[Editor's Note: Thanks go to Fort Bayard Historic Preservation Society Secretary Denise Singleton for the article and photos. This editor was unable to attend due to traveling.]
Attendees at one of the break-out sessions
Article and Photos/PDFs below by Denise Singleton
On January 7, a public meeting was held at the Grant County Conference Center to present three proposed plans for the revitalization of Fort Bayard. The plans were developed by Stantec, LLC, which was awarded the contract for the project by the State of New Mexico.
State and local officials were also in attendance, as well as representatives from Stantec. A master plan will be developed from public feedback on the three options presented at the meeting. After an initial presentation by Stantec to review the three options, the attendees broke into smaller working groups to provide input.
The three options were named "Fort Bayard Village," "Fort Bayard Trailhead," and "Fort Bayard Resort." Each option emphasizes a different approach to how the property could be developed, but at this phase of the project it is likely that elements from each option will be incorporated into the final plan. These elements include a boutique hotel, housing, a retail area, a learning center, a bike shop/terrain park, an RV park, and a visitors' center. However, the majority of those in attendance seemed to agree that the historic aspects of Fort Bayard, especially the parade ground and the buildings around it, must be restored and preserved regardless of what is done with the rest of the property.
The next public meeting will be held in approximately three months. Please stay tuned for notice of this meeting, so that your voice can be heard.
Click the following links to view and/or download large-sized, readable PDFs of each option.
