The area, west of N.M. 344 and north of Interstate 40, has been planned as the site of a town community center, library, municipal offices, Public Safety Department and various other facilities since around the time the town incorporated in 1999.

Although there is no definite timeline for completion of those buildings, Karen Mahalick, the town's planning and development manager, said she is hoping to have a start on a recreational field for soccer and other sports started on Section 16 in June.

There are still a few hurdles, though.

Although the town has legislative appropriations totaling about $510,000 for the project, part of that money is a little shaky.

The money is in two parts, and the smaller portion, $200,000, has a provision that it be used for the construction of buildings, not outdoor playing fields.

"Until someone stops me, I can spend it," Mahalick said.

This year's regular legislative session has passed over and the next session on the horizon, and no one has put the kibosh on the project, so it may be a perfect time to tie up the funding, she said.

Mahalick said the plan is to start collecting bids for the project by early June so that the council can approve a contract by June 17.

The town is also grappling with the access road to the planned fields with the state Department of Transportation. Turning lanes could be needed on N.M. 344 and Dinkle, the road that would be used for access, Mahalick said.

"It's a two-lane state highway," she said. "Right now it's not safe when it snows, where it's too narrow. … We want to make sure we have safe access."

The state Transportation Department did have a plan to widen N.M. 344 from Dinkle to Venus roads starting in 2010, but it abandoned that plan in favor of other projects a few years ago, according to Mahalick.

"It'd be nice to see some of that funding restored," she said. There's also the matter of getting water to the fields.

Two of the water companies in the area — Thunder Mountain Water Co. and New Mexico American Water Co. —are embroiled in a territorial dispute over which company should serve that and another nearby area of Edgewood. The dispute is before the Public Regulation Commission and is scheduled to be heard later this year, but Mahalick said she has a guarantee of a water supply from Thunder Mountain that should allow the town to move forward.

Meanwhile, Santa Fe County plans to build a fire station on Section 16 north of the planned fields.

In all, building the fire station will cost nearly $4 million. The building is expected to have six bay doors, be able to hold nine firetrucks and will take 12 to 16 months to build.

A few projects that may be a little further from becoming a reality are a town municipal office, community center and a library.

An animal control facility, originally planned to be on Section 16 may move to the east side of N.M. 344, just across the street. The size of the structure has also been scaled back quite a bit.

At one point, there were plans for a $10 million facility, but the current plan would cost just under $500,000. Under that plan, the initial structure would be a metal building with a sally port for two vehicles, a kennel space, and a few other features. The land the building would sit on has not been purchased by the town.