{"id":2459,"date":"2007-11-01T14:40:00","date_gmt":"2007-11-01T20:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/2007\/11\/trowbridge-fed-up-with-councils-focus-on-downtown\/"},"modified":"2007-11-01T14:40:00","modified_gmt":"2007-11-01T20:40:00","slug":"trowbridge-fed-up-with-councils-focus-on-downtown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2007\/11\/trowbridge-fed-up-with-councils-focus-on-downtown\/","title":{"rendered":"Trowbridge fed up with council’s focus on downtown"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>One of the central <\/span>questions in Tuesday\u2019s <\/span>Las Cruces municipal election<\/a> is whether the city\u2019s growth is out of control. This article is the second in a two-part series that explores that question. <\/span>Wednesday\u2019s article<\/a> looked at growth in a new area, while today\u2019s article considers infrastructure needs in older neighborhoods.<\/span> <\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>By Vicki Nisbett<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Streets that need paving, water mains that break and sidewalks built in the 1930s are just some of the items on the outgoing District 4 Las Cruces city councilor\u2019s list that need to be fixed, and he\u2019s frustrated it\u2019s not happening.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

In fact, that\u2019s why Steven Trowbridge<\/a> isn\u2019t seeking re-election.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cThe council is splurging on things that are not helping neighborhoods,\u201d he said. \u201c\u2026 That\u2019s why Steve Trowbridge is going off the council, because I can\u2019t stand the way (the money) is being spent.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/a>The city\u2019s growth is an issue in Tuesday\u2019s municipal election. Many citizens believe the city is not adequately keeping up with services and infrastructure maintenance in existing neighborhoods because it\u2019s too focused on new development. Trowbridge said he doesn\u2019t believe the city is growing too fast, but he does believe more revenue generated by the growth should be spent on infrastructure in existing neighborhoods.<\/p>\n

\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Trowbridge said the city\u2019s focus on downtown revitalization is taking money away from neighborhoods. City Manager Terrence Moore<\/a> said about $1.3 million has been spent for the recently completed Phase I project to reopen a section of Main Street<\/st1:address><\/st1:street>.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Much of the money for the revitalization is coming from outside sources, including grants and legislative appropriations, Moore<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> said. Several million additional dollars are anticipated for Phases II and III of downtown revitalization.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

The downtown debate<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Trowbridge, who was first elected in 1999, said he has no plans to seek any future office. Comments made to this reporter and another local newspaper last week were the first time he has publicly explained his reason for leaving the council.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a very human phenomenon that the more I protest, the more I question it, the more I alienate myself from council, the more isolated my district will become,\u201d Trowbridge said Friday.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI put myself in the minority questioning the wisdom of the downtown plan,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have limited resources, so we have to choose. I see the multi-million dollar downtown investment taking money away from improvements in the neighborhoods. It\u2019s largely a choice of council.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

District 6 Councilor Gil Jones<\/a> said downtown revitalization is not No. 1 on his list, but it\u2019s a high-priority item.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI look forward to the downtown mall (revitalization),\u201d Jones said. \u201cI moved here in 1972. It seemed, almost immediately after I moved here, I noticed residents were complaining they want their downtown back. I think it will be good for the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

District 3 Councilor Dolores Archuleta<\/a> agreed with Jones that downtown revitalization will attract new businesses. She said it will bring in new jobs to Las Cruces<\/st1:city><\/st1:place>.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI did not know why Councilor Trowbridge was leaving, but I did know that he disagreed with the council,\u201d Archuleta said. \u201cThe majority of the council thinks (the downtown revitalization) is a priority.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Jones said attractive and enticing communities draw industry. He envisions a downtown district that includes museums, entertainment and a strong workforce, in addition to high-density homes and surrounding residents, and said it will draw businesses to consider locating downtown.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Trowbridge says growth isn\u2019t out of control<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\n

Though he has problems with the focus of downtown, Trowbridge said he does not believe Las Cruces<\/st1:city><\/st1:place> is growing too quickly. He agrees with Moore, who said the city has been engaged in the same approach to growth since the 1940s. Trowbridge said those who say Las Cruces is growing too fast never point out the city\u2019s growth rate or discuss what they think is the optimum growth rate.<\/p>\n

\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Archuleta does not think growth is a problem.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cThe stats presented to the city council, by David Weir, community development director, at our Oct. 8 council meeting, showed a 3 percent (annual) growth in the city over a number of years,\u201d Archuleta said. \u201cThis percentage is very good and manageable, so the growth in the city, in my opinion, is not out of control.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Jones agreed and also pointed out the city\u2019s unemployment rate is a healthy 4 percent.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

<\/span>\u201cWe\u2019re experiencing a healthy rate of growth, a much more rapid rate of growth then Las Cruces<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> has experienced in the past, but I don\u2019t see that (as) out-of-control growth,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Some people see recent annexations as uncontrolled growth, Jones said. He said just because real estate is annexed doesn\u2019t mean it is developed in the short term and immediately increases the population. Some of those annexations will take decades upon decades to develop, he said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Jones thinks the city has planned its growth. He said O\u00f1ate<\/st1:placename> High School<\/st1:placetype> was built in 1993, and the city built main road systems that were lined out by professionals in anticipation of East Mesa<\/st1:place> growth. <\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

District 4 projects are getting funding<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

The city\u2019s growth is bringing increased revenue into the city, Trowbridge said. In addition to gross receipts, the city gets revenue from other sources, such as the state appropriations.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

The El Molino flood control project has been the biggest capital improvement in District 4. The first four phases have been completed, including construction of a large catchment area that goes under Valley Drive<\/st1:address><\/st1:street> to bring water to Burn<\/st1:placename> Lake<\/st1:placetype><\/st1:place>, and reconstruction of roads and the city\u2019s only storm sewer system. Additional bond monies were approved in September for added maintenance.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Jones said the city will receive about $19 million for capital improvements, including the El Molino project, this year. Archuleta said the El Molino project has received a lot of money. She also pointed out that Burn<\/st1:placename> Lake<\/st1:placetype><\/st1:place>, which is located in Trowbridge\u2019s district, has received \u201ca lot of funding.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

The city manager said he believes the city is working on keeping up with infrastructure needs in existing neighborhoods.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cThe City of Las Cruces<\/st1:city> is working in the affirmative as far as existing neighborhoods, infrastructure, parks and other capital projects,\u201d Moore<\/st1:city><\/st1:place> said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Despite the problems Trowbridge sees, one resident of his district, Joe A. Duran, a retired resident on Circle Drive, has been pleased with work that has been done in his neighborhood. Duran said Trowbridge helped rehabilitate his neighborhood through the El Molino project.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cHe took an old neighborhood and saw to it that something was done,\u201d Duran said. \u201cIt had constant problems with sewage and problems with water.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Trowbridge says more funding is needed<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

But some streets in District 4 are seriously underfunded, Trowbridge said. Some of the streets in his district that need repaving include First Street<\/st1:address><\/st1:street>, which is a difficult situation to address because it\u2019s less than half of the 37-foot width it should be. Because it\u2019s next to an irrigation ditch, widening it would weaken the side of the ditch.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have capitalized our assets showing that our streets are $125 million, so if you follow a given formula, we\u2019re coming up short. We need $8 million per year for street maintenance and we\u2019re getting $4 million,\u201d Trowbridge said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Trowbridge said the cost of rebuilding some aging streets is so high because it will require the installation of new gas lines and conduits, which requires that streets be lowered. Broken water mains constantly flood Brown Road<\/st1:address><\/st1:street>, Trowbridge said. He also cited problems on Sunset and Williams streets.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe could just tar it, but we\u2019d have to rip it all out again,\u201d Trowbridge said. \u201cPeople get so frustrated because they have been waiting for years.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

The El Molino project needs more funding, he said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cIf El Molino is listed as a priority with our legislative lobbyists, why isn\u2019t it getting funded?\u201d he asked. \u201cA short answer to this is, (it\u2019s) because the majority of the city council is listing such things as the downtown mall as the No. 1 priority.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Nisbett<\/a> is a reporting intern for Heath Haussamen on New Mexico Politics.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the central questions in Tuesday\u2019s Las Cruces municipal election is whether the city\u2019s growth is out of control. This article is the second in a two-part series that explores that question. Wednesday\u2019s article looked at growth in a new area, while today\u2019s article considers infrastructure needs in older neighborhoods. By Vicki Nisbett Streets […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2459","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2459","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2459"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2459\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2459"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2459"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2459"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}