San Luis developer Riedel to run for mayor
SAN LUIS, Ariz. — Longtime San Luis developer Nieves Riedel is running for mayor of the city, an office she previously occupied a little more than decade ago.
Riedel, who recently took out candidate nominating petitions from City Hall, joins previously announced candidates Joe Harper and David Lara in the race for the four-year term in the city’s August primary election. Gerardo Sanchez, the incumbent mayor, has said he plans to seek a new term.
“For me it is one more challenge,” said Riedel. “I see the city of San Luis as being in a stage of progress and economic development, and being part of that, there is plenty of opportunity at the level of local government where (I) can make a difference.”
Riedel, owner of Riedel Holdings and one of the two biggest housing developers in San Luis, previously served as mayor of San Luis, but was unseated in the 2006 election. She lost a new bid for the office in 2010 and in 2014 ran unsuccessfully for a city council seat.
Nonetheless, she believes she can win this time. “It was 15 years ago that I was there (in the mayoral seat). I believe we made a good impression with what we did (in office), although we could have done more. But it wasn’t possible.”
But now, she added, “we can help San Luis take advantange of its potential that so far hasn’t been realized, (we can) improve the infrastructure of the city, the streets, the lighting and security.”
One factor she said has prompted her to seek office are city regulations and bureaucracy that she believes hamper development.
“There is always room for improvement,” she said. “For example, it’s been said that I am part of the problem of traffic in the city (owing to new subdivisions she has developed), but instead of criticizing, government needs to find solutions. And they are there. The issue is how hard does one want to work to find them.”
One of her proposals is to ease congestion on Juan Sanchez Boulevard, one of the city’s two main thoroughfares, by building a road connecting County 24th Street and 10th Avenue. That could reduce the volume of traffic on Juan Sanchez by 25 to 30 percent, she said, while another road connecting 6th Avenue and County 22nd Street would further reduce congestion on the same boulevard.
“Those are projects that can easily be done in four years, if we are given that opportunity,” Riedel said. “I am (working) on a plan that I think can solve those problems.”
Riedel said she also wants to revise some zoning regulations she considers overly restrictive, such as one dictating that residential lots must be no smaller than 6,000 square feet, and another requiring all homes to have at least a shade structure for automobiles. She said those rules have limited the flexibility and variety of housing offered for sale, have increased construction costs and placed purchase prices beyond the reach of potential homebuyers.
She and other mayoral candidates will face off in the Aug. 28 general election. If a runoff is necessary — that is, if no candidate receives more than half the vote totals in the primary — that election would take place as part of the November general election.