By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com

Los Alamos County Council decided to take no action on a citizen petition that called for an advisory commission to be formed for the Metropolitan Redevelopment Area (MRA) in eastern downtown Los Alamos.

The petition was submitted to the County July 23 and presented to council during its regular meeting Tuesday night. The motion to take no action passed 5-2 with Councilors David Reagor and Melanee Hand opposed.

Los Alamos Family Eyecare Owner Lisa Shin submitted the petition with 10 signatures, and an additional 33 obtained afterwards. The request for the commission was in response to a meeting between Columbus Capital, which owns the Mari Mac Shopping Center, where Shin’s business is located, and Los Alamos County staff.

Shin reported that this meeting was not made public even though Columbus Capital presented a funding proposal that totaled nearly $32 million for its proposed plans for Mari Mac, which she said includes retail space, housing and public facilities.

Since public monies would be involved in this project, Shin said a commission is needed.

“…forming a MRA commission is the best way to ensure that we have a clear, streamlined and transparent process for how MRA, LEDA funds are approved,” Shin said. “Any commitment of public funds must be made in a public meeting, not behind closed doors.”

Council Vice Chair Theresa Cull, who made the motion to take no further action on the petition, argued that at this point, there is no need for a commission.

“I do agree we need to formally establish ourselves [Council] as that commission for the MRA but there hasn’t been any reason to do that up to this point … what we saw with Columbus Capital was one alternative that they wanted us, as in the staff, to consider,” she said. “It hasn’t come to council for any discussion … It’s not something that would come to the council until it is really something we do want to consider.”

Reagor disagreed; he said a commission should be formed now. He noted that progress on the MRA in White Rock, which does not have a commission, seems to have stalled.

Hand concurred; saying that a commission may help satisfy the public’s call for more transparency.

In an unrelated matter, council approved 5-2, with Reagor and Councilor Randall Ryti opposed, to advance for further consideration a road improvement option for an approximately half-mile portion of Trinity Drive that begins at Oppenheimer Drive and ends at Knecht Street.

During the staff presentation, it was reported that this is a multi-phased project. The first phase is to look at existing conditions, then weigh different options for the roadway before moving into preliminary and final design.

The option council advanced includes the following:

• One 12-foot westbound lanel;
• Two 11-foot eastbound lanes,
• A center 14-foot two-way left-turn lane;
• On street 5-foot bike lanes in both directions; and
• 5-foot minimum width sidewalks.

Furthermore, it was requested that the County Manager return with a resolution of support to be given to the New Mexico Department of Transportation, which owns Trinity Drive, and that options be presented to reduce the number of curb cuts on the north and south sides.

Councilor Suzie Havemann motioned to approve this option, saying she felt this was a good alternative to a road diet.

“The road diet option for the full extent of Trinity Drive would be very unpopular and potentially counterproductive for safety reasons because I feel people would get so wound up by the time they hit Knecht Street, they’ll be wanting to get out of town pretty fast,” she said. “I also worry about it for emergency and evacuation purposes, and I also worry about it if for some reason there’s an incident on the Truck Route or on Central Avenue, the traffic load on Trinity would be magnified quite a bit. As much as I like the road diet where it is currently located … I don’t think it is the right solution where we have so many businesses and curb cuts.”

Ryti and Reagor disagreed; Ryti cited safety concerns and felt other alternatives should be considered. Reagor said he disliked elements of the selected option, including reducing driveways.

In other business, council:

• Unanimously approved revisions to the boards and commission orientation manual;
• Unanimously approved a contract of approximately $2.7 million for the chiller replacement at the ice rink;
• Voted 6-1 with Reagor opposed to form an Inclusivity Task Force to determine the need for an ongoing advisory board that would make recommendations to council regarding inclusivity for all races, cultures, genders and sexual orientations; and
• Unanimously approved to designate Hand as the voting delegate for the New Mexico Municipal League conference in August. Intergovernmental Affairs Manager Danielle Duran will be the alternate.

The next council meeting will be a work session on Aug. 20.