As a result of the social, economic, and environmental analyses conducted for this project and the public comments received, several commitments are made within the environmental assessment. These commitments are summarized below by topic and each references the section of Chapter 3 of this document where a more complete discussion may be found.

As a result of the build alternatives, as described in Chapter 2, the NMSHTD commits to the following activities.

Removal of encroachments will follow standard NMSHTD procedures. Property owners with encroaching structures will be notified of the encroachment by letter and given a period of time to remove the encroaching structure. This letter will also offer the opportunity for a hearing if requested by the property owner. Removal of the encroaching structure will be negotiated with the property owner.

A few existing structures may encroach into the footprint of this alternative. These buildings encroach upon the clear zone and not the actual roadway section of the alternative; therefore, encroachment procedures as outlined above, will be followed.

Any acquisitions and relocations of displaced residents or commercial properties will be conducted in accordance with the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, as amended, including the preparation of a relocation plan.

Any of the build alternatives that propose installation of curb and gutter, sidewalks, and intersection lighting (all but the four-lane roadway with shoulders and tapers) conflict with the Village’s Master Plan. The Mayor of Los Ranchos and the Board of Trustees recognize this conflict with the existing Master Plan (see letter from the Mayor in Appendix C) and have formed a Committee to revise the Plan by September 1999. Therefore, the Master Plan will be amended to allow amenities such as curb, gutter, sidewalks, stormwater drainage system, and lighting along 4^th Street.

Construction activities for the roadway and utilities may produce short-term interruptions to driveway and pedestrian access. A traffic control plan that will ensure continued assess to businesses and residences will minimize construction effects to businesses and residents.

As an element of the design of improvements to 4^th Street, access points will be consolidated where possible and shared access drives will be considered where practical. The final driveway access scheme may be modified to comply with the NMSHTD’s Regulations for Driveways and Median Openings on Non-Access Controlled Highways (SHTD Rule 89-1(L)).

If the build alternatives are selected for construction, parking will be displaced in areas. In areas where parking is eliminated or space for replacement parking needs to be acquired, negotiations with the property owner will occur as final design of the improvement occurs. According to the Village of Los Ranchos Zoning Ordinance, all parking spaces required for commercial parking shall be located on the same site as the building; therefore, remote parking or shared parking is a violation of the zoning code. If the build alternatives are selected, the Zoning Ordinance will be amended to reflect the desirability of shared and off-site parking along 4^th Street.

There is a possibility that buried cultural remains occur within the fluvial environmental of the study area or are concealed by modern developments. Because of this, it is recommended that archeological monitoring of the project be completed, at intervals, during excavations in excess of 3 ft (1 m). If cultural resources are found, both the NMSHTD and the State Historic Preservation Officer will be notified.

All build alternatives will provide storm water collection and drainage system. Each drainage system will have drop inlets with filtration systems. The filtration systems will have a lined chamber capable of trapping roadway contaminants such as oil, grease, and other debris. Because the proposed retention facilities are within 50 ft (15 m) of groundwater, a notice of intent to discharge to groundwater will be filed with the New Mexico Environment Department's (NMED) Groundwater Bureau. Groundwater must be protected from the contamination contained within roadway runoff, and therefore all water quality standards and permit requirements for the protection of groundwater will be met. However, the storm water retention facilities will be constructed to provide maximum protection to groundwater and wildlife resources. Roadway runoff will be routed first into a lined chamber capable of containing design flows of a 5-year rainfall event. From this chamber, the discharge will overflow to an unlined area capable of containing a 100-year rainfall event and providing treatment of the influent by settling and dilution with storm water and eventually allowing the water to infiltrate. NMED Groundwater Bureau will review the design of the storm water retention facility and determine whether a discharge plan is required.

Although it is not anticipated that "dewatering" (removal of shallow groundwater) will be needed for project construction, any temporary construction dewatering that occurs will be coordinated with NMED’s Surface Water Bureau. This will ensure that any contaminated groundwater removed is treated and disposed of in accordance with state and federal regulations.

• Remediation of contaminated site
• Incorporate design elements into the project to minimize subsurface disturbance in certain areas

• Avoidance of these areas

Construction activity safety may be improved by minimizing or eliminating contact with hazardous materials and by training workers to deal with hazardous materials. Individual liquid waste disposal systems and agricultural practices may introduce pathogenic organisms, pesticides, or fertilizers into groundwater. Individuals that risk contact with these materials should be informed of the risks associated with such contact and will be trained and equipped to deal with the associated hazards.

In addition to those areas of known and suspected contamination discussed in the following paragraphs, any construction project has the potential to discover new and previously undocumented cases of contamination. If previously undiscovered contamination is encountered during project construction, work will be stopped immediately and the necessary steps will be followed for the proper treatment and disposal of hazardous materials, as identified within current NMSHTD policy and guidelines.

Prior to demolition of any building, an asbestos and lead survey will be conducted. If the buildings contain asbestos, a licensed asbestos removal contractor will remove the asbestos containing materials. Removed asbestos will be treated, transported, and disposed of in a manner approved by NMED and any notifications required by the Occupational Health and Safety Bureau of NMED will also be strictly followed.

Prior to demolition of acquired buildings, a lead-based paint survey will also be conducted. If lead based paint is detected, it will be tested to determine if the material should be treated as a hazardous waste. If it meets the criteria for a hazardous material, the lead-based paint residue will be disposed of in a manner approved by NMED.

If properties are acquired that utilize septic tanks for liquid waste disposal, the liquid waste systems will be surveyed and closed according to NMED standards.

Analysis showed that one area would benefit from the modification of an existing noise wall. This area is south of the Compound de Don Diego Subdivision on the west side of 4^th Street near Wayne Road. The decision to modify the noise wall in this area will be made after the public hearing process. If the residents in this area express a desire for the wall modification, it will be incorporated into the final project design.

All construction projects have the potential to introduce noxious and undesirable weedy plant species into the construction area or to leave the construction areas without adequate stabilizing ground cover. To prevent these occurrences, topsoil removed for construction will be stockpiled and used for surface fill in reclamation of disturbed areas. Disturbed areas will be revegetated using native species that approximate predisturbance plant community composition or native plant communities likely to be found in the area. A revegetation plan will be prepared that will specify species and quantity of species to be planted.

Sidewalk improvements between Solar Road and Mullen Road will construct a facility of extra width (12 feet [3.7 m]) to accommodate a shared pedestrian and bicycle facility. Although Guadalupe Trail is a bicycle route throughout this area, Guadalupe Trail is discontinuous between Solar Road and Mullen Road. As a result, 4^th Street is used to connect the two discontinuous pieces of Guadalupe Trail. However, with proposed 4^th Street roadway improvements, there will be insufficient width for bicycles and motor vehicles to safely share the roadway. To prevent excessive right of way acquisition and to eliminate the need for bicyclists to enter the roadway for a short distance and then cross the roadway to connect to Guadalupe Trail, a shared pedestrian and bicycle facility will be constructed. The shared facility will be striped and signed to minimize conflicts between bicyclists and pedestrians.

This shared pedestrian and bicycle facility will provide a connection for bicycles between the discontinuous portions of Guadalupe Trail by using the extra width shared facility and residential streets (Solar Road, Harmony Lane, Floretta Road, Kensington Drive, and Grecian Avenue). Although the connection is provided, it requires approximately 0.8 mi (1.3 km) of out-of-direction travel by bicyclists, which is not recommended by the City of Albuquerque. During final design, the City of Albuquerque has agreed to work with project designers to further improve this connection and minimize out-of-direction travel.

Existing bicycle and equestrian crossings will be delineated with crosswalks and signage. The crosswalk areas and signage could be enhanced to reflect a Village theme (i.e., brick crosswalk or specific designs on signs).

Pedestrian crossings will be placed on the outer intersection legs of the proposed roundabout at 4^th Street and Ranchitos Road, keeping pedestrians out of the roundabout. Crossings will be brightly striped, "yield to pedestrian in crosswalk" signs will be erected, and medians between lanes would provide refuge for pedestrians crossing the streets.

Although additional or modified lighting may be noticeable to residents and businesses near intersections and the roadway, lighting will be designed in a manner to minimize intrusive effects. In addition, the lighting will be of the minimum intensity necessary to produce safety benefits.

The build alternatives providing curb and gutter, sidewalks, and lighting would result in a more urban roadway and streetscape. These elements will be softened to create a less urban streetscape. Improvements in this area may incorporate elements into project design to promote and enhance a Village of Los Ranchos theme or identification. Design elements may include, but not be limited to, possibly decorative lighting and colored and/or patterned concrete for sidewalks.

Measures to minimize construction impacts will be incorporated into construction contract specifications. These measures will include: erosion control strategies, a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permit, a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan, measures to minimize construction noise, and development of a traffic control plan in accordance with NMSHTD requirements and the specific needs of area businesses and residents.

All permits and approvals as outlined in Section 3.20 will be obtained in accordance with the established procedures of the responsible agency.