By GEORGIA STRICKFADEN
Los Alamos

After many planning and tweaking sessions, which were primarily dominated by an exuberant bicycling crowd, the North Mesa Park Master Plan was approved by the Parks and Recreation Board on Dec. 11, with very little discussion. The plan now will go before the County Council.

See for yourselves the North Mesa Park Master Plan here.

Neighborhoods adjacent to the park include Tsikumu Village, La Mesa Mobile Home Park, Pueblo Canyon Cliffs, Broadview Estates, and two apartment complexes. These residents will be most affected by the developments proposed in this Master Plan, but I fear that most haven’t been engaged in the process.

This letter addresses only one small, but important, open space. As I have stated at meetings and written as comments in surveys, the North Mesa neighborhoods could lose their Natural Habitat Area with its accessible walking trail. It is located east of North Mesa Park Road (the road to the Rodeo Arena from San Ildefonso Road).

Proposed in the Master Plan are man-made recreational developments encroaching into that natural area, especially a 5-acre bike park. To quote the Master Plan document under “Existing Conditions”, about the area east of North Mesa Park Road is a “Paved Walking Trail—A narrow loop through the field approximately 4-feet wide: Heavily used by walkers, joggers, and dog owners.”

Also recorded in that same document are summaries from public input, which include the sentiment of residents hoping to maintain its character as their neighborhood park.

Note that North Mesa Park is only part of some broader planning of the now designated North Mesa Recreational Area, in which the use of artificial turf is on the table, as well as the re-arrangement of playing fields, etc. So, stay tuned in. Remember that you have a say.

Specific to North Mesa Park, though, and the existing Natural Habitat Area, in the final plan just approved by the Parks & Recreation Board, the proposed 5-acre bike park is shown in the area east of North Mesa Park Road where the current paved path goes through the native vegetation. The original accommodation for the bike park was to locate it to the west of North Mesa Park Road, between the soccer field and the road. However, the “field” with the walking trail looked easier for building the bike park, despite it already being in use as open space and Natural Habitat Area. The peaceful natural area with a paved (accessible) trail serves all folks in the adjacent neighborhoods where they can, and do, walk in nature, with very little disturbance. Quoting Los Alamos’ first Open Spaces Manager Craig Martin, “It’s an important part of a lot of lives in Los Alamos to walk out the door and be on a trail.”

Being able to experience that accessible wild area by people of all abilities and challenges will be compromised by developing anything more than a trail there. The people wishing for a bike park turned down other viable and larger pieces of open space elsewhere in the county and want your recreational space.

Much more can be said in defense of that small piece of native mesa-top, but the main purpose of this letter is to alert residents on North Mesa that changes are coming to their park that may diminish their quality of life in Los Alamos. Keep an eye on upcoming County Council agendas for the North Mesa Park Master Plan, which will be presented for approval. You can still be heard.

Editor’s note: Georgia Strickfaden is an Open Spaces advocate and lifelong resident, hiker, bicyclist, and horseperson.