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Recommendation For Commercial Zoning Near Tortugas Mountain Voted Down

Simon Thompson

Owners of a parcel of land at the base of Tortugas mountain or ‘A’ Mountain near Las Cruces have been pushing for a commercial zoning that could pave the way for a shopping mall on the site.

But in meeting on Wednesday night the Extra Territorial Zoning Commission voted unanimously to recommend industrial zoning.  This is consistent with the current land use in the area, where mining companies have been located for years.

In the ETZ; the 5 mile extra territorial zoning buffer area between the city and the county there are only 3 zoning classifications that can be considered; residential, commercial and industrial.

ETZ commission member Bob Hearn says development in the area around Tortugas mountain might be inevitable, but he says the industrial zoning would allow time for more public discussion and research into how that development should play out.

“That zoning decision on the one piece of property becomes the driver for  subsequent zoning and pretty soon there is a whole development. A whole area is done and you look at it and say we don’t want that! How did it get that way? And it got that way because that first plan was made and everything grew out of it. We need to be very careful about what we do with that first zoning plan.” Hearn says.

But the dispute over how the parcel land near the mountain should be zoned has been running for close to 3 years. Key factors determining the suitability of commercial development near Tortugas mountain are the planned expansion of Sonoma Ranch Boulevard and New Mexico State University plans to build a rodeo arena on land nearby.

But concerned resident Peter Goodman says until those plans for growth are put into action keeping the area in its natural state and free of development should not be taken off the table. 

“These wild fantasies of growth may be just that. Particularly given our water problems and some other factors economical and otherwise. I don’t think we are going to see rampant growth in that area as we might have if we had more water and different economy.” Goodman says.

As it stands the codes do not allow for an open space or wilderness area zoning classifications. Dona Ana County Director of Community Development Daniel Hortert and staff have been criticized by public for the limited number of zoning options they have presented, but Hortert says there is likely to be more zoning flexibility in about 6 months, once the Extra Territorial zoning authority is disbanded and the new comprehensive plan goes into effect.

“The new code is more flexible and more predictable. It may or not be actually be a little stricter around ‘A’ mountain. Of course, put this on record, I never get credit for that.” Hortert says.

The land owners declined to comment on their plans following the board’s recommendation. In previous meetings owners indicated that the land would have limited development potential if zoned as industrial.
 
The ETZ recommendation for industrial zoning will go to a final vote by the Extra Territorial Zoning Authority or the ETA in June. If industrial zoning recommendation is approved, the land owners could make their own request for commercial zoning after 31 days.
 

Simon Thompson was a reporter/producer for KRWG-TV's Newsmakers from 2014 to 2017. Encores of his work appear from time to time on KRWG-TV's Newsmakers and KRWG-FM's Fronteras-A Changing America.