BY LWV OBSERVER CORPS

Editor’s note: Members of the League of Woman Voters of Los Alamos Observer Corps have been providing LWV members with reports on certain meetings in the County for many years. These reports have been included in the LWV’s monthly newsletter and now, at the invitation of the Los Alamos Reporter, will also be submitted to the Reporter for publication. 

Update on North Mesa Housing

The County Council and Los Alamos Public School Board held a joint meeting for an update and discussion of North Mesa Housing.  Dan Osborn, Housing and Special Project Manager, presented. 

The following meeting summary is from information provided in the meeting agenda packet. 

The meeting was recorded by LAPS and may be viewed at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RadgVo14Qp1l2bdF23KfTz_7ai2w7_Nn/view and
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18FJFi_ewfE3BUsO17zjij1GXPMFBMSrA/view

Background

The 30-acre North Mesa tract, located between Los Alamos Middle School and the North Mesa Sports Complex, was acquired by Los Alamos Public Schools (LAPS) in 1967 from the U.  S.  Department of Energy.  Originally reserved for future school facilities, the site was re-envisioned in 2019 to help address the community’s need for affordable workforce housing. 

A conceptual housing study completed by Dekker (2019–2022) determined the site could support approximately 210–360 mixed-density housing units.  A subsequent feasibility analysis by Economic & Planning Systems (2022–2023) recommended prioritizing housing affordable to LAPS teachers and other local workforce members.  In December 2023, LAPS and Los Alamos County formalized roles and responsibilities through a Memorandum of Agreement. 

Key Study Findings

In 2024, the County retained Wilson & Company to conduct a Transportation and Utilities Study, completed in August 2025.  The study considered the cumulative infrastructure needs of three proposed residential development sites: North Mesa site (210–360 housing units), Arbolada Subdivision (137 single-family and multifamily residences) and Ponderosa Estates Subdivision Phase III (49 detached, single-family dwelling units).  Together with the development on the North Mesa Site, these projects may potentially impact traffic volumes and utility demand in the area. 

Key findings include:

Transportation & Transit

●       Traffic along the Diamond Drive corridor is projected to remain within acceptable Levels of Service through 2045. 

●       Multi-modal improvements are recommended, including buffered bike lanes, a shared-use trail along North Mesa Road, and safety enhancements to the San Ildefonso Road underpass. 

●       Development must integrate bus stops for Atomic City Transit to maintain connectivity to the Los Alamos Transit Center. 

Utilities & Infrastructure

●       Wastewater: System capacity is generally adequate.  However, to accommodate wastewater from the Arbolada Subdivision, the sewer drop from the south side of Broadview Subdivision into Pueblo Canyon needs replacement.  The preliminary cost estimate is about $1.35M. 

●       Water: Approximately 11,600 ft of water line must be upsized to meet fire flow and pressure requirements.  The preliminary cost estimate is about $1.0M. 

These offsite water and sewer improvements total about $2.8M (including 20% contingency for potential costs escalation) and may be considered within the County’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). 

Onsite infrastructure costs are estimated as $7.3M for North Mesa site and $4.5M for the Arbolada Subdivision site.  These costs are typically developer-funded, with potential cost-sharing opportunities under the affordable housing ordinance. 

Next Steps

The proposed development aims to alleviate local housing shortages by adding significant inventory to the County’s constrained market, specifically through targeted options for LAPS and County employees, as well as for the local “missing middle” workforce. 

Beyond addressing housing needs, a potential land sale or lease of the North Mesa site would also generate direct proceeds for LAPS. 

To move the North Mesa project forward:

●       The LAPS Board and County Council should discuss desired outcomes and formalize their commitment to specific development objectives and housing targets. 

●       Define commitments from the Board/Council to provide the necessary utility infrastructure and support under the County’s affordable housing plan. 

●       Leverage previous planning studies to draft a new agreement that defines roles, responsibilities, and commitments. 

●       Consider a solicitation for a private development partner for the development of the site.