Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Resident feels Robles Street overlooked

Staff writer

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Members of a family whose ancestors donated the land that became Robles Street in Clovis pleaded for help to fix the streets where they still reside during a Public Works Committee meeting Wednesday morning at city hall.

Lawrence Robles said his father, Clemente Robles, moved to the area in 1952 where Robles and Sandoval streets are located.

His father donated the land that would become Robles Street 23 years ago, Lawrence Robles said. He added that, as far as he’s concerned, the street has never had any major repairs.

“They’ve just been patching it and patching it every year,” he said.

Robles Street intersects with Sandoval on the west side of Clovis.

The state of disrepair of both streets was a concern to several of the meeting’s visitors.

Commissioner Chris Bryant agreed with their comments; stating that he did not think Sandoval Street had “ever been touched.”

The commission said there were no funds available to repair the stretch of Robles and Sandoval streets in question,

Robles said he will be making his concerns heard more often during city meetings. He’s already approached the city commission on the matter of Robles Street.

“I’m going to be coming in more often,” he said. Lawrence Robles attended the meeting with his son, Chris, and his brother, Johnny.

The Public Works Committee also discussed:

• Several streets in need of repair. These streets were identified in a list compiled by City Engineer Justin Howalt with input from Street Superintendent Larry Hall. During a May 28 meeting, Howalt advised the streets would qualify to be repaved with funds from the city’s residential paving fund.

The total to repave all the streets identified by Howalt and Hall would be an estimated $2.01 million; however, only $300,000 is available in the city’s fund.

During Wednesday’s meeting, the committee identified the Community Development Block Grant as a possible source of additional funding to repave Clovis’ streets. However, even if an application for CDBG funding were to be submitted, it would take a year to receive the funds.

The committee instead identified three streets that can be repaired with the available city funds: Wright from Duckworth to Thornton Street; Robles from Sandoval to Missouri, and Ewing from Robles to Grand. These streets can be repaved at an estimated cost of $250,000.

A more formal quote for this repair will be presented to the city commission for approval, Howalt said;

• Hartley playa, which is located on the northeast side of Clovis. The city does not own or lease the playa, and there is an interest to make use of the natural depression. Howalt said the city may look into purchasing the property or acquiring a drainage easement system to move water toward the playa.