outside the City take advantage of Durango's park facilities and recreation programs. For example, Durango's youth sport registration records for 2000 show that non -city residents accounted for 56% of the j�M o r k.t �; a , at °d�+s"