Lincoln County Commissioners earlier this month passed a resolution in support of an outspoken group of Alto residents who are trying to stop a concrete plant from opening in their community.
“The proposed use of the property is totally out of character for the area,” said Lincoln County Commissioner Tom Stewart, who voted in favor of the resolution that declared the plans for the concrete plant — filed by Roper Construction, Inc. — to be a possible nuisance to the area. The plant would be located near the intersection of Highway 48 and Highway 220, just north of Ruidoso
“And here we have a national wilderness area that is right about 1.9 kilometers from there, plus we have some very high-end homes,” Stewart said.
The Oct. 19 County Commissioners meeting was attended by more than two dozen members of the Alto Coalition for Environmental Preservation (AltoCEP), which is a group of residents, business owners and property owners who have organized to keep the proposed concrete batch plant out of Alto.
"I want to thank the board for listening to the voices and opinions of your constituents who have expressed concern and opposition to the proposed concrete batch plant," said Mark Severance, chair of AltoCEP. He said his organization represented the wishes of 500 property owners in the affected area, and added that more than 1,200 people have signed an online petition to express their opposition to the concrete plant.
The resolution regarding Roper’s concrete plant that was passed by Lincoln County Commissioners states in part: “The board … finds that the existence of such a potential nuisance would likely result in visual and environmental blight and unhealthy, unsafe and the devaluing conditions.” The concrete plant “if constructed along N.M. Highway 220 could be considered a nuisance to surrounding property owners,” the resolution stated.
Ellen Hightower, assistant chair for AltoCEP who lives nearby the proposed location, told the Commission that she has “been doing a lot of soul-searching and praying about this” and said her conclusion was that she and her husband have an obligation to protect the natural beauty of their land for their children, but that the county commission has a higher obligation.
“It is more about your legacy, about how you are choosing to leave our land in this beautiful pristine area by decisions that you guys make as a county commission,” she said. “It is far greater your legacy with what you ordain in our County that will last for generations.”
Photo of the Hwy 220 corridor at sunrise by local photographer, Mark Stambaugh.
Robert Phillips, an Alto resident, spoke bluntly to the commission.
“Currently I am paying taxes to live in a pristine area,” he said. “I am going to ask for my property to be re-evaluated at a lower rate and I think everybody in that area will too. And the county is going to lose tax money that goes into the budget that you all spend.
“I will be one of the first ones in line asking for a new appraisal if this gets approved.”
Another speaker, Charles Gordon, said he lives less than a mile from the proposed site of the concrete batch plant and was concerned about night pollution.
“I am an astronomer and that's one of the reasons why I decided to live in this area, because it has a good night sky,” he said. “And putting the plant where it is, only about eight-tenths of a mile from my house … that will end up scattering across the sky and it will cause a lot of damage to my astronomy.”
Gordon said he was aware of other amateur astronomers in the area who would also be affected.
The clear night sky, he said, “is a precious resource that we are really lucky to have here. People around the rest of the country are envious of our ability to be able to do astronomy at night,” he said.
Commissioners split on resolution passage. The Resolution passed on a 3 to 2 vote in favor. Commissioner Todd Proctor and Commissioner Elaine Allen voted against the resolution that labelled the proposed plant as a possible nuisance.
Allen did not respond to media inquiries.
Proctor said he voted against the resolution because he did not feel it was the County’s responsibility to enter the fray in what will possibly become a legal issue in the future.
“I don't feel it was our job to get involved in this cat fight,” he said in an interview after the meeting. He also said he was concerned that the owner of the concrete plant — Ryan Roper of Roper Construction Inc. — was in an unfair situation because he had violated no laws and had the right to pursue his interest on his property unfettered.
“Do I feel that the government is overstepping private property bounds? Absolutely I do,” Proctor said. “Here we are, stepping and interfering with somebody’s private property rights and bounds.
"He had no limitations set upon him for what he could do when he purchased the land. No laws were broken."
Proctor added: “The squeakiest wheel does not always get greased. And that's how I voted.”
Ryan Roper, owner of Roper Construction Inc., said he is adjusting to the negative portrayal of his business, and is doing his best to be a lawful, responsible corporate citizen of the area.
“I am surprised by the amount of pushback … there's a lot more than what I expected,” Roper said. He said he believes that the opposition to his proposed plant derives from misinformation spread on social media.
“It’s fueled by a bunch of false statements,” said Roper.
He said he believes the concrete plant will be a positive addition to the area because it will help build infrastructure for the Alto and Ruidoso. His company, he said, would focus on providing local service to the growing Lincoln County.
Born and raised at a family ranch about 18 miles north of Carrizozo, Roper graduated from Carrizozo High School in 2000, attended business school at New Mexico State University and started his company in 2005.
He said he believes in the American free market, and is trying to apply the “highest and best use” of the unincorporated land he owns, and has been mindful about following all laws, he said.
"We did our due diligence before this all started, so we could make sure we were doing everything within the law and restrictions. We believe we are doing everything by the law and by the code and going through the correct procedures to do that," Roper said.
Before Roper Construction Inc. can be approved for an air quality permit, the New Mexico Environment Department must first hold a public hearing, state officials said. That hearing, according to New Mexico Environment Department Air Permit Specialist Deepika Saikrishnan, has not yet been scheduled.
Roper said he has been advised to wait until the air quality permit is approved before beginning construction of the concrete batch plant.
Until then, Alto residents are continuing their push to keep the plant out of their community.
Yvonne Lanelli, a member of the AltoCEP group, said it is a regional interest to keep the concrete plant out of the pristine Ruidoso area.
“This is a huge thing. This impacts not only Ruidoso or Lincoln County but as you know the area is like a playground for southern New Mexico (and) West Texas so the whole issue goes way beyond Lincoln County,” she said.
This article was reported by freelance journalist, Reyes Matta III, for the Ruidoso News. Born and raised in El Paso, he is a graduate of New Mexico State University. His email address is rmataonline@gmail.com. Story ideas are always welcomed.
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