City OKs 15 changes to land use ordinance
Most everyone who spoke at the Albuquerque City Council’s Land Use, Planning and Zoning Committee meeting on Wednesday agreed that the proposed Integrated Development Ordinance isn’t perfect.
But several speakers applauded city councilors and staff for taking on the Herculean task of rewriting the city’s zoning regulations, which city officials say are outdated and often contradictory. The city is working on consolidating all land use regulations relating to development in the city into the IDO.
The committee approved 15 amendments to the IDO that seek to address some of the concerns that have been raised. Eight additional amendments were also introduced. The committee plans to once again take up the IDO on Oct. 11.
Once the committee signs off on the ordinance, it will go to the full council, which will have at least two more hearings on it.
“We all agree it’s not perfect. We have some concerns,” said John Garcia, executive vice president of the Home Builders Association of Central New Mexico. “… We appreciate the effort to update the outdated development process.”
Kurt Browning, with Titan Development, agreed that the IDO isn’t perfect, but he said it’s a lot better than what’s in place right now.
“What we want is predictability and clarity throughout the process,” he said, adding that it’s important for everyone to understand what the rules are.
Still, many of the individuals who spoke urged councilors to slow down, calling the IDO a significant undertaking and arguing that the city is moving too fast.
“My neighborhood is quite concerned about the issue and problem of public participation,” said Kathy Adams, who lives on the West Side. “We’re not asking you to slow it down for no reason at all. We’re asking for an opportunity to make real contributions on the document. That does take time.”
She said that based on her review so far, she is concerned that the revamped rules would give fewer people the opportunity to appeal land use decisions.
“Now we have the opportu-
nity to appeal if we are within 300 feet of the property,” she said. “IDO would change that to 100 feet.”
“We need to get the word out to every person in Albuquerque,” said Patricia Martinez, who resides in the North Valley.
Andres Valdez, with New Mexico Vecinos United, said the city is disregarding concerns about gentrification.
“What’s the rush?” he asked. “… You need to review this horrible document and remove all the parts that hurt families in these historic neighborhoods.”
Council President Isaac Benton, one of the ordinance’s sponsors, agreed that the IDO is complicated. But he said the existing system is also complicated and contradictory.
“While I’m in no hurry to pass this, I think if we wait until it’s perfect, we’ll be waiting a long time,” Councilor Diane Gibson added.
Mikaela Renz-Whitmore, a senior city planner, said the IDO maintains and even strengthens neighborhood protections contained in sector development plans.
“The sector development plans that have character protections in them have been brought over as either an overlay or as a mapped area in the development standards or as a particular mapped area with the specific process in the process section,” she said.