My workouts revolve around P90X, but in the late afternoon on Sunday, I go for a good run. I paused at my turn around point because the view was so extraordinary with the Sandia Mountains standing majestically to the East. I was thinking of the words to say to express how important the mountain is to the city, its people and the beat of life here.
As my gaze lowered, I realized that a project that had been hidden from view for so long by a high fence was now visible from where I was standing. It was a corner property of perhaps 5 or more acres, now well graded and looking as if it was ready to be turned into a park.
Across the street, a couple were on their patio and I asked them if in fact the tract of land was to become a much needed park for that area of town. Their response stunned me as I was told that a greedy developer had purchased the parcel of land upon which suburban junk had been thrown for $300,000.00 (about what an acre would be in that area), had spent 18 months “cleaning” the property and was intending to build 10 homes.
They also disclosed that if you looked at the soil, the junk had actually been shredded and buried and that the homes would be built on the potentially toxic land.
Why doesn’t someone, like an ecoactivist, get some independent soil testing done, find out what the real soil quality is and sue the developer if there is a “cover up”. The money from the suit could then be used to have the soil thoroughly cleaned or correctly disposed of and the property turned into a park that people for generations to come would enjoy.
