In a 7-0 vote, Las Cruces City Councilors rejected a rezoning proposal at Tashiro and Valley Drives that would have changed the zoning from agricultural to commercial. Many people at the meeting had concerns about the possibility of more big- box stores coming to the city.
Almost 30 people at the Council meeting spoke out against the rezoning proposal, most saying they didn’t want to see another big-box grocery store in the community. Lucas Herndon, President of the Green Chamber of Commerce in Las Cruces, says this project would hurt local business.
“If it were a big box store with a national gas chain,” Herndon said. ‘It would absolutely have a major effect. This property is directly across the street from a locally owned gas station and convenience store, so there would be an immediate impact on that. It’s within two minutes driving time of a great, old, locally owned grocery store save-mart that has been here forever.”
City Councilor Nathan Small says he is for economic development in his district, but too many people had concerns about this project.
“Because of so much different constituent feedback,” Small said. “And while many constituents said that they did want to see commercial development there, I think a clear majority said that they did not at this time. There were concerns expressed about the type of store, specifically if that would have been a Wal-Mart that raised concerns for a lot of local businesses, and we have very established businesses over there.”
Councilors were not allowed to turn down the re-zoning proposal just because they did not want to see another big box store in the area. After hearing public comment, they voted down the proposal because of the significant safety risk because of increased traffic, which many including Herndon talked about during public comment.
“You know traffic issue is sort of the number one thing that’s easy to point out,” Herndon said. “Almost everyone that was in attendance today talked about the problems that exist currently with nothing on that property. Let alone bringing in a 40,000 square foot building and a 12 bay gas station, with the addition of probably a strip mall on that secondary pad with 4 access points again onto major arterial roads, and major collector roads.”
People at the meeting said because the property is in close proximity to schools and athletic fields, children are frequently walking in the area, and increased traffic would pose a danger. Property owner Joe Aday, spoke for the company seeking to buy the property, saying he thinks the project would benefit the community.
“We as a family owned the farm for several years,” Aday said. “The last 7 years we have thought about what to do with it because it was always considered on the part by Valley that it would be something commercial. And I think as a family owned farm we wanted to look with some pride as to whatever was done there. You can feel in this room the pride of being in Las Cruces, and I share that.”
Councilor Small says that although they turned down the zoning proposal, the developer still has options.
“We got the result,” Small said. “Of course, the developer and the property owner have the ability to appeal the decision in district court. We’ll see what happens there.”
According to zoning regulations, They could also bring the proposal back to the council a year from now, or six months from now if changes are made to the proposal.
