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Los Ranchos approves two property purchases for El Pueblo–4th Street roundabout and stormwater pond using COVID‑relief funds
Summary
Trustees approved two purchase contracts for parcels needed for a planned roundabout and an associated stormwater holding pond; presenters said purchases are under contract, funded with federal COVID Rescue Relief funds and tied to an approved design. The motions passed on roll calls recorded as 3‑0.
The Board of Trustees approved two separate purchase contracts on Jan. 20 to acquire land for a planned traffic calming project at El Pueblo and 4th Street.
A staff presenter identified in the packet as Miss Rinaldi described Resolution 2026‑01‑03 as a purchase of a small portion of an existing parcel needed for a roundabout as part of the 4th Street revitalization Phase 2B. Trustees questioned appraisal differences between partial takings—one appraisal was roughly 20% higher than a comparable appraisal for a neighboring partial taking—and asked staff to confirm valuation details. The presenter said appraisals were completed, a purchase contract has been signed by the property owner, and funding is in place under the accepted design.
The board then considered Resolution 2026‑01‑04: a purchase contract with Catholic Foundation Real Property Holdings LLC for an entire parcel intended to accommodate the roundabout and to house a surface stormwater holding pond as part of the project’s drainage solution. Presenters said the pond would be owned and operated by the village and that the purchase and project scope are tied to NMDOT funding and the approved design. Trustee Kiefer noted a typographical correction in the resolution’s parcel description and asked whether the purchase would include any recreational design elements; staff said this purchase covers the pond only, but excess parcel area could later be used for landscaping or recreational amenities at the village’s discretion.
Trustees clarified the funding source: the purchases are budgeted and will be paid with federal COVID Rescue Relief funds awarded to the village. Both resolutions were approved on roll‑call votes recorded as 3‑0.
Why it matters: the purchases secure land needed to implement an approved traffic and drainage project; holding and stormwater designs affect future public‑space possibilities and ongoing maintenance obligations.
Next steps: staff will proceed toward closing on the contracts and will return with any design elements the village chooses to add for public use or landscaping.
