Mike Mechenbier, owner of 4 Daughters Land and Cattle Co. told county commissioners Wednesday that he, New Mexico Travertine and the Pueblo of Isleta have reached an agreement on use of the road for access to their three properties.

In September of 2002, after the Pueblo of Isleta purchased the Comanche Ranch west of Belen, pueblo officials ordered locks put on the gate that closed off the road about four miles west of Alexander Airport.

Mechenbier said that decision was made because the pueblo wanted to stop trespassing and vandalism to its property. Unfortunately, it locked out employees of New Mexico Travertine going to the marble quarry and ranch hands working at the 4 Daughters ranch.

After a lengthy court battle and two years of negotiations, Mechenbier was happy to say the three parties had reached a settlement. The rancher requested that the county abandon any interest in the road in support of the settlement. In October 2002, the then-county commission accepted the road as an official county road on a 3-1 vote.

County Manager Eric Zamora said the county's road inventory showed only a small portion of the road as being maintained by the county. The road is about 11 miles long, and the county maintains 4.4 miles of that.

"At this time, the commission needs to appoint freeholders to review the road and report back to the commission," Zamora said.

Commissioner Pedro Rael asked if the road went through or dead-ended. Mechenbier said the road, which cuts through the Comanche Ranch now owned by Isleta, goes into the quarry and then turns south to his ranch.

County attorney Adren Nance said that the freeholders would be assessing whether the road was needed by the county and whether the repairs are burdensome and in excess of the benefit. Zamora said the portion the county maintains ends well before the portion beyond the once-disputed gate.

Rael asked if the road had been formally dedicated to the county. Nance said it was a prescriptive easement.

"So people used it, the county maintained it and there it was," Rael said.

Mechenbier said the road that was built to the quarry was done using state funds when the Huning family was developing the area.

"The ambiguity comes in because the state abandoned its interest to the county, directing Huning to survey and document the road," Mechenbier said. "But there was never any formal acceptance. Isleta argued that it was never a county road and they had the right to lock out access.

"I have to say, we were very appreciative of the commission for its support back then to go up against the tribe with its sovereign immunity. And I have to be very complimentary to the current governing body and governor of Isleta. We have established a good relationship and become good neighbors."

Rael asked if anyone would be affected by the county's abandonment of the road except the three parties in the settlement. Mechenbier said no one else would be impacted and promised to forward a copy of the agreement to the county's attorney for review.

The commissioners voted unanimously to appoint three freeholders to evaluate the road.