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Sunday, November 4, 2007

New UNM President Faces Tough Opposition From Golf Course Neighbors on Development Plan

By Martin Salazar
Copyright © 2007 Albuquerque Journal; Journal Staff Writer
    Five months into his tenure as University of New Mexico president, David Schmidly is facing his highest-profile challenge so far.
    It involves UNM's North Golf Course and the university's desire to build a retirement community there as part of its plan to develop a number of properties to bring in more money to help finance construction projects, including classrooms.
    But residents who live near the golf course are in battle mode, vowing to fight in the courts and in the political arena to preserve their urban oasis.
    The residents count Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, who lives in the neighborhood, as an ally. And local lawmakers have announced their opposition to the plan.
    The residents also accuse university officials of lying to them, telling them less than nine months ago that UNM had no plans for a retirement community on the golf course.
    Schmidly today will continue trying to get community buy-in for the project. He and other UNM officials are slated to speak at a town hall meeting at 4 p.m. at the law school.
    Referred to by some as "Albuquerque's Central Park," the 80-acre property is owned by UNM and loved by golfers, runners and walkers. The nine-hole course has also become a wildlife preserve of sorts, providing sanctuary for coyotes, roadrunners, migratory birds and other assorted wildlife.
    Some area residents have said they aren't bothered by a retirement village— they just don't want it on the golf course.
    "It is beloved by thousands and thousands of people. It's not just another golf course," said Sara Koplik, president of the North Campus Neighborhood Association.
    Schmidly is walking a tightrope.
    The university's regents have ultimate say on the property's future.
    "We have responsibility to the taxpayers, to the parents and to the students to use our property wisely," Schmidly said. "We're not a parks department. That's not our mission. But we want to find in the project a way to make this a win-win, and if people will be reasonable with us, we think it can be a win-win."
    Schmidly said he would like residents to serve on a planning team for the retirement community.
    But the political implications of moving forward could be significant, given opposition from numerous elected officials and vocal community members.
    UNM relies on the Legislature for a good chunk of funding and relies on voters' goodwill when it comes time to decide on general obligation bonds that pay for some of its biggest projects.
    But school officials say walking away from the project would carry its own consequences, including a delay in plans for $12.5 million in classroom modernization, among other projects.
    "I think the leadership challenge to me is to be as transparent as I can be and listen as much as I can to these community members and to try to resolve these opportunities we have in a way that doesn't compromise their neighborhood," Schmidly said.
   
Plan possibilities
    Plans for the retirement community are in the early stages. One consultant's proposal would devour about half of the 80-acre course.
    But Schmidly told the Journal last week that planners estimate the retirement community could be built on 25 to 30 acres. He said the university wants to preserve as much of the golf course and open space as possible.
    The retirement facility would have cottages, independent living apartments and assisted living facilities geared toward meeting the needs of the elderly as they age. It would be marketed for retired UNM faculty and alumni.
    It would likely include a par-three course, improved walking and jogging trails and amenities like wellness and workout centers that would be open to area residents, Schmidly said.
    Jamie Koch, regents' president, has said UNM would enter into a long-term lease with a developer, generating steady revenue for UNM. Early estimates indicate the project could yield about $2.1 million annually, according to Schmidly.
    That would provide the revenue stream to pay off bonds used to fund construction of academic facilities.
   
Preservation advocates
    State Rep. Gail Chasey, D-Albuquerque, said she's concerned about UNM's plans.
    "I just think it's an area that should be preserved," she said.
    The state House of Representatives passed a memorial in February asking UNM to "undertake action to permanently set aside the property commonly known as the 'North Golf Course' for continued beneficial use." Memorials have no binding effect.
    Hundreds took part in a walk in February to advocate for preserving the golf course.
    Last Sunday, just under 100 people showed up at a community meeting at the law school. Asked what their goal was, most shouted, "To preserve the course."
    Judith Espinosa, chief of staff for the lieutenant governor, attended and said Denish supported their effort.
    City Councilor Isaac Benton also attended. He said that, if UNM opted to move forward with the project, there's not much the city could do.
    "The city of Albuquerque has no power over the University of New Mexico," Benton said.
    Several residents said they felt UNM has lied to them.
    In April, then-acting President David Harris told the community, "We don't have any plans to go in and build anything on the golf course."
    Harris, during a phone interview Wednesday, said, "I think I've been completely honest. I said we don't have any immediate plans to do anything with the North Golf Course or any of the other lands that the university owns, but that we do have a request for information on the street and the North Golf Course is included within those lands."
    Harris said that, at that time, he had no idea what kind of proposals UNM would get from its request for information.
    "I think there was some language confusion," Schmidly said. "I discussed this specifically with David Harris. At that time, when he said what he said, he had actually not seen any plans. I think the neighbors took that to mean there was no intentions to do anything."
   
Similar situation
    Schmidly isn't a stranger to controversial development projects.
    As president of Oklahoma State University, he was involved in an effort to build a massive athletic village. Problem was there were 87 private properties standing in the way.
    The Oklahoman newspaper reported that area residents learned about the plan when a consultant hired by OSU sent them letters threatening eminent domain if they didn't sell. As of July 2006, OSU had reached agreements to buy all but one of the properties.
    The university was called a tyrant.
    Schmidly told the paper that, while he regretted the way the situation was handled, he thought most residents were satisfied with their sell contracts.
    "I know what these things are like, and I know how charged they can be," Schmidly told the Journal. "We had some stumbles early on with the one in Oklahoma State because we had, I think we had consultants too much involved and not the head of the university in listening to the community. But we were able to overcome."
   
    Meeting today
   
    UNM President David Schmidly and other officials will hold a town hall meeting today on plans to build a retirement community on the North Golf Course. It will begin at 4 p.m. at the law school, 1117 Stanford NE.