Remote Surveillance Trailer in Farmington, NM

Dear Mr. Know-It-All:

A couple of years ago, there was word going around that Costco was coming to Farmington. It was going to be built at the 30th and Main Street where Halliburton was located. And that Hobby Lobby was going to move to Animas Valley Mall where Sears used to be.

Was this ever going to happen to begin with?

Signed,

Waiting Game

Dear Waiting,

Thanks for the question, and the quick answer is no, and yes! But let Mr. Know-It-All provide some more details (since they pay me by the word).

I reached out to the Dean of Real Estate Agents in Farmington, and a man who shows his love for this area in every social media post he makes, Barry Digman, associate broker with Keller Williams. In fact, Barry has been helping people buy and sell properties in Farmington and San Juan County for 25 years. That’s a lot of escrow.

Barry tells me that a very reliable contractor friend of his confirms that Hobby Lobby plans to move to the Animas Valley Mall. Mr. Know-It-All expects that Hobby Lobby will have a special lease agreement with the mall to allow them to operate their store only six days a week, even though the mall is open seven days.

What do you know about Costco?

Your question about Costco is a different story and made Mr. Know-It-All think about the larger issue of these big, national companies deciding to locate in our fine town.

I heard the same rumors that you did about the property at 30th and Main Street, but I always figured it would be too small for a Costco. Turns out, I was right. Back to Barry Digman: He says many of these big deals are kept very hush-hush for a lot of reasons. One of which is to keep the people who are selling their property from increasing the price. Can you imagine if you were trying to sell your land, and you were negotiating with a Walmart or Costco? It might be hard to see those acceptance papers if you have dollar signs in your eyes. So these deals usually go through a third party for both sides. Digman said many commercial properties are listed by out-of-town brokers, since they have connections with potential large, national buyers and often hold a CCIM designation, which, Mr. Know-It-All learned, means Certified Commercial Investment Member. Digman says no real estate brokers in San Juan County hold that designation.

So, Halliburton made the deal and sold to the developer, which paved the way for the Maverik gas station/convenience store. By the way, more dirt is being moved on that property, which means someone else will be built there, but guess what, so far, it’s a secret as to what it might be. However, Mr. Know-It-All feels very confident in saying it won’t be a Costco.

So what about those persistent Costco rumors? Mr. Know-It-All did some research and found one commercial real estate agency in California that listed site requirements for a Costco to open in a community. Gallelli Real Estate says Costco requires a population of 200,000 people who live within 5 miles of the proposed location. Take a look around you right now, and chances are you don’t even see 20 people, but I bet you have plenty of elbow room. Costco also requires a median income of $75,000 a year (or more), and unfortunately, our area doesn’t meet that measurement, either. Barry Digman says those market requirements for Costco are correct.

The store also needs 14 to 16 acres for enough room for their 160,000-square-foot building and 750 parking spaces. By the way, the old Halliburton property at Main and 30th streets is only about 10 acres.

However, Mr. Know-It-All has learned never to say never – especially because Farmington and San Juan County make up a unique retail market. We enjoy many shopping benefits of a much larger community. How many cities of 46,000 people have, not one, but two Walmart supercenters? We do, because of the uniqueness of the Farmington market, which is a retail shopping hub for a much larger, regional population of 200,000+ people. That may be why we have a Sam’s Club – and why, if the folks at Costco ever realize this and run the numbers, we might see more dirt moving yet.

Mr. Know-It-All is Scott Michlin, the general manager of KSJE 90.9FM community-supported radio at San Juan College. If you have a question about something in San Juan County, drop him a line at SMichlin@tricityrecordnm.com. If he doesn’t know the answer, he knows someone who does and you’ll read about it here in the pages of the Tri-City Record!.

The city of Farmington will debuted its new whitewater surf feature on the Animas River during a community ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday behind the Farmington Museum, according to a news release.

As the first in-river surf wave in the Four Corners, the feature highlights Farmington’s continued investment in outdoor recreation and its growing reputation as a place for adventure and active lifestyles.

Before this development, the nearest comparable surf feature was more than four hours away in central Colorado, making Farmington’s new wave a uniquely accessible experience for residents and visitors.

“Farmington continues to build its identity as an outdoor recreation destination,” said Mayor Nate Duckett. “This new surf wave adds to our growing list of amenities that reflect the adventurous, connected lifestyle our residents value.”

Located at Gateway Park in the center of Farmington, the wave is designed to be both fun and functional. A natural rock staircase situated just downstream on the river’s right side facilitates simple exit and reentry for surfers, a particularly helpful feature for beginners.

The wave’s functionality is powered by an adjustable Obermeyer weir, equipped with three gates that can be raised or lowered to shape the wave’s form based on river flow. Engineers from Southwest River Engineering are actively fine-tuning the system, adjusting the underlying rock and silt and calibrating the flow automation. Once completed, the system is designed to self-adjust to maintain optimal performance as river conditions change.

City Manager Rob Mayes emphasized the broader impact of the project.

“This feature brings outdoor recreation to the next level in Farmington.” He said. “It’s an investment in both lifestyle and local economic development, and we’re thrilled to invite the public to experience it.”

The project has received significant funding support from various entities, including the Office of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, the Office of the Natural Resource Trustee and the New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division’s Trails+ Grant Program.

This new surf wave is a key component of a larger vision for Gateway Park, which is under construction. The broader development includes the Market Pavilion, intended to host farmers markets and community events, thereby creating a vibrant connection between the river and public gathering spaces.

The surf wave’s proximity to other community amenities, such as the Farmington Museum & Visitor Center and its outdoor terrace, along with the forthcoming Gateway Plaza, further underscores the city’s dedication to revitalizing and activating the river corridor.

For more information, visit farmingtonnm.gov/wave.

FARMINGTON, N.M. — A little over a year ago we told you about the big things coming to Gateway Park in Farmington. That included a new river wave feature for people to hang ten in the desert.

KOB 4 went to see the wave now ready for folks to shred in the Animas River.

“I don’t know how fast it’s going, but it’s ripping by and it kind of can be a bit discombobulating cause you’re not going anywhere, but I’m going really fast at the same time,” said Tyler Lausten, owner of TL Surf.

On Thursday morning, folks in Farmington were hanging ten, after the city cut the ribbon to the newest thrill on the Animas River.

“We’ve been real excited about getting our own wave on the Animas River, kind of unheard of in New Mexico,” said James Gebel, an Aztec resident.

Gebel was the first one out to catch and hold the river wave Thursday.

“It’s taken two or three years to learn how to do this,” Gebel said.

He says he hopes people from all over come and surf the Animas.

“Hopefully it really helps the economy here, you know, I hope that folks come up from Santa Fe and Albuquerque. A big bunch of the crowd that’s comes today is from Durango,” Gebel said.

Meaning, more people and more business. Which is why this is a dream come true for Lausten.

“People had to drive quite a ways to get a wave like this, so if you live in the Four Corners area you have one at home now,” Lausten said. “I mean as a business owner I expect my sales to go up, first of all it’s a different style of wave. So even if you already have a surfboard, it’s likely that you’re going to want a new one at least at some point that matches the wave better.”

It looks like it’s going to pay off for Lausten.

“I mean it’s day one but yeah I mean it fills me with pride to see my product down here and being used and working well on this feature,” said Lausten.

FARMINGTON, N.M. – At the Farmington Regional Animal Shelter, a few too many tails are wagging with anticipation. They need those on two feet to show up and help.

If you’ve got a leash and a little love to spare, volunteer dog walking might just be for you.

KOB 4 took a stroll with some of the volunteers, who hope more will show up for the shelter’s growing pack of pups.

“When I do come, I do try and walk a few dogs most of the time, just so I can get them out. The most dogs I’ve walked in one day was eight, and I was exhausted at the end of the day, but it really is fun,” said Jeanne Boyr, volunteer dog walker for the Farmington Regional Animal Shelter.

She is just one out of a core group of walkers that show up every other day at the Farmington Regional Animal Shelter.

“What we’re trying to do is get more people out. These dogs are so, they are so loving, and they really just want a home,” said Boyr.

Just like Teddy:

“Ted, he’s been there for a couple of months now. He loves getting out. He’s very treat-driven. He sits down, which tells me, ‘I want a treat.’ So I think Teddy has me trained to give him a treat,” Boyr said.

But not every dog has the same experience.

“Sometimes it’s hard for those dogs because they’ve been through a lot, so we never know what all of them have been through, but we just try and take them where they are,” Boyr said. “He was skittish around people, but when he left the shelter, he walked right out of there. He was so proud, and he was so happy.”

There are more than 200 dogs at the shelter right now. For the volunteers, it’s not just about the exercise, they want to see all of them adopted.

“There’s a whole other group of strays that come in and, you know, fill their places,” said Boyr.

If you want to add a dog to your daily walks, all you have to do is go to the Farmington Regional Animal Shelter and sign up. You can also adopt one of the many good boys and girls.