Sunland Park, New Mexico

SUNLAND PARK , NEW MEX I CO Park where land is plentiful, but the number of available homes is running low. “The demand for homes is so high, developers and builders are at our doorstep requesting annexations and permits to build every day,” says Perea. “Lots are being sold even before development goes in. This continual growth requires careful planning and effective balance of quality-of-life amenities, commercial spaces, and infrastructure.” Infrastructure is always important to consider. Especially when dealing with water in the desert. With Sunland Park located so close to the Rio Grande, the city is susceptible to flash flooding. Perea explains, “That’s why our priority has been infrastructure within the community. The older parts were developed long ago with very poor regulations and standards. Some of these problems we’re fixing today include storm water solutions.” In that regard, an ongoing water project is being completed alongside the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority (CRRUA). Working together, water lines are being replaced and wastewater facilities improved throughout the municipality. Perea recently submitted a funding application for an older section in Sunland Park that not only needs updating, but also requires higher capacity water lines for future developments. The city is also incorporating more green initiatives. Perea describes how the municipality is working with a group that produces electricity. “We’re trying to facilitate getting energy tax credits to this particular company to sustain the operation. They capture methane released by the landfill, burn it, and use it to create energy to put back into the grid. We’re hoping once that gets settled it’ll provide another useful resource for energy production.” Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed down much of America, it has allowed the city the opportunity to start planning for new projects such as this one. In fact, Sunland Park hired a new City Manager, Michael Martinez, who helps implement the strategic master plan, which lines up projects that the council agrees to support. These are then matched with what the administration can do. Perea admits, “It’s been a time of transformation for us. At least in the sense of using technology and getting new management in place to provide more planning and guiding documents for us to move forward.” The intent is that these projects, along with new and expanding businesses, will help the city become a major economic force for southern New Mexico. One such example of an expanding business is La Primera Tortilla Factory, which began operations in Sunland Park in 1984. According to Perea, “Council helped La Primera access state funding to grow their business through the Local Economic Development Act (LEDA). The company is going to be expanding within Sunland Park to provide tortillas and chips on a broader scale to include institutions. Although everything has been stable, now that things are opening, we’re trying to use some of