At Tuesday’s Doña Ana County Commissioners meeting, an appeal of an earlier Planning and Zoning Commission decision to deny a zone change in Talavera took center stage.
The appeal came from the owner/applicant TPJ Investments, who wanted to appeal a September Planning and Zoning Commission decision to deny a zone change on two land parcels that was designed to move forward with future phases of the original Organ Mesa Ranch Subdivision in Talavera. The denial was on a motion to allow a total of 95 lots on a 156.64-acre parcel and not to exceed two acres per lot on the 40.27-acre parcel, a decision that the appellant was requesting that the Board of County Commissioners reverse. The decision criteria noted that the zone change “is not appropriate and reasonably necessary to protect the public interest as there are concerns with no infrastructure and the water pressure for fire flow and impacts to the water table.”
Zack Libbin, representing TPJ Investments, addressed those community concerns and others.
“There’s no community sewer available in the area, or planned that anyone is aware of,” he said. “No 6,000-square-foot lots are planned; no apartments or multi-family housing is planned or desired; fire hydrants, with the required fire flows, will be part of the design of the development.”
During public comments about the matter, many Talavera residents spoke who were against the appeal and wanted to leave the zoning restrictions as they are. Griffin Allen, a senior consultant with BG Consulting Group and a Talavera resident, referred to TPJ Investments in his statement to the board.
“The applicant has wrongly claimed here today that fire safety should be excluded from this matter,” he said. “The applicant has wrongly claimed here today that water supply concerns do not exist. We get it. Development is just part of time and community, we get it. But we also know that development comes at a cost. And we accept that cost. But if we equate that cost to a firecracker, we are just beseeching you not to give these people a bomb.”
After nearly two hours hearing from both sides of the issue, the board went into closed session, returning after thirty minutes to unanimously approve removal of all but two conditions on the 156.64-acre parcel; and also to approve zoning of the 40.27-acre parcel, with the condition that lots be two acres minimum and utilities be installed underground.
