Sunland Park residents dispute ‘Santa Teresa Plan’

The New Mexico Department of Transportation is gathering input from stakeholders and the public on what’s needed throughout the Santa Teresa border region as business continues to grow.

NMDOT is conducting the $400,000 survey until June. It is being paid for with a federal grant.

During a public meeting Tuesday, Sunland Park city council members had concerns over the project.

They questioned why the plan’s title, the ‘Santa Teresa Border Area Transportation Needs Assessment & Strategic Plan’, failed to mention Sunland Park.

Others said a vast majority of their population doesn’t have access to Internet to participate in the survey. Some questioned whether or not their community would even see the benefits of the project, fearing it would only affect Santa Teresa, not them.

The consultants assured the community the project will cover Santa Teresa, Sunland Park and unincorporated parts of the county equally.

They said they’re listening to all these concerns and will come back to the community to talk about recommendations.

To learn more about the Santa Teresa plan, click here.