BY KEVIN HOLSAPPLE
Los Alamos

The North Mesa Picnic Grounds are a staple of our community. I have enjoyed using them for years, from the disc golf course and picnic facilities to using them as a starting point for hikes. However, while I generally enjoy the grounds, like other County facilities, they need maintenance. As the County looks to improve the Bayo Canyon Trailhead, we have a unique opportunity to address these maintenance needs while addressing our parking challenges in a way that is fiscally responsible and user-friendly.

The Current Proposal vs. A Common-Sense Alternative

The County’s current momentum is behind a project to build an entirely new intersection and road where people currently park near the San Ildefonso roundabout. This plan would create an entrance road descending into a flat meadow area where a new, developed parking lot and restroom would be built. The road would cross the existing trails.

There is a better way. By relocating the primary trailhead parking to the North Mesa Picnic Grounds, we can utilize existing infrastructure and avoid the high costs of new construction.

• Fiscal Responsibility: Developing a new area creates permanent, long-term maintenance obligations. Relocating parking allows funds to be reprogrammed for higher-priority projects, such as trail accessibility or the North Road Equestrian Route.
  
• Safety Improvements: The current parking turn-off is located on a steep, busy section of road near the roundabout. Using the existing, flat intersections at the Picnic Grounds is a much safer alternative. Avoiding mixing up cars crossing trails would be safer.
  
• Preserving User Experience: The County’s plan would send automobile traffic directly across the trail where hikers, bikers, and equestrians emerge from the tunnel. It would also likely eliminate a popular local sledding area. The meadow area could be retained and enhanced.
  

A Vision for an Accessible Recreation Hub

Beyond just parking, we can transform the Picnic Grounds into a centralized recreation hub with relatively simple improvements. This vision includes:

1. ADA Accessibility: Instead of high-cost development in the canyon, we can create a beautiful, 1-mile network of accessible trail loops within the relatively flat picnic grounds and Loma Linda Park.
2. Equestrian Support: We can incorporate improvements to the proposed winter equestrian route across the grounds, enhancing the utility of our existing trails.
3. Enhanced Amenities: The Picnic Grounds already have restrooms and picnic tables. Renovating these existing facilities is a “trivial project” compared to building new ones from scratch in the canyon and then maintaining those in perpetuity.

If you would like to see more details about the alternative I submitted to the County in December and again in January for the Picnic Grounds input session, check out https://tinyurl.com/BayoTrailhead

A Call for Public Engagement

Currently, the County’s Public Information and Involvement Plan (PIIP) does not seem to seek input on alternatives until after a conceptual design is already finished. This “fait accompli” approach excludes the community from the most important part of the process: the choice of the right solution. This is an all-too-disturbing pattern with County projects.

In December, I wrote to the Parks & Recreation Board and County Council to request they take the following actions:

• Conduct a well-publicized Public Input Session specifically to discuss the Bayo Canyon trailhead alternatives before spending more on internal plans.
  
• Base the final selection on a transparent analysis of the pros and cons of both the Picnic Grounds alternative, the County’s current plan, and other alternatives that could emerge.
  

I received a response from the Parks & Rec Board saying that they “plan to add the topic as a future agenda item for discussion among the PRB members to find ways to better plan, communicate, and capture input/feedback on these kinds of topics.” No timeframe was given and it didn’t leave me with any clear idea of whether the actions I have suggested will be taken before the County moves further on their option. I hope so. The next scheduled PRB meeting is February 12. No meeting was held in January.

Our community has the opportunity to address the Bayo trailhead issue in a cost-effective way that preserves and enhances a natural meadow area and creates a better experience for all trail users. Let’s identify and gather public input on the alternatives, evaluate them transparently, and make a common-sense choice.