Facility Committee Hears from the Public

Published December 15th, 2023 at 10:00 am, Last Updated December 15th, 2023 at 10:44 am

Irony was not lost when the ad hoc committee tasked with studying the prospect of the Village building a multi-use that could accommodate large gatherings discussed where in town they could hold a less formal town forum.

“If we had a facility, we’d be meeting in it right now,” said committee member Rick Snow at a Dec. 7 meeting of the Multi-Use Facility Committee, a second ad hoc committee assembled by the Village to study what the design for such a facility would look like.

The idea to hold at least two public forums during evening hours came from committee member Ken Martinez. “There’s a lot of people not represented here because they work,” he said. 

Others agreed a more informal get-together would not only allow day laborers to attend, but provide for more interaction with the public. 

The committee has been meeting on Thursday mornings at the Village Council chambers. The Dec. 7 meeting drew an overflow crowd of more than 50 people.

The gymnasium at the recreation center, the Old San Ysidro Church, the new church’s parish hall, or possibly Corrales Elementary School were identified as possible venues for the forums. 

Tentatively, forums were scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 11 at the Old Church, and Sunday, Jan. 14 at the recreation center, both beginning at 5:30 p.m. But check the Village’s website or the Corrales Comment for updates.

The committee also voted to form subcommittees to analyze results of a recently released survey regarding the proposal and the public comment that’s been received. It also agreed to a subcommittee to draft recommendations it will present to the Village Council in March.

It’s a tight deadline, and some members signaled that more time would be needed to refine the plan. So did many of those in attendance, who felt the process was being rushed. Others questioned the need for a facility, while others said they would like to see something built but not too big and aligned with the character of the Village.

The  Village has earmarked about an acre of the old Jones property near the recreation center as the site. Currently, no funding is in place for what was originally pegged to be an $8 million project, Village officials said local, state and possibly federal funds could potentially be secured. Private funds could also be put toward the project.

Evolving concept

Committee chair Johnny Martinez noted the concept for the proposed facility had evolved since the first committee presented a design to the Village Council earlier this year. That committee, which had been asked to come up with a plan for a performance arts center, included a 240-seat auditorium but only limited classroom and exhibition space. That generated considerable pushback from some members of the community.

“I’m starting to feel people are not opposed to a facility, just one that fulfills their needs,” he said.

Ken Martinez, no relation, said he was beginning to envision something more like a community center. While it could accommodate performing arts, it should be a “flexible” venue that could as easily host a 4-H Club event. 

Acknowledging his affiliation with the Corrales Historical Society, he said that it should also reflect the history and culture of the community. Most of all, “it needs to belong to everyone and everyone must feel they belong in it,” he said.

Martinez clarified some misconceptions surrounding the plan the first committee came up with in April.

“We inherited designs and that’s what the public is reacting to. It doesn’t mean this is who the facility is going to look,” he said. 

He also said building a facility wasn’t a foregone conclusion. But if one is constructed, “we need some consensus from the community.”

Pat DeVivi and Cynthia Nava both said they’d still like to see the facility accommodate performing arts. 

“I’m in favor of whatever we call it,” Nava said.

Ed Boles disagreed with Ken Martinez that the committee present a conceptual design to Village Council along with its recommendations. He said more input was needed before they could begin considering a design and the timeline was too tight. 

Besides, Boles said it was his understanding that the committee would be working with an architect on designs, “but none has appeared.”

Public comment

During the public forum portion of the meeting, Patrick McClernon noted the short time frame, telling the committee “the calendar is your enemy.” He thought a less formal setting was a good idea.

Others wanted to see the process slow down. Attendees were handed a flier produced by some of them that read “WHOA! Let’s talk about this” advocating to keep Corrales rural and “No Big City Auditorium.”

“We don’t need more attractions,” said Brad Shurter, one of about 16 people who spoke. “We need to keep it as rural as possible.”

Teresa Lopez had a question for everyone in the room: What about Corrales made them want to move here? The answer, she said, was likely open space, the bosque, fields growing crops and the village’s peacefulness.

Toby Giego and Margarita Sexton urged the committee to consider the concerns of descendent families who have lived here for generations. And Village Historian Mary Davis reminded everyone of Corrales’ close ties to agriculture and the arts. 

Martie Sanchez said she didn’t want to see something like you’d find in New York City, suggesting a hay bail building. 

Matt Montano, who said he’s spent 30 years analyzing data, criticized the survey the committee put out, saying what really should be done are feasibility and impact studies conducted by a third party.

Fred Hashimoto reminded everyone a new building would incur operating and maintenance costs. 

Several people said the voices and needs of the youth should also not be left out, 4-H mentioned by several.

While emotions have run high at previous meetings, the most recent meeting was more subdued.

Rudy Miera said it was the first meeting  he attended on the issue that felt like a “true town hall” and thanked chairman Martinez and the rest of the committee for setting a civil tone.

Miera helped set the tone himself by leading local musicians to sing songs celebrating Corrales outside the building just prior to the meeting. 

Johnny Martinez also seemed satisfied with the way the meeting went.

“Now I see us getting together,” he said, quipping that the committee was tapping into the “gente” culture in the village. “I would like to see that preserved.

The committee will also hold a regular meeting at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 21, in the Village Council chambers.