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Steering committee advances future‑use planning for Moab Mill site; public input and transit center ideas emphasized
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Summary
Grand County planners and DOE reviewed the 2023 site‑features plan, public feedback supporting trails and an event center, and possible uses for a 14‑acre DOE parcel and a 95‑acre community park; committee members discussed a point of contact and interagency coordination ahead of land transfer decisions.
Grand County planning staff and steering committee members used the Dec. 27 meeting to advance future‑use planning for the Moab Mill site as DOE prepares for site transition. "We started the first one in 2013 and 2018, and now this last one in 2023," a planner said, outlining the five‑year review cycle for the site‑features plan.
Why it matters: The county has proposed a future‑use vision—including a community park, trails, transit center and limited development on a 14‑acre parcel—contingent on federal land transfer and funding. Committee members stressed that community input and early coordination will shape what assets are retained or removed during the remediation transition.
Public input and planning principles: Presenters summarized 179 online survey responses used in the 2023 update; the most supported elements were an event center and trails, while proposals for federal offices and large food‑court concepts drew less public support. The planning team said it used ten guiding principles prioritizing local usefulness, health and safety, and partnerships with agencies such as Legacy Management.
Specific site ideas: The committee discussed a 14‑acre parcel now housing DOE offices (possible scientific/technical campus or other economic uses) and a larger ~95‑acre area proposed for a community park with low‑water landscaping, trails and small play/exercise areas that minimize irrigation. Russ Van Coghul and others described a proposed transit center to shuttle visitors from downtown and nearby towns to the site during events and day use.
Coordination, POC and next steps: DOE requested a point of contact and suggested small working groups involving county/city technical staff to inventory infrastructure the community wants to retain (for example, roads, water/sewer connections and utility crossings). Committee members agreed to restart a working group to coordinate design, public outreach and funding strategies ahead of any land transfer.
Model sites and outreach: Barbara reviewed a stakeholder tour of Las Colonias in Grand Junction (a reclaimed mill site), described its amphitheater and public amenities as a model, and invited committee members to the April tile‑transfer ceremony and to review materials on the project website and at the local reading room.
Ending: Planners said the next formal five‑year site‑features review is due in 2028 unless accelerated; committee members asked staff to resend the 2023 plan documents and to identify POC(s) for Green River waterline, sewage/water connections and other infrastructure matters.