Aztec city commissioners ended weeks of debate by unanimously approving the north parking lot as the future site of the Aztec Riverside BMX track, clearing the way for construction to begin as early as midsummer.
The vote capped a monthslong back-and-forth over whether underground infrastructure made the parking lot unsuitable, a question complicated by the absence of an engineering report city leaders once expected. Despite staff recommendations to delay the decision, commissioners said the BMX group’s funding, builder availability and momentum made it necessary to choose among three proposed agreements and move the project forward.
The decision followed a lengthy discussion involving Mayor Mike Padilla, the commissioners, Aztec Riverside BMX president Wade Anderson, vice president Rochelle Brown and Andrew DiCamillo, economic development director.
The BMX park location has been discussed over the course of three previous meetings, dating back to April 10.
Beginning the discussion, Padilla said this all began at the April 10 meeting and hinged on an engineer looking at the property to make sure the track would not cover any infrastructure lines. A recommendation to move the track to the softball field was made.
“I’ve been trying to get information from our engineers, they are still saying that those lines are underneath there and they’re not recommending that we put that in the parking lot for that very reason,” Padilla said.
He said the agenda packet has three agreements, with the first one saying it’s “either-or,” the second agreement says the parking lot and the third agreement calls for the softball field.
It was recommended by staff and their attorney that a decision on the location of the track be postponed, but Padilla said they need to move past stage one and approve one of the three agreements.
City Attorney Sofia Flores said she would provide some background, and based on a “review of the minutes as they are publicly posted, it’s unfortunately not as straightforward.”
“What was a little bit unclear was what is the decision based on the engineering report, and at the May 26 meeting, legal counsel’s recommendation was, if we are waiting on the engineering report, then a decision cannot be made until we receive the engineering report,” she said, adding that after that meeting they were informed they would not receive the engineering report and should proceed with a decision regardless.
Flores said the BMX folks and their builder did not have a preference, so she told them the city’s main is its own responsibility given the location of that infrastructure and the absence of an engineering report.
The parking lot agreement has an indemnity provision that protects the city if anything happens to the infrastructure lines during the building of the track.
Padilla said they would likely not have the engineering report for three to six months, but “all I want to do is give BMX a location, but I want to make sure that we do it right.”
Stepping up to the lectern, Anderson said, “I just want to bring up the fact that once we have a signed lease, we could be shovel ready in a month, month and a half.”
He said they are funded and the builder has an open calendar later in the summer.
Brown said if they have to wait three to six months it would “deflate all their momentum going forward.”
Commissioner Austin Randall said he was definitely against the softball field location as it would affect those who use it. He made a motion to use the north parking lot area.
The motion carried unanimously.
DiCamillo went to the lectern and posed the question of why they were even considering the engineering report, stating that they have contractors capable of finding the infrastructure lines. He said the water line can be abandoned and left in the ground.
He said now that the location for the track has been determined, no engineering is needed, but bids should go out to take care of moving the existing valves.
Brown assured the commission their builder would be able to avoid the infrastructure area that the city needs to address.