Clovis officials hear revitalization plan

The city of Clovis Commission heard a plan to revitalize two Metropolitan Redevelopment Areas in the city at its meeting Thursday.

Jacqueline Fishman, principal/planner for Consensus Planning, a planning consulting firm based in Albuquerque, explained the plan in detail.

She and her staff identified “opportunity sites” within two redevelopment areas and using information from a survey of the residents identified properties and development strategies.

Assistant City Manager Claire Burroughes said the city has two Metropolitan Redevelopment areas this report addresses.

MRA 2 extends from Norris Street to Pile Street and from 7th Street to the railroads and MRA 1 runs from 7th Street and the railroads between Connelly Street and Martin Luther King Boulevard.

Fishman told the commission the area is comprised of many homes with low income residents. The area needs housing stock affordable to people who earn 60 percent or below the average median income.

“You could call almost all this area an opportunity site,” she said.

She described various so-called opportunity sites, including one with sit-down restaurants, a neighborhood park or green space, a 12,000 sq. ft. neighborhood grocery store, a townhouse development, multi-family housing with retail, office warehouse, indoor storage, medical offices, to name a few examples.

Mayor Mike Morris said: “This is such an impressive plan. I just want to do them all.”

A first step would be to form a Metropolitan Redevelopment Commission, according to the planning report. Next the city would amend the zoning in various areas. Third, the city needs to pursue commercial and residential developers to take on these projects.

Burroughes said the city developed a MRA in the central business district in 2005. The city rehabilitated The Hotel Clovis into affordable housing and retail space.

The commission resolved to accept the plan document.

Mayor Pro Tem Chris Bryant told The News the plan is about cleaning up those blighted areas and listening to what the residents wanted in those spots.

In other business at the Thursday meeting:

• Two residents told the commission the city needs more police officers for the safety of the residents.

Bryant said he would like to see a community watch program established. The consensus was that the city should try to get the word out that Clovis is a city that appreciates public safety and law enforcement and is hiring officers. An effort to begin a neighborhood watch program in 2020 was derailed by the pandemic.

• The commission approved four separate resolutions authorizing demolition at 200 Edwards, 418 Mercury, 1601 W. Second and 2012 Chaparral. Morris said he went to see each of the buildings, and that they were certainly candidates for demolition.

• Commissioners approved applying for a Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant for $4.8 million to improve Martin Luther King Boulevard.

Howalt said the project, which would go from Seventh to 21st streets, was at 95% design, and funding is the main obstacle.

Howalt said the grant match would be 20%. District 3 Commissioners Helen Casaus and Fidel Madrid said the project was overdue as Casaus moved for approval.

• Commissioners gave permission for administration to apply for a KABOOM Community-Built Playgrounds grant. The grant, if received, would go toward a new playground at Greene Acres Park. If awarded, an $8,500 city match would be required.

• A total of $27,479 was approved to cover an overage on lighting upgrades at Beachum Field. Parks and Recreation Director Russell Hooper said the city knew $100,000 it received in capital outlay would not completely cover the project. Casaus said the city needed help from the community keeping the field clean

• The next meeting is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. July 1 at the North Annex of the Clovis-Carver Public Library.