ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The upgrades at Los Altos have come with some growing pains from a group that uses the Los Altos Pool for exercise. 

“Very sad and disappointed in the city that they won’t support senior citizens,” said Janice Jacobs. 

Jacobs is one of the dozens of people that use the pool for the water aerobic classes in the morning. She said she doesn’t need the handicap space for herself but is speaking up for her friends. 

“I see my friends, and ladies and gentlemen, who come to the pool who struggle to exercise because there’s not enough handicap places,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs said that’s because Los Altos Park construction has limited non-handicap parking too. If the handicap spots are full along with the rest of the lot, some people give up and drive home. 

There are currently four handicap parking spaces in a temporary parking lot and there is set to be four handicap parking spots in the new parking lot set to open in two weeks. 

“If you think four places is enough for all of us that you see, go in that pool. Then I’ll be really saddened,” said Marty Bruner.

As a former Albuquerque city employee, Bruner helped found the water aerobics class in the 1960s.

“C’mon, send somebody out there and see how many of us struggle to get in the pool just to get some exercise,” said Bruner.

The women estimate there are anywhere from eight to 10 people with mobility challenges that regularly attend the water aerobics class. 

“There will be no loss of handicap spaces,” said Dave Simon, the City of Albuquerque’s Parks and Recreation director.

He said the city is complying with ADA laws and meeting the requirements for handicap space allotment. He also asked for patience as the phase two of the $10M Los Altos Park project is under construction.  

Simon did not close the door on the possibility of adding handicap parking spaces. “We’ll assess the need there and make adjustments as appropriate,” he said. 

“We need to stay active, and we need to stay healthy,” Jacobs said.