By ED BIRNBAUM
Los Alamos

I was pleased to see Council vote to enforce the Fire Marshall’s recommendation to require the owners of Hilltop House to demolish the building.

It’s a sad day for Los Alamos, but there are few alternatives in view of the legacy of neglect over the course of so many years.

I still remember eating lunch at a table by the big window on the second floor, with that killer view of the snow-capped Sangre de Cristo mountains, as part of one stop on a college graduation trip around the country with my best friend in 1964.

One thing that puzzles me is what appears to be a lack of ‘due diligence’ by the current owner of the property and Enterprise Bank, both of which are listed on the demolition order. It certainly wasn’t a secret that the building was in dire need of major renovation, and that it would likely have to be taken down and rebuilt to be safe.

Was the plan to purchase the property and leave it in that decrepit state indefinitely?

It would be useful to the community if the owners were more forthcoming regarding their intention as to the use of the site in the future, and their operational plan.