Residents at North and South Kiva Lane are asking for the city of Española’s assistance in what began as a dispute between neighbors and has escalated into a safety concern.
Residents asked the council Sept. 23 to rename one of the private streets to avoid confusion that has led to ambulances coming up the wrong one and unable to turn around because of a chain link fence that divides the two dirt roads. “Personally I’d like to see the road opened,” South Kiva Lane resident Patsy Martinez said. “To me, it’s very dangerous.”
Martinez said she recently had bypass surgeries and fears that if she did have to call for an ambulance it would come up the wrong street.
“When you’re upset and you call, you say Kiva. You don’t specify north or south. I’ve seen it happen,” she said.
Because of the safety issues the Council is interested in going a step further than just renaming the streets and is looking into the possibility of bringing it up to city standards by creating one street out of the two, said Planning Director Cyrus Samii.
“Instead of two substandard streets why not create one that meets standards,” he said.
So the Planning Department has been working on researching ownership of the roads and whether or not any of the road was dedicated to the city, he said.
“It becomes a question of us creating a public road out of two private drives,” Samii said.
If none of the road has been dedicated and they are indeed private, the city would have little say in whether the fence is allowed, Samii said. The city could acquire the road through eminent domain, but the city will wait until public input has been gathered to decide what option they will use to address the issue, he said.
Some residents would prefer the city leave the road as it is. Sabino Ortiz, who has lived on South Kiva Lane for 25 years said paving the road would ruin an irrigation ditch that runs in between the two drives.
However, Jennie Espinoza who lives across from Ortiz’s property said she would be willing to dedicate her portion of North Kiva Lane to the city if necessary. A year ago when her husband died of a massive heart attack in her home, the fire truck, went up South Kiva Lane instead of North, she said. They had to leave the fire truck where it was on the wrong street and run over to her house, she said.
“I have survived sickness and bad times with my husband,” she said. “For me, maybe the worst is over.”
Martinez said prior to about three years ago both drives were one, and it was called Kiva Lane. Then after a dispute between neighbors the chain link fence went up. Wooden posts divide the front portion of the drive, which Martinez said had been there long before the chain link fence.
“Something needs to be done,” she said. “It’s been a problem for too long.”
Fire Chief John Kitchen said there have been a couple of times that he recalls when crews had to either turn around or jump the fence that divides the two roads because they turned down the wrong drive.
“I wish they’d just get rid of the fence in the middle and make it one road,” he said. “It’s a life and safety issue. The faster we can get there the better.” Samii said a public meeting on the matter is scheduled for Oct. 16 at City Hall.