Businesses on square in the dark

Downtown business owners in Portales are currently living in the dark due to no lights around the downtown square.

link Staff photo: Alisa Boswell

Portales business owners on the square are currently living in the dark as city officials wait for answers from the state on when downtown lights can be replaced.

Portales City Manager Sammy Standefer said city officials are waiting on the New Mexico Department of Transportation to re-light the Portales town square, which is black at night due to the removal of faulty lights.

The lights, which were put in last year as part of the $8.3 million road project along First and Second streets, have been falling with one light post blowing over during a wind storm, according to Standefer, who said the lights caused concern with Portales residents and city officials.

Downtown businesses AnB Nails and The Vines are already being affected by the blackened square.

AnB Owner Benny Nguyen said he doesn’t usually leave his business until 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. and if anyone stops by after dark, he has to turn the lights off in his building and approach the glass to be able to see who it is.

Vines House Manager Sarah Taylor said she feels like business for the restaurant has been hurt since the lights were taken down.

“We’re open until 10 (p.m.) on Fridays and Saturdays, and it looks like a ghost town out here, because it’s so dark,” Taylor said. “The only time it doesn’t affect us is when we have our marquee out front saying this is going on.”

She said staff members at the restaurant have also started using a “buddy system” for going out back behind the building for the sake of safety.

“It’s too dark, and we have too many female employees,” Taylor said. “I told all the staff even if you don’t have someone go out there with you, at least have them watch you.”

Standefer said the city is waiting to hear from contractor Constructors Inc. of Albuquerque, which worked the state road project on U.S. 70, to see when the NMDOT can replace the lights.

“They’re working towards a solution,” Standefer said, adding that he would not know any more until he hears from Constructors Inc. officials, who are acting as a communication bridge between NMDOT and the city.

“My concern is when they are going to be put back up, because we need some kind of lighting at night,” Standefer said.

The road project, which began in May 2012, was originally slated to be a year-long project but took more than two years to complete due to numerous weather setbacks. It was completed the end of 2014.

Do Drop In Owner Kamille Mountjoy said she understands the safety concern with the lights and why they were taken down but come next month, the lack of lighting around the square is going to start affecting downtown business owners much more heavily due to the sun going down earlier.

“It doesn’t affect me so much now,” Mountjoy said. “(But) If someone doesn’t do something soon, it will affect us.”