La Junta says at least four more city-owned properties lack disposition plans

La Junta officials said the city owns at least four other properties similar to 322 Harriet Avenue but has no plan for them, pointing to a broader property-maintenance and disposition issue beyond the council’s authorization to convey Harriet Avenue to Otero College.

During the La Junta City Council’s Aug. 31 special meeting, City Manager Michael Hart said, “There are; according to Brock Hinkhouse, we have at least four” other properties of a similar nature. Asked whether the city had a plan for them, Hart replied: “Not yet, no,” according to the meeting minutes.

The minutes do not identify the properties or provide their addresses, conditions, maintenance costs, ownership details or intended uses. They also do not record a deadline or formal strategy for deciding whether to rehabilitate, demolish or convey them.

Officials discussed possible approaches, not adopted plans. Mayor Joseph Ayala said the city might have to pay for asbestos abatement or use an arrangement similar to the Otero College project. “We either have to pay to get the asbestos abated on that property, or we have something cool like this Otero program that can do that,” Ayala said.

Hart estimated that a comparable demolition cost the city between $10,000 and $12,000, excluding asbestos abatement. He said the structure had been a hoarder’s house and may have contained more material than a vacant property. The minutes do not provide demolition or abatement estimates for the four properties.

Ayala also cited outside assistance as a possible way to reduce costs. He said some properties had received Environmental Protection Agency grants for asbestos abatement, including a building across from City Hall where, he said, EPA work cost the city nothing. The minutes do not say that any of the four properties received a grant or that an application is pending.

Harriet Avenue project

The council voted 5-0 Aug. 31 to authorize conveying the city-owned property at 322 Harriet Avenue to Otero College. Council Member Scott Copley abstained, and Council Member Lisa Pantoya was absent. Hart described the dwelling as “essentially a junk property” that costs the city about $2,500 a year to maintain.

Otero plans to use construction-management students to rehabilitate the dwelling and handle its asbestos abatement. The minutes say the college will take care of “all the asbestos abatement, etc.” They do not provide a project budget, asbestos inspection or rehabilitation schedule.

Council Member Rikhof described the work as part of a larger effort called the “Copper Grant,” involving the Colorado Attorney General’s Office. The state’s COPERR program description says the program combines rural-housing revitalization with construction-trades education and remediation training at participating community colleges. It says Otero developed a 16-credit construction and remediation program and identifies the college’s South Site housing facility as an initial revitalization project.

A 2023 report on Otero’s COPERR launch said the college received more than $400,000 in COPERR grant funds. Available records do not establish that those funds were awarded, committed or earmarked for 322 Harriet Avenue, nor do they identify a project-specific funding source for asbestos abatement there.

For the four other city-owned properties, the documented next step is further city decision-making; no disposition plan was recorded. For Harriet Avenue, the council authorized the conveyance while Otero prepares for student-led rehabilitation and asbestos work.