By LISA SHIN
Optometrist
Los Alamos Family Eyecare

On May 7, our County Council approved the boundaries of a Metropolitan Redevelopment Area (MRA). Based on the criteria for having an MRA, “aged infrastructure, low occupancy rates, and conditions of blight,” the 800 Trinity building should not be included in its boundaries. I would like to submit my public comment made at this meeting.

“I’m Lisa Shin and I’m Secretary of the 800 Trinity Condo Association. I’m a small business owner and a health care provider. And I have strong objections to including 800 Trinity in the MRA and I ask that you exclude this building which is well functioning. It’s fully utilized. We have Top Nails. We have a hairdresser. We have office-space for LANL. We have two extremely busy eye care providers that are providing tremendous goods and services to our community. We also have a Christian Science Church that meets there. And so I just want you to  understand that in a condo association, we have owners that pay dues. And we take care of our own maintenance and repairs, so we really don’t need this kind of assistance to maintain our building. We are not vacant. We’re not under-utilized. We don’t have low levels of commercial activity. It’s a very busy building with lots of traffic in and out. It’s not in poor condition or out of date. We’re constantly making improvements to the building. I do feel that if this building is included in the MRA, it would not strengthen local business activity, as I said in my letter. It would not launch new business. In fact, it would do the opposite. It would have a devastating impact on the small business owners that are currently in this building. And it would be a huge disservice to this community. So, I respectfully again ask that you exclude 800 Trinity from the MRA. Thank you.”