ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Netherwood Park sits in a northeast Albuquerque neighborhood, not far from University and Indian School. It features a hill, grass, and trees, but no playground. 

However, Bernalillo County Commissioner Steven Michael Quezada is hoping to change that. 

“I spent a good amount of time at the park seeing who’s using it, and it’s not being used very much,” said Quezada. 

The park is not located in Quezada’s district, but he says people in that area have still reached out to him asking for a playground to be built there. He thinks it could benefit families. 

“I don’t think people realize that’s close to a lot of apartment complexes as well. And when you live in an apartment, you know, you really don’t have a lot of options for your kids, right?” Quezada said. 

$200,000 for a playground was included in Senate Bill 275, but the governor removed it with a line item veto. 

“I don’t truly believe that, you know, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham had all the data,” said Quezada. 

Quezada says there has been some push back against adding a playground at the park. He says some people have contacted him, claiming a playground would draw people experiencing homelessness to the area. 

“I’ve never seen data that homeless people prefer parks with playgrounds in them and if I saw that data, then I would say, ‘Well, OK, maybe we should think about it,’” Quezada said. 

If passed, Quezada’s resolution would officially put the support of the county commission behind building the playground. It would urge the governor to reconsider her veto, and then it would be up to the City of Albuquerque to move forward with construction of the park.  

“Parks really are for community use and so you would have to share that park with children and parents who have children, right?” said Quezada.