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Monday, November 16, 2009
Preservation Group Names Endangered Places
Associated Press
BERNALILLO — The New Mexico Heritage Preservation Alliance says it is adding the Coronado State Monument in Bernalillo and three other historical places in the state to a list of locations it considers endangered.
The preservation group on Saturday accepted the nominations for endangered places that include the monument in Bernalillo, the Luna-Otero mansion in Los Lunas, the Cambray Overpass in Luna County and the De la O Saloon and Village of Dona Ana.
The alliance advocates protecting the state's heritage, especially at places it considers endangered.
More than 60 places in New Mexico have been recognized as endangered since the program started in 1999, according to the alliance, and the program has managed to make positive changes at 45 percent of the previously designated places.
Endangered areas have been adversely affected by neglect, abandonment, urban sprawl, inappropriate zoning or natural weathering.
The alliance in a news release described the threats at each of the endangered places:
—At the Coronado State Monument, a land lease is set to expire so the property's future is unclear. The University of New Mexico is considering selling or developing a second property next to the monument that contains some ruins and an archaeological site.
—The Luna-Otero Mansion could be structurally threatened by increased traffic traveling past through Los Lunas.
—The state transportation department has determined that the Cambray Overpass in Luna County needs to be replaced and the Union Pacific Railroad is seeking vertical and horizontal clearance. If granted, the clearances would either require demolishing the overpass or greatly altering it, but a study could determine whether the overpass could be upgraded with modifications that would not alter its character.
—The De la O Saloon and Village of Dona Ana are at risk as urban development from nearby Las Cruces nears. The village was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996, but its recognition has lapsed.
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