Capital Improvement Project (CIP)

Please help save the new Nature Center!

Update February 2013

County Council will meet on February 19, 2013 to decide which CIP projects to delay for up to 5 years.

They will be choosing from the Ashley Pond Park Improvements, Teen Center, Nature Center, Eastern Area Sound Wall, Golf Course Improvements, White Rock Civic Center, Canyon Rim Trail, and Ice Rink Improvements. See more information about the meeting here.

Email countycouncil@lacnm.us or attend the meeting on February 19th at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers.

Please tell Council that the Nature Center deserves to be funded:

• The project is relatively inexpensive at $4.3M - PEEC plans to pay for exhibits and most of the landscaping.

• The new center's operating expenses will be relatively low:
  • PEEC will match County's staffing costs by providing half of necessary staff. 
  • PEEC will share some of the operating expenses, such as janitorial services, security, snow removal, and landscaping and exhibit maintenance. 
  • The energy efficient building will mean lower utilities costs.
  • PEEC has already received donations toward the purchase of exhibits and plans to raise further funds for their routine maintenance.
  • PEEC  will work with the County to make further reductions in County's costs.

• The new center will be an outstanding and unique asset to the County and its people, considerably increasing the attractiveness of Los Alamos to potential Lab recruits and others considering moving here, and will make an across the board contribution to the education of young people as well as the community at large.

• It is ready to go - no need to revise design plans.

• The business community is solidly behind this as a potential tourist attraction.

• The rest of the community continues to show strong support for it and interest is high.

• This project gives Los Alamos the most "bang for the buck".

In 2010, PEEC proposed a capital improvement project to ask Los Alamos County to build a nature center. Phase 1 funding was granted to choose a location and design.

At the January 19, 2012 public meeting, the architects presented 3 designs. The primary design is shown in detail in:
Primary Design, January 2012 (PDF)

At the February 23rd meeting of the Capital Improvement Program Oversight Committee, the nature center proposal received a unanimous recommendation.

On May 16, 2012, County Council voted unanimously to budget 4.3 million dollars in FY 2013 to build a new Nature Center for Los Alamos on the Canyon Road site! Thank you so much to everyone who supported the project. We couldn't have done it without you!

For further information, visit the County's Nature Center CIP page to view project status and sign up for e-mail updates.

If you want to provide feedback or comments, please write to:

• County Capital Projects: cpfd@lacnm.us
• PEEC Board of Directors: board@pajaritoeec.org