Commissioners approve purchase of 301 Shirk Lane for Mountain View restorative‑justice park

The Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners voted to authorize the county manager to execute a purchase agreement for roughly 43 acres at 301 Shirk Lane Southwest to establish the Mountain View Restorative Justice Park and preserve farmland for future local food production.

Sarah Love of the county’s real estate office told commissioners the purchase price is $2,420,000, funded primarily by the open‑space mill levy and the $1 million appropriation from AR 2024‑34. Parks planning manager John Barney said the acquisition preserves agricultural capacity while allowing the county to set aside approximately 4.5 acres for a neighborhood park close to Mountain View Elementary School.

"The majority of this acreage will continue to be farmland going forward," Barney said, and he emphasized the acquisition is intended to implement prior policy goals and restore community agency through a participatory planning process. He said staff will pursue the conditional‑use and replating steps needed to create the park parcel and expects design work and community meetings through 2026 with construction potentially in 2027, contingent on funding and entitlements.

Residents who spoke during public comment were split: neighborhood advocates and Mountain View parents urged acquisition and said a park would provide play space, educational gardens and community gathering space; other neighbors opposed the purchase over concerns about potential crime, parking, and unclear guarantees about open‑space protections. County staff said mill‑levy restrictions require open‑space uses for the bulk of the purchase and that the county can include protections—such as limiting future conversion—to address neighborhood concerns.

Commissioners approved the purchase by roll call; staff committed to continued, structured community engagement and to environmental and entitlement reviews before final park development.