townhouse development gets thumbs up in los alamos

More than forty townhouses could see construction in Los Alamos on some 4.5 acres of land on the north side of the town.

The townhouses, to be built in the 3900 and 4000 block of Arkansas Avenue in a part of the town populated with mostly one- and two-story homes, will all be four stories in height.

Member of the Los Alamos Planning and Zoning Commission have given a green light to the project, which is now on its way to the Los Alamos County Council for final approval.

Site for the project is known locally as the Black Hole, a one-story 17,000 square foot surplus shop that once sold recycled and used equipment from the Los Alamos National Laboratory.

The Black Hole soon became a gathering place and community center for opponents of nuclear proliferation.

Although the shop will be demolished to make way for the project, the developer has agreed to put up a placard commemorating the history of the Black Hole.

Before the site was known as the Black Hole, it was for several years the home to a Piggly Wiggly grocery store.

The townhouse development is being jointly undertaken by the T2 Development and the urban design firm Consensus Planning, both based in Albuquerque.

G. Donald Dudley Architect LTD, also of Albuquerque, is the project’s architect.

By Garry Boulard

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