White Rock, New Mexico

High Quality of Life

A Vibrant and Growing Community in Los Alamos County

Amidst the scenic beauty of northern New Mexico, the town of White Rock is embracing thoughtful planning and development, blending an outdoor lifestyle with top notch amenities. Surrounded by stunning canyons and three national parks, White Rock is a safe and welcoming community, offering a high quality of life. Originally designed as a bedroom community for Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) employees, the town has evolved into a vibrant place of its own, actively working to attract development and new opportunities for its residents.

According to Los Alamos County Community Development Director, Paul Andrus, the county invested over $20 million between 2010 and 2020 in projects specifically for White Rock, including a new library, visitor center and updated Senior Center. He notes, “That is quite a bit of investment in the town, because it truly is an important asset to the county, and it truly is a family-oriented neighborhood.”

Downtown Revitalization

In recent years, White Rock has seen a renewed focus on revitalizing its downtown, recognizing the area’s potential to become a thriving hub for residents and businesses.

“We want to see more commercial investment in White Rock because way back in the day, White Rock was a well balanced affluent little town that had vibrant commercial spaces,” notes Andrus. “Like a lot of towns, commercial kind of waned and went away, and now we’re trying to look at how we can reinvigorate the community, so it will have more services and amenities to the White Rock residents.”

Updates to the White Rock Town Center master plan are aimed at housing density, through increases to building height allowances and mixed-use development. County Economic Development Director, Dr. Shanna Sasser, says the town is leveraging tools like the Metropolitan Redevelopment Area (MRA) under the Main Street Program.

“We’re intending to support  projects that will contribute to making it the town center for White Rock that is envisioned in the Town Center Plan, and to give it a quaint, charming walkable downtown feel,” added Sasser .

Housing and Affordability

White Rock is experiencing a surge in housing development designed to meet the needs of a diverse range of residents. Adam Thornton, Project Manager for RayLee Homes, talks about the decision to bring the Mirador development to White Rock.

“The community has great schools, it’s safe beyond comparison. The amenities within the town that support families, and also the greater recreational base for potential residents is some of the best in the southwest,” Thornton      recounts. “So, when we were looking at doing business and creating housing in White Rock, New Mexico, it really was not if -but how, and when.”

The emphasis is on bringing a variety of options, catering to all income levels, from homes that boast incredible views of the Sangre de Cristo mountains and amenities such as walkout decks and patios, to single family homes, and apartment     s. Future phases will expand into mixed-use, multi-family developments that combine commercial and residential spaces. These areas will feature convenient amenities like parks, shops, and restaurants within walking distance, providing a vibrant, community-centric lifestyle.

White Rock’s commitment to affordable housing is underscored by the recent passing of the county’s affordable housing plan, in partnership with RayLee Homes.

“We’ve tried to create this plan with the county, which I’ll have to say is a municipality that helps us with open communication, and really does work in a result-based manner with fair business dealings,” remarks Thornton. “We couldn’t have found a better partner for this type of development. We have designed this so that it is a piece of the Downtown White Rock area that creates vibrancy, community and a quality of life that I think most people within the country desire and have been looking to find.”

A Nature and Recreation Paradise

Residents of all ages have ample opportunities to take in the gorgeous natural surroundings and wide range of recreational offerings available in White Rock.

“As far as the outdoors lifestyle here, it’s breathtaking. We have all these gorgeous canyons that are truly wondrous and spectacular,” Dr. Sasser highlights. “Recently, we were voted the Happiest Small Town in America ,” and you can see it in the lifestyle that permeates from the geological wonders that we have. People are out walking and hiking the trails, and it’s just a really unique place to live.”

The region boasts over 150 miles of trails, offering hiking, mountain biking, and even cross-country skiing.

“We’ve got lots of amenities. No matter what the season, there’s always physical activities that people who live in this area can participate in,” she adds.

Andrus notes Los Alamos County has invested significantly in the County’s recreation amenities, with the goal of enhancing the quality of life for residents. Projects include upgrading the chiller for the outdoor ice rink to host more hockey events. Additionally, the County is in the process of installing a water line to Camp May and Pajarito Mountain for fire suppression, a project prompted by a recent wildfire in the area.

This new water line will also serve as an economic development tool, providing a reliable water source for snowmaking at the nearby ski hill. Along with these, a $12 million investment has gone towards enhancing the town’s golf course.

“You can say not everyone skis, not everyone golfs, not everyone plays hockey. But you can see how the county council has really made an effort to use the gross receipts tax that comes primarily from the laboratory activities and invest that back into the community. We really are filling in those things that add to the quality of life,” Andrus asserts. “As a whole, it just raises the bar with respect to the things you can do here just walking outside your door.”

For families and young children, the town has also developed spaces designed for play and relaxation. A recent addition to the community is the “Leisure Lagoon,” an area adjacent to the town’s Olympic-sized pool, which now features an indoor/outdoor water slide      and a lazy river for children and families. The county’s Community Services Department is also working on an integrated facilities plan that will enhance all recreational assets, from parks to playing fields.

Andrus expresses the importance of youth recreation in White Rock and the county, outlining the continuous efforts to improve these offerings, through maintaining sports fields, expanding to include pickleball and tennis courts, and developing additional amenities like mountain biking trails.

Strategic Partnerships and Sustainable Growth

Looking ahead, Andrus underscores the importance of partnerships and collaborations in driving housing and development initiatives. One such collaboration is with RayLee Homes and Thornton, whose project in White Rock stems from a land transfer from the early 2000s, with the intent of creating a public-private partnership to build much-needed housing.

Transportation is another area of priority in White Rock, and the county is working with LANL and regional transit partners to improve this infrastructure, with plans to develop transit transfer areas and incorporate them into infill housing or mixed-use projects.

As for future plans, Dr. Sasser says the focus is on advancing workforce housing projects.

“We are trying to position ourselves to be ready to support the different developers, to try and get some of these housing projects moving forward, to support the community in our development of workforce housing,”  Sasser relays. “We’re really putting a lot of energy behind trying to get all of these projects up and moving.”

As the town continues to grow, the county is actively seeking to attract more businesses while supporting local entrepreneurs.

“We’re encouraging businesses to come in and add to the ability for folks who live here to purchase goods and have other types of services,” Andrus details.

Acknowledging the town’s size presents challenges for attracting large retailers, he says the focus is on building a vibrant local economy through sustainable business growth and public-private partnerships.

“It is hard to explain why a big chain restaurant wouldn’t necessarily come up here, or a larger store or retailer. It’s because of our size, not meeting a certain population threshold that might attract such businesses. Even though our incomes are very high, it’s just one of those challenges we have,”      Andrus admits. “We’ve been focusing inward to try and see how we can help      people start up businesses, and how we can help support existing businesses to be more sustainable.”

Going forward, Andrus notes the need to expand the workforce beyond the highly skilled jobs at LANL.

“We  have the need to diversify in this community and fill basic needs of the workforce that we have been really struggling with,” Andrus  maintains.

He points out a critical shortage of childcare, with waitlists of several hundred children. Although LANL has recently invested in a childcare facility, more support is needed, both in services and trained childcare professionals.

“It’s just a drop in the bucket,  but the more that we can move that, it’s just another key element to growth” Andrus says.

AT A GLANCE

White Rock NM

What: A former bedroom community attracting growth and opportunity

Where: Los Alamos County, NM

Website: https://lacnm.com/ed