Santa Fe City Council Approves Underpass for Railyard but Not Private Security

Tonight’s City Council meeting was a bit more action-packed than anticipated, with a surprise vote by the council to not extend a private security contract in the Santa Fe Railyard but a decision (finally!) to move forward with an underpass design linking the Acequia Trail on the west side of St. Francis with the city-owned area.

The council’s negative decision on the security contract comes on the heels of approval by two city committees. In fact, just last week Santa Fe’s Finance Committee agreed to extend the private security contract, saying the council would re-examine the issue during the next budget cycle.

“We’re surprised and disappointed because we thought the private security was making the Railyard a safer place for everyone,” Richard Czoski, executive director of the Santa Fe Railyard Community Corporation, the non-profit that runs the Railyard for the city, told media after the vote.

Czoski said the contract will conclude before the end of the year.

The proposal died after a last-minute change of heart by Councilor Patti Bushee, who initially indicated she would vote in favor of providing more money for private security. Councilors Bill Dimas and Ron Trujillo also voted against the request, while Councilors Rebecca Wurzburger and Chris Calvert voted in favor of it. Councilors Carmichael Dominguez and Chris Rivera didn’t attend Wednesday’s meeting. Councilor Peter Ives recused himself from the vote because of prior work history.

Dimas said city police are capable of monitoring the Railyard.

The City Council approved $120,000 for Railyard security in June, with about $95,000 of that going toward the private security contract. Private security guards now patrol the Railyard seven days week for 12 hours a day.

Another $60,000 would have extended the contract through the end of the fiscal year.

But the City Council agreed to move forward with the “open” underpass design for the Acequia Trail/Railyard crossing. Presumably it will be something that is, in the words of Bushee, “open, with a lot of daylight inside, wide” and not prone to public safety issues.

The city has done preliminary work on the project for almost a decade and held several meetings this year to gather public input. Underpass/tunnel and overpass/bridge options have been considered, as well as simply doing some at-grade improvements at the site.

The City Council reviewed the matter this summer but kicked it back to the city’s Bicycle and Trails Advisory Committee for further discussion. BTAC blessed the open underpass design.

The city needed to choose an option to formally complete an environmental assessment, as well as put the project in line for federal and possibly state funding.

Public input will continue to be sought as the design process continues, city officials said.

Read a few more details in tomorrow’s paper.