Slow Your Roll

The proposed renovations at the Santa Fe Municipal Airport will see a public meeting, perhaps during an upcoming Public Works Committee session at the airport on the western edge of the city.

Following concerns expressed by some Santa Fe residents about possible changes to the airport that haven't been widely aired to the public, city councilors told Transportation Department Director Jon Bulthuis to slow down on finalizing designs.

"I'd like not to have to pay for this twice," Councilor Signe Lindell said during the consent agenda review of the airport redesign Wednesday night.

Councilor Patti Bushee pointed out that a memo on the projects lists meeting with stakeholders, namely vendors like the car rental companies with desks at the airport, but that the people who use the airport haven't been involved in this process.

Bulthuis explained that officials have added a "dialogue box" in the secure waiting area in recent weeks. Yet,  while the project is time-sensitive, he said there's time to do a public notice and a meeting before moving forward.

Until the council direction, the consultant working on the project had been directed to move from the schematic design phase to the construction design phase, with hopes of breaking ground by the end of this year and seeing the renovations complete by April, according to Bulthuis.

Mayor Javier Gonzales said an $890,000 grant for the project "doesn't take you very far" and that renovations now are meant only to address those baseline issues passengers have consistently complained about, such as the inability to access bathrooms or dining facilities once through security.

"There's not going to be a change of the facade or any of those elements that make the airport a unique space for all of us," he said.

He suggested the Historic Preservation Division might also be involved in the process moving forward.

Santa Fe Reporter