Los Lunas Village Council Approves MAP Funding, Tables Easement Agreement

The Los Lunas Village Council approved three resolutions concerning road funding and improvement applications at its Feb. 26 meeting, securing grant extensions for two major arterials while pushing a new application for North Los Lentes Road closer to the finish line. An easement agreement was tabled without further detail entering the public record.

Public Works Director Michael Jaramillo described the session's focus as securing extensions for existing projects and pursuing new grant opportunities for critical road segments. The most pressing item involved the Municipal Arterial Program, or MAP, which funds design and construction improvements on N.M. 6, better known as Main Street, and N.M. 263, the northern stretch of El Cerro Loop. The council unanimously approved a resolution to extend that MAP funding, with Jaramillo citing design delays tied specifically to the New Mexico Department of Transportation's review process as the reason time is running short. The existing agreement between the village and NMDOT is set to expire in June.

Jaramillo was candid about a pattern he sees across state and federally funded projects. "It's unfortunate, out of all honesty, that pretty much about 90 percent of the projects that we have that are state or federally funded are always increased by 40 percent, 50 percent," he said. "It's not because of the cost of doing business. It's because of the changes."

The council also unanimously authorized submission of a DOT MAP funding application for a segment of North Los Lentes Road running from Taylor Road to Trujillo Street. Jaramillo framed that application as part of a longer buildout strategy. "As you know, we just finished a project, our first phase on North Los Lentes," he told the council. "Our goal is to get all the way to Griego and (N.M.) 314 at some point. We've been pushing as many opportunities to apply for funding for our projects."

The three resolutions approved Thursday represent the road-funding portion of the meeting's agenda. The third resolution was noted in reporting but its specific subject was not detailed in available records. A separate easement agreement was tabled, with no information provided publicly about which property is involved, which parties are affected, or when the item is expected to return to the agenda.

The meeting also included discussion of a strategic economic document described as highlighting village assets and challenges, though the specifics of that debate were not available in records provided following the session.

Separately, the Village of Los Lunas is moving forward with plans for Plaza Luna Lofts, a 60-unit affordable senior housing complex. The village is committing more than half a million dollars to the project, which also draws on grants from Valencia County and will pursue low-income housing tax credits through the Mortgage Finance Authority alongside additional state and federal funding sources.