Valencia County residents urge commissioners to rethink Los Lunas Boulevard East Side extension

Valencia County commissioners voted April 29 to restore the 12 previously studied East Side expansion alternatives and add a no-build option, then heard more than an hour of public comment from residents who said the Los Lunas Boulevard proposal would endanger neighborhoods and agricultural land.

The resolution directing further evaluation was presented by a staff presenter, who said commissioners and staff had received extensive public concern that the county had narrowed the alternatives. "We can restore all the original options, the 12 options, and add a no option alternative," the presenter told the commission, and the board voted to move forward with expanded public participation.

At the public-comment period, Maria Leiva Delgado, a nearby property owner, said the boulevard would expose her family and child to safety risks and asked the commission for the traffic reports that justify a new road rather than improving existing corridors. "I highly suggest that you please consider existing roads for the safety of our families and the well-being of this community," she said.

Sam Adams, who lives in Ponderosa Farms, warned that the East Side extension could dump years of additional traffic onto Highway 47 and local residential streets, making them "unlivable" unless immediate mitigation is provided. Adams asked the commission to adopt traffic-calming measures, local-traffic-only restrictions and a community protection bond to fund restoration of impacted residential streets.

Multiple speakers — including Jessica Montano, Kathy Sanchez, Bruce Yates, Gabe Hernandez and others — described a common set of concerns: loss of rural character, increased speeds and noise, safety risks for children and livestock, and the prospect of eminent-domain takings. Several residents urged the commission to improve existing loops (North and South El Cerro) instead of cutting a new four-lane boulevard through established neighborhoods.

Some speakers also raised process questions, including whether the promised set of options (including no-build) was accurately reflected in the resolution and who funded project advertising and signage that residents said had appeared near intersections.

The commission's action restores the earlier alternatives for further study and schedules additional public engagement (the county also announced a town hall for April 30 at Anne Parrish Elementary School). The resolution does not adopt a final route; it directs staff and consultants to re-open analyses and invites more community comment before a decision is made.