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Advocates argued for a handful of changes to a sweeping redesign of Las Cruces’ development code during one of the final meetings on the plan known as Realize Las Cruces.
A work session of the Las Cruces City Council on Dec. 9 marked the last public meeting in the years-long effort to modernize and update the city’s development codes. Realize Las Cruces includes changes to zoning, the zoning map, subdivisions, drainage, signs, outdoor lighting, roads and rights-of-way, landscaping parks, trails, open space, tree preservation, screening and fencing.
Councilors and community members who spoke at the meeting were, with a few exceptions, happy with the document's placement.
“There are not many items for which we have problems,” said John Moscato, a land developer, speaking on behalf of the New Mexico Construction Association, formerly called the Las Cruces Home Builders Association.
Moscato said one change he’d like to see is a simplification for changing zoning and character place. Unlike the current set of codes, Realize Las Cruces will designate areas of town as “urban” or “suburban” on top of traditional zoning categories like residential or commercial.
Moscato pointed out that, as written, two separate processes are required to request a parcel change. He said he would like to see that simplified.
But parks were his main contention. As written, Moscato said that Realize Las Cruces would lead to fewer parks being built by developers because of a minimum requirement that all developments have at least a 3-acre park. Smaller developments would choose to pay the park impact fee instead, he said.
But the bigger issue was the total impact of fees on housing costs. The city is looking to raise the park impact fee sometime next year. Developers can pay the fee in lieu of building a park, and the city uses the money to build new parks and maintain existing parks.
Moscato said the uncertainty was causing local developers to chafe.
Judy Berryman, chair of the Historic Preservation Commission, acknowledged that the most recent version of Realize Las Cruces strengthened historic protections. As an example, she pointed to provisions that call for two more historic districts.
Still, Berryman and other HPC members said the document should be revised so that HPC remains a commission and not a committee, the latter implying more authority.
Most city councilors expressed a desire for minor changes but were satisfied overall with the document.
Councilor Becki Graham wanted the document to better emphasize roadway design for emergency vehicles like fire trucks on all roadways, and Councilor Johana Bencomo said the document should improve development in the city’s underserved areas like the corridors of W. Picacho, El Paseo and S. Solano.
“Many, many years ago, decades ago, there was a decision that was made, maybe subconscious or unconscious decision, that was made about where we place our focus in the city which caused a neglect in others,” Bencomo said.
The final document will be presented to the council for approval in February 2025.
