The outcome of two meetings held last week in Moriarty may change the landscape of the area soon. Mayor Adan Encinias has been busy meeting with legislators and asking for state support for city infrastructure improvements, he told councilors at a special Moriarty City Council meeting on Nov. 6.
"One week ago I met with the governor's staff who recommended that the city write a letter" requesting support, Encinias said.
Councilors approved sending a letter to Gov. Bill Richardson and Lt. Gov. Diane Denish requesting "a special appropriation from your Office to assist with the initial infrastructure costs" associated with a relocation of Downs at Albuquerque Racetrack and Casino to Moriarty.
The city requested a total of $4.5 million for wastewater, water and tank, and a wastewater facility project, according to a chart on the second page of the letter. The totals of each project are phased over five years.
Torrance County and the Moriarty-Edgewood School District included letters of support for the request.
The letter also included a chart with employment projections over a five-year period. Employment potential from construction of the racetrack are 542.5 employees for next year alone.
After the special city council meeting, the New Mexico Racing Commission held a public meeting attended by about 100 people. All the commissioners were present.
Downs President Paul Blanchard showed updated conceptual drawings of racetrack and casino plans to the audience. Almost all plans for the track are completed including an updated floor plan, drainage plan, traffic study, fire protection study, and water and sewer studies, he said.
After fielding several hours of questions from the commissioners that focused on the welfare of patrons, jockeys and horses, Blanchard told those assembled that the only thing "holding him back" from breaking ground was infrastructure issues.
After the meeting, Blanchard expressed confidence that the problems would be resolved. He hopes to begin construction next month and begin racing in late summer 2010.
"We're going to make this very easy and very friendly for people to come here," Blanchard said about the parking lot that will connect with the frontage road on the south side of the track.
Downs engineer Mark Goodwin, president of D. Mark Goodwin & Associates, said plans are for a large entrance area into the track.
"The intent is to get vehicles stacked up on our property and not on the interstate," Goodwin said.
Blanchard said he specifically included space south of the track to expand the seating and the building. Plans are for about 450 covered grandstand seats.
Blanchard told the assembled crowd that a C02 pipeline that was once a products-line owned by Royal Dutch Shell runs beneath the track. The pipeline is currently owned by Houston-based Kinder Morgan.
Blanchard, Goodwin and Downs attorney Trad Wolf all said they were not worried about the presence of the pipeline under the track.
A building may not be built above the pipeline but a road is acceptable and a track is similar to a road, Wolf said.
'This pipeline goes under 1-40 and under the Moriarty Municipal Airport," Goodwin said after the meeting.
General Manager Don Cook said plans are for a total of 68 lighting standards or poles, with 48 of the standards holding three lights each, and 20 of the standards holding 14 lights each.
Cook knew of no lighting ordinances in Moriarty and added that because races would not be held after 10 p.m. he didn't anticipate any problems with lighting from the public.
After responding to about half an hour of questions from the remaining public, the meeting ended in a pow-wow as Encinias, Blanchard, Wolf and Goodwin stood in discussion.
Written By Laura Nesbitt
Nov 13, 2008
