By MELANEE HAND
Democratic County Councilor (appointed)
Seeking election

I hear a significant amount of discussion among County Council candidates about the need for more housing and growth. The County has already been working on many new housing projects, which are in different stages of development and construction.

Projects can take years to plan, design, and construct partially because County participation processes put a high priority on citizen input.

Additional housing has already been approved by Council and I can see several projects being built across the County. Many higher density apartments and shops are in different stages of development to fill areas where vacant buildings now stand. Keep in mind that the additional growth will require additional infrastructure needs and services, which might cause inconveniences for citizens during construction.

Senators, New Mexico Representatives, DOE and LANL have suggested considering a regional approach for LANL growth because there is an opportunity to support other nearby communities in our region and potentially accommodate growth more quickly. This information has been presented in several different public meetings including Council sessions recently.

If we focus on the health of our region, maybe one of our priorities should include better and more convenient transit interconnections between different towns and communities. Also, supporting a regional approach can preserve our precious open space.

One last thought: I was involved with land transfer processes over 20 years ago while working for LANL. I do not think that land transfer will be an answer for meeting current or near-term needs, especially since much land being proposed for transfer is not suitable for housing and could be transferred to the County for other purposes.