After the Studio Tour, Eldorado Turns to Its Own Ground

Between September 4 and October 2, Eldorado's busiest public season wound down one piece at a time. On September 4, Santa Fe County's crew finished at the Avenida Vista Grande bridge. The 34th Eldorado Studio Tour opened more than 100 studios on September 19 and 20. The ECIA pool closed for the season on September 27. The Friday farmers market at La Tienda held its last afternoon of 2026 on October 2.

The October calendar has no big visitor events left on it. Almost everything that remains is about the land Eldorado sits on, the water that runs across it, and who will look after the greenbelts from here on. October is the month the community spends on its own ground.

The Bridge Work Was About What Flows Underneath

Most people know the Avenida Vista Grande crossing as the turn off US-285. Santa Fe County's September 18 completion notice describes it in terms of water. The structure carries the road over the Cañada de Los Alamos, and it is a five-barrel concrete box culvert. An inspection found it needed major rehabilitation.

The work Hasse Contracting Company did is mostly hidden from drivers. At the culvert outlet, crews installed a 25-foot concrete apron lined with gabion baskets, which are mesh cages filled with rock. The county says the purpose is to slow storm water as it leaves the culvert and reduce erosion of the soil around it. The crews also replaced damaged concrete and reinforcing bar, sealed exposed surfaces, repaired the shoulders, and put in new guardrails and markings.

When the Santa Fe New Mexican covered the contract approval in April, the county expected crews in late April or early May. Work actually ran from June 1 to September 4, about six weeks ahead of schedule. The final cost was $1,047,528.50. Funding came from a New Mexico Department of Transportation grant of $339,917.80 and $679,072 in general obligation bonds, plus smaller amounts from state capital outlay and a special appropriation.

"The Vista Grande bridge is at the second entrance to Eldorado and is the main entrance that many people use. We are glad the repairs were completed ahead of schedule and will make that entrance safe for many years to come."

Hank Hughes, Santa Fe County Commissioner, District 5

Erosion and drainage after a heavy rain are now fixed at the front entrance. The same topics are on the ECIA's agenda for the open land behind it.

October 15 Is the Greenbelts' Turn

At 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 15, the ECIA Open Space Management Committee will hold a Listening Town Hall at the Community Center Ramada. The committee plans to collect members' questions and concerns about the greenbelts, the Eldorado Community Preserve, erosion, restoration, and how the planning process should work. The newsletter says plainly that this is a listening session and no decisions will be made there.

The July Vistas explains why the committee is asking now. Its update said no management decisions had been made, no resources committed, and no priorities set. Two assessments were underway at the same time:

1. A structured strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats review by the committee. Its findings will be the starting point for outside experts.
2. Professional assessments of the land itself. The New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department's Forestry Division agreed to assess the Preserve at no cost. For the greenbelts, the committee is working on an ecological assessment with local universities and conservation organizations. Committee members have also been walking the greenbelts themselves to record conditions.

Two more changes came out of the same effort. The ECIA hired the community's first Natural Lands Manager, a part-time position. The association's staff page lists her as Amy Larsen. The committee also said it would start a monthly e-blast in October. Each issue will take on one greenbelt topic and end with one thing to notice or explore. Longer versions with references are meant to be posted on the Open Space Management page at eldoradosf.org. If you already get ECIA e-blasts, you are already on the list.

The Groups Already Working That Ground

The same evening is not the only greenbelt event on October 15. Thursday the 15th is also the third Thursday of the month, when the Eldorado Trail Volunteers meet at 8 a.m. at the Maintenance Shop. Joe Anders is the contact. So the trails get a work crew in the morning and a public hearing in the evening.

The Eldorado Hikers meet every Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. at the northeast corner of the Community Center parking lot. Lois Owens is the organizer. At Vista Grande Public Library, Lee Levin's healthy-aging series continues on Saturday, October 10, from noon to 1 p.m. with a talk on the benefits of outdoor activity.

The October Vistas also points people to the open ground at night. Eric Saltmarsh's sky column for October through December lists:

• Oct. 7–9: the Draconid meteor shower, about ten meteors an hour at its peak
• Oct. 10: new moon
• Oct. 21–23: the Orionid peak, up to about 20 meteors an hour, best after the moon sets past midnight
• Oct. 25: the full Hunter's Moon at 10:13 p.m.
• Dec. 13–14: the Geminids, with about 120 meteors an hour possible at the peak

Putting the Yard to Bed

The October Vistas has a fall garden checklist as specific as the bridge notice. Work organic compost into beds any time between now and late fall. For xeric and native plants, use one to two inches of pine needles, crushed pecan shells, or gravel as mulch. Winterize drip lines and sprinklers in late October or early November. The City of Santa Fe Sustainability Office recommends having a licensed contractor blow the lines out. Turn off exterior faucets from the inside and disconnect your hoses.

Interest in this kind of practical advice is on record. On August 29, botanist Arne Kruckeberg gave an Eldorado Volunteer Committee talk on rock and alpine gardens in the Railroad Room, with 27 people attending. Afterward, attendees asked for more on high-desert gardening, Eldorado-specific plants, fruit trees, and hands-on workshops.

Fall cleanup leaves things to get rid of. The ReUse Center at the Eldorado Convenience Center is set to reopen this fall, and Eldorado/285Recycles says it will publish what the center accepts closer to opening day. Through October, the same group is running Socktober, collecting new socks for a local shelter. The bin is in La Tienda Building B, outside the Eldorado Gym.

October and Early November, by Date

The library turned 25 this year and celebrated on August 22 at 14 Avenida Torreon. If you are planning a donation for the book sale, book and disc donations are paused from October 15 through November 17 while volunteers set up. The library posted those dates in May, so check vglibrary.org before you load the car.

At the Agora, Coffee Corral at 7 Avenida Vista Grande is open Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Deli Barn at the same address is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Next Project Is the Room Everyone Meets In

The last open question this fall is about the building itself. The Community Center remodel sat in planning for two years before the ECIA's new executive director, Charity Avé-Lallemant, got bids from the association's architect. The board chose a bidder in June, and construction was scheduled to start after the Studio Tour. The September newsletter says groups that rent the facility will have to move during the work.

No start date has been published yet. The October calendar still lists Eldo Jams, the book club, and chair aerobics in the Railroad Building. The Facilities and Grounds Committee's agenda for October 7 includes a "Major Project Update." Paving comes after the remodel. A Walker Engineering review found that poor drainage is damaging the asphalt around the Community Center, so the ECIA plans to commission a drainage study before it writes a repaving scope. That puts storm water on this fall's agenda in three places: the culvert at the entrance, the open land around the community, and the parking lot where the Tuesday hikers meet.

If the greenbelt conversation has you thinking about your own lot, such as its drainage, how it borders open space, or how the land should be shown when the time comes, the team at Summit Group can walk the property with you and talk it through. Contact Us.