Title
Possible Approval of the Canyon Road Median Sustainability Redesign Conceptual Design to Move Forward with the Preparation of Design and Construction Documents
Recommended Motion
I move that Council approve the Canyon Road Median Sustainability Redesign conceptual design to move forward with the preparation of design and construction documents.
County Manager's Recommendation
The County Manager recommends that Council approve the motion as presented.
Body
In 2022, the Community Services Department, Parks Division developed an Integrated Pest Management Plan (IPM). As part of implementing the IPM, staff began evaluating existing medians throughout Los Alamos and White Rock with the goal of reducing water consumption, lowering maintenance intensity, and improving staff safety. Historically, herbicides were used to maintain cracks and crevices within median surfaces. A core IPM principle is to employ design-based solutions that minimize pesticide reliance, making median redesign a key strategy within the County’s long-term sustainability goals.
Under Task Order No. 3 of Services Agreement AGR2221c, Huitt-Zollars was engaged to develop design concepts that balance aesthetics with reduced maintenance requirements. Initial concepts were presented to the Parks and Recreation Board (PRB) in January 2024, but the project was temporarily paused due to limited capacity and competing priorities. Work resumed in late 2025, and since that time staff has presented preliminary concepts to both the Transportation Board and the PRB, as well as conducted a two-option community survey that yielded 112 responses. These presentations and survey responses served as the primary means of gathering public input.
Following presentations to the PRB on August 13, 2026, and the Transportation Board on September 3, 2026, the Canyon Median Design Plan returned to the PRB for formal action on October 8, 2026. At that meeting, the PRB voted to support the Canyon Median Design Plan a...
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