Convention Center Site Selection Problems

July 11, 2006.  Posted by Sandy Geiger


Convention Center Site Selection Problems

 If you haven't been following the NMSU master plan process, we would like to
urge you to review the proposal at http://masterplan.nmsu.edu. Unfortunately,
the future plans for various departments and colleges may or may not have been
taken into consideration in this planning process. This was the case in the
selection of the west campus farmland site for the City's Convention/Event/Civic
Center.  An excellent op ed by Dr. Connie Falk,
Department of Agricultural Economics, describes the situation in Monday's Sun
News, www.lcsun-news.com and is pasted below.  The selected site is one
targeted by a future Small Farm Institute (SB 26) and the current OASIS
(Organic Agriculture Students Inspiring Sustainability) Community Supported
Agriculture program.

A petition opposing this site selection and requesting further planning
opportunities is attached.  Contact and return information is on the petition.
We are hoping to collect the petitions by Monday, July 17, 12 noon, in order to
present to City Council on Monday, July 17, 1 pm. Please join us in circulating
petitions or attending the City Council meeting, 200 N. Church St.

For more information, please contact Kari Bachman 646-2009,
kbachman@nmsu.edu.

Thank you, 

The Committee to Preserve NMSU Ag Land on Campus

Sun News Opinion Editorial, July 10, 2006:

  Rush To Pavement
  Constance L. Falk

  The recent decision by New Mexico State University to offer the City of Las
  Cruces farm land at the west end of campus for a convention center site, as
  with most proposals for change, is controversial. I oppose the decision, but
  not because I am opposed to change, or because I have nostalgic feelings
  about green space. On the contrary, my entire professional career has been
  dedicated toward changing paradigms regarding agriculture and issues of
  sustainability. My particular opposition has to do with unmet needs that
  students and faculty have for irrigable farm land on campus for teaching and
  research.

  The approximate 12-acre west university site, however, is not considered
  irrigated farm land by the university, according to Lowell Catlett, Dean of
  the College of  Agriculture and Home Economics (CAHE). In a personal
  interview on July 6, Dean Catlett told me the land is irrigated with water
  not officially attached to that land and that the land has never been part of
  the college academic programs. He also said he did not have $150,000 for a
  well that would be needed to irrigate the parcel.

  1. Hay was just baled on the property. To me, it looks like irrigated farm
  land. That the college never integrated that parcel into academic programs
  does not mean it could not be used for such purposes. The lack of $150,000 to
  dig a well is a sad reason to pave it over. To call the parcel in question
  "not" irrigated farm land and use that as a reason  for paving it is not
  logical. The land is certainly "irrigable" and a local legislator has
  indicated he has funds to dig the well.

  2. Faculty in the CAHE have developed a lengthy vision paper that the CAHE
  deans have seen, which outlines current and proposed organic/sustainable
  farming programs that would serve both students and the public interest. Two
  organic research projects are currently sited off-campus for lack of space on
  campus farm land. Siting research off campus deprives the university long
  term of those irrigation system investments.

  3. The Master Planning process is supposed to reflect the needs of those of
  us on the campus, in some fashion. It is open, yes, but to stay attuned, one
  must know when to attend to catch a particular proposal. Because this
  proposal was dropped into the process in May and not advertised within the
  NMSU community, faculty stakeholders had no real opportunity to provide
  input. Given the timing of events, university administrators  should explain
  publicly their logic, motivation, or vision for commercially developing
  irrigable land that is desperately needed for teaching and research at NMSU.

  4. Last year, Paul Gutierrez, Associate Dean and Vice Provost for University
  Outreach, got Regents' approval to request $500,000 for a Small Farm
  Institute (SB 26 sponsored by Richard Martinez) that would be sited on the
  exact spot now considered for the convention center. Half of that money was
  targeted for infrastructure. The Regents' approval of the Small Farm
  Institute proposal last year should supercede any decision to pave this land
  now.

  5. As a land grant college with a special mission to address rural and
  agricultural challenges, NMSU's  farmland on campus is important, both
  practically and symbolically. What signal does the university send to the
  community to pave over campus farmland? Providing irrigated agricultural
  resources farther from campus is no compensation for paving over space right
  outside our door. Distant locations will restrict student involvement and
  remove from view the physical reminder that NMSU is a Land Grant university
  with a special mission to address rural and agricultural challenges.

  6. Future generations of students and faculty will have teaching and research
  needs that require irrigated land close to campus.  Pavement removes from
  future generations the flexibility to respond to our community's emerging
  needs.

  7. What is the official university position regarding long term
  sustainability of living in a desert in the face of global warming, over
  allocation of water resources, rapid uncontrolled urbanization, and
  escalating petroleum costs? The CAHE has not in my 18 years at NMSU conducted
  a long term visioning process that tries to address how as academics we
  should face these challenges in a comprehensive way.

  8.  Almost five years ago I helped start OASIS on campus (Organic Agriculture
  Students Inspiring Sustainability), a class and a Community Supported
  Agriculture (CSA) project. The OASIS project was to be at the center of Paul
  Gutierrez's vision for the Small Farm Institute on the land now slated for
  the convention center.  We have had the pleasure of growing and distributing
  to OASIS members more than 450 varieties of organic vegetables, flowers, and
  herbs. Each year, 60-70 members buy memberships in the CSA. Stop by  on a
  Wednesday at the Fabian Garcia farm on University Avenue, from 4-6 pm to see
  what joy, hard work, collaboration, and love of beauty can do. OASIS is a
  tiny model of what is possible with limited land and water resources.
  Visitors are always welcome.

  I would like to see this rush to pavement slowed a bit so that all
  stakeholders can be involved to address the City's' desire for a convention
  center and needs of faculty and students for irrigated farmland on campus.
  Such a facility could be a showcase and feature locally grown organic food,
  xeriscaping, recycled grey water, passive solar,  roof catchment, and low
  flow water devices. Let's wait for faculty and students to return to campus
  before rushing into a decision of this magnitude.

  Eric Fromm 50 years ago, explored the kind of love that makes us truly human.
  The hallmarks of love are care, responsibility, respect, knowledge, faith,
  and courage.   Let's work together to create a convention center site that
  not only reflects a sensitivity to the needs of NMSU's faculty and students
  but also reflects a love of the land and Las Cruces' unique farming heritage.

  Connie Falk
  Professor
  Dept. Agricultural Economics and
        Agricultural Business