CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE LAND USE FACILITATION PROGRAM
                           PROJECT MEETING REPORT

Project #: 1000570 (fka #1000599)
Property Description/Address: Westland North, bounded by Petroglyph National Monument, Unser
Boulevard, Interstate 40, western edge of the City of Albuquerque
http://cabq.gov/legal/adr/luf/projects/project-1000599/1000599.pdf/view

Date Submitted: 23 May 2012
Submitted By: Philip Crump

Meeting Date/Time: Monday 21 May 2012, 6:00-7:45 pm
Meeting Location: Don Newton Taylor Ranch Community Center
Facilitator: Philip Crump
Co-facilitator: Diane Grover, Kathleen Oweegon

Parties:
   - Applicant: Western Albuquerque Land Holdings LLC (“WALH”)
   - Agent: Consensus Planning
   - Neighborhood Associations/Interested Parties:
       Tres Volcanes NA, Laurelwood NA, Parkway NA, Westside Coalition of NAs,
       *Los Volcanes NA, *South Valley Coalition of NAs, *South West Alliance of Neighbors
       (*invited)

Background/Meeting Summary: The application is a request to amend the Westland Sector
Development Plan--a portion of the Westland Master Plan--as well as the Master Plan itself. These are
requested to reflect changes in zoning, land use and roadway network, primarily as a result of the
Albuquerque Public Schools education and athletic complexes and the City’s Regional Park. The
facilitated meeting was intended to provide neighborhood organizations and their members a more
detailed review of the proposed plan amendments. After the presentation by the agent of the history of
recent developments in the area and subsequent discussion of the requested amendments, the attending
neighborhood representatives expressed general satisfaction with the proposed changes.

Outcome: The agent distributed copies of a packet of drawings illustrating the current and proposed
changes in land use and zoning. These drawings (two of which were displayed in large format) formed
the basis for discussion. The agent reviewed all the drawings and answered questions and responded to
comments from the neighborhood representatives.
        The only area of procedural concern was the timing and extent of notification of the meeting to
interested parties. The representatives said that in general they considered the lead time between
notification of the meeting [May 11] and the meeting itself [May 21] was very short; they were
concerned that not all members of impacted associations were notified. One representative reported that
they were able to utilize an email list and Facebook page to get the word out. It was noted that
members of the Stormcloud homeowners association that is adjacent to the area under scrutiny might
have attended, had they been notified

Meeting Specifics (generally, from the agent presentation with specific questions indicated):
1. Background of the Plans and changes
      a. Albuquerque Public Schools



                               Facilitated Meeting Report: Westland North Project #1000570 (fka 599)
CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE LAND USE FACILITATION PROGRAM
                           PROJECT MEETING REPORT
               i. Originally APS had 48 acres in the Atrisco Heritage area to be used for a stadium, but
                  did not have access to additional property
              ii. APS purchased two 110 acre parcels from WALH, for developing both an education
                  complex (elementary, middle and high school) and an athletic complex
             iii. APS, as a separate political division of the state, is not bound by City zoning
                  regulations
      b. City of Albuquerque
               i. City wanted to create a Westside regional soccer site
              ii. There was an 81 acre parcel immediately west of the APS site
                      1. Vacating an existing roadway right-of-way and easement across the APS
                          Athletic complex property allowed WALH to rededicate the former road
                          right-of-way as 10-acre park
                      2. Passage of the Parks and Recreation bond issue provided for acquisition of the
                          site, though nothing for design and construction
             iii. APS and the City entered into two Memoranda of Understanding regarding the
                  approval process for the APS facilities
2. Current status
      a. Creation of the APS and City facilities put the Plans out of date; the present effort is to
          amend the plans and bring them up to date
      b. Only the APS parking and stadium are cast in stone; all the other facilities are undetermined
          and unfunded
      c. Road improvements are in progress now and this will address the current incomplete road
          network
               i. Arroyo Vista to be a full section connect from Ladera to Tierra Pintada
              ii. Arroyo Vista will be a half section from Tierra Pintada to the west property line of the
                  APS Athletic Complex property
             iii. Tierra Pintada will cross Mirehaven Arroyo and will be a 4-lane roadway
                      1. A neighbor asked about median landscaping for the portion of Ladera
                          Boulevard east of the Sector Plan area

3. Proposed amendments and changes
      a. Proposed Westland Sector Plan amendments
              i. Sector Plan affects only the (eastern) portion, within the City limits
                    1. Anything in Master Plan west of Sector Plan must be approved by the County
             ii. Sector Plan makes reference to the Master Plan, amended in 2009; the plans are
                 “married”—amending one calls for amending the other
            iii. The Regional Park area is owned by the City but within County jurisdiction

       b. Proposed Westland Master Plan amendments
              i. Changes include the APS education and athletic complexes, the City Regional Park,
                 roadway changes and some smaller use changes
                    1. Roadway changes
                           a. Tierra Pintada as noted above
                           b. 118th Street through Atrisco Terrace Open Space now to be utility and
                               trail easement only
                           c. Now two east-west roadways—Arroyo Vista, Ladera



                                Facilitated Meeting Report: Westland North Project #1000570 (fka 599)
CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE LAND USE FACILITATION PROGRAM
                   PROJECT MEETING REPORT
       ii. Atrisco Terrace Open Space
               1. A portion of the mesatop area (approximately 60 acres) was previously
                  designated as Regional Park
                      a. Area is encumbered by powerlines and proposed for R5.5 residential
                      b. This is the area whose change might be in question
      iii. Other proposed changes
               1. A large AMAFCA retention pond area near I-40, designated as residential, is
                  identified as private open space
               2. A small sliver below the Atrisco Terrace Open Space near I-40 is proposed for
                  combining with the Atrisco Terrace R5.5
               3. Changes must be approved by the County
                      a. The County might be asked to allow annexation of the area—from
                          Atrisco Terrace east to the City
               4. WAHL is working closely with the County and the Albuquerque Bernalillo
                  County Water Utility Authority on water and sewer issues
                      a. A neighbor said that the WUA explained that odor in the South Valley
                          comes from a sewerage bottleneck
                      b. A new treatment facility near Montaño and the bosque will relieve the
                          bottleneck
                      c. The agent reported that the land has been acquired by ABCWUA for
                          that facility
      iv. Timeline
               1. Phasing of the development is clearer
                      a. Development from east to west
                      b. After the APS stadium, the area between Petroglyph Monument and
                          Tierra Pintada will be developed, as infrastructure is being designed
                          and in place
       v. Community facilities plan
               1. There is a general idea of the locations for schools and parks
               2. The SW corner of Arroyo Vista and the new 118th Street alignment might be a
                  good location for a future community center, fire station, police station, etc.
c. Proposed Zoning amendments
        i. Stormcloud III subdivision, east of Tierra Pintada, south of Mirehaven Arroyo
               1. Currently platted RLT for duplexes on small lots—35’ wide
                      a. Request to allow single-family detached houses on the same lots—
                          same density and number of residences
                      b. The Sector Plan does not allow detached homes in Stormcloud III, so
                          an exception for the existing platting is being requested—to allow 35’
                          width lots, rather than 40’
                      c. RLT zoning is extremely flexible
                      d. Because of the Sector Plan restriction, text amendment is sought,
                          rather than rezoning
               2. A neighbor questioned whether it would be better to request re-zoning to
                  allow for medium-size houses rather than small houses in a development
                  surrounded by larger residences




                        Facilitated Meeting Report: Westland North Project #1000570 (fka 599)
CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE LAND USE FACILITATION PROGRAM
                           PROJECT MEETING REPORT
                              a. This is not being requested; the City told WAHL that it could not be
                                  changed, because of the Sector zoning
                              b. The new design calls for zero lot lines, allowing 30’ wide houses
               ii. Residential Resort
                      1. An area north and west of Tierra Pintada was originally planned and approved
                          as a golf course
                      2. The original developer could not find a golf course developer to take it on
                      3. Now it is proposed to be designated for R4 residential in the area not used for
                          the school complex
                      4. The rules are not being changed, only consolidated and reorganized for clarity
              iii. Town Center Village
                      1. The area within the TCV available for development is much smaller
                      2. The proposal is for slightly higher density
                      3. Again, no rule changes, only consolidation

4. Other questions from neighbors and information from the agent
      a. What happens with the western extension of 118th Street above Atrisco Terrace?
              i. Currently, that is unclear; it most likely will be reconfigured
      b. Where will Ladera end?
              i. It goes to Arroyo Vista and points west—potentially to Rio Puerco?
      c. What will be the access to the area?
              i. There will be three ways in and out—98th/ Arroyo Vista to I-40, Ladera on the east
                 and Tierra Pintada to the northeast
      d. What about traffic in and out of the stadium area?
              i. APS reports only a few of their games exceed 1500 spectators, with larger crowds for
                 homecomings and school rivalries
                      1. A neighbor suggested that Atrisco Heritage is “huge” and will make for larger
                         crowds, with the improved access
      e. Will the stadium be used for concerts and other public events?
              i. APS will allow only school events—no concerts
      f. The infrastructure is expensive; how will all this be paid for?
              i. The City gets money for infrastructure in lots of ways and is revising its impact fee
                 schedule
      g. Notification of this meeting was inadequate
              i. Other groups should have been notified—Watershed, Las Lomitas
                      1. They do not have Neighborhood Associations and were not on the notification
                         list developed by the Office of Neighborhood Coordination
                      2. The agent said he would be happy to meet with any group and come to
                         meetings

Next Steps: Possible meetings of the agent with interested individuals or organizations, though none
were specified

Action Plan: N/A

Action Items: N/A



                               Facilitated Meeting Report: Westland North Project #1000570 (fka 599)
CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE LAND USE FACILITATION PROGRAM
                           PROJECT MEETING REPORT


Application Hearing Details:
  1. Hearing Date and Time: Thursday 14 June 2012
          a. The Commission will begin hearing applications at 8:30 a.m.
          b. The actual time this application will be heard by the Commission will depend on the
             applicant’s position on the Commission’s schedule
  2. Hearing Process:
          a. Comments from facilitated meetings will go into a report which goes to the City Planner.
          b. City Planner includes facilitator report in recommendations.
          c. The Commission will make a decision and parties have 15 days to appeal the decision.
  3. Resident Participation at Hearing:
          a. Written comments must be received by Tuesday 12 June 2012 and may be sent to:
             Staff Planner Catalina Lehner (505) 924-3935 clehner@cabq.gov
             Planning Department, 600 2nd St., 3rd floor, Albuquerque, NM, 87102 OR
          b. Hugh Floyd, EPC Chair, c/o Planning Department, 600 2nd St., 3rd floor, Albuquerque,
             NM, 87102

Comments: This meeting seemed to accomplish the goal of informing interested and concerned
neighbors of the background, details and proposals for developing a large area of the city and adjacent
county land. The meeting attendees did not express any concerns regarding the proposed amendment to
the Sector and Master Plans.

Names & Addresses of Attendees:
Thomas Borst      Tres Vocanes NA
Candy Patterson   Westside Coalition
Marie Barr        Laurelwood NA
Carol Cunningham Parkway NA
R.T. Starr        Western Albuquerque Land Holdings
Jim Strozier      Consensus Planning




                               Facilitated Meeting Report: Westland North Project #1000570 (fka 599)

Westland report 1000570 2012-05-23

  • 1.
    CITY OF ALBUQUERQUELAND USE FACILITATION PROGRAM PROJECT MEETING REPORT Project #: 1000570 (fka #1000599) Property Description/Address: Westland North, bounded by Petroglyph National Monument, Unser Boulevard, Interstate 40, western edge of the City of Albuquerque http://cabq.gov/legal/adr/luf/projects/project-1000599/1000599.pdf/view Date Submitted: 23 May 2012 Submitted By: Philip Crump Meeting Date/Time: Monday 21 May 2012, 6:00-7:45 pm Meeting Location: Don Newton Taylor Ranch Community Center Facilitator: Philip Crump Co-facilitator: Diane Grover, Kathleen Oweegon Parties: - Applicant: Western Albuquerque Land Holdings LLC (“WALH”) - Agent: Consensus Planning - Neighborhood Associations/Interested Parties: Tres Volcanes NA, Laurelwood NA, Parkway NA, Westside Coalition of NAs, *Los Volcanes NA, *South Valley Coalition of NAs, *South West Alliance of Neighbors (*invited) Background/Meeting Summary: The application is a request to amend the Westland Sector Development Plan--a portion of the Westland Master Plan--as well as the Master Plan itself. These are requested to reflect changes in zoning, land use and roadway network, primarily as a result of the Albuquerque Public Schools education and athletic complexes and the City’s Regional Park. The facilitated meeting was intended to provide neighborhood organizations and their members a more detailed review of the proposed plan amendments. After the presentation by the agent of the history of recent developments in the area and subsequent discussion of the requested amendments, the attending neighborhood representatives expressed general satisfaction with the proposed changes. Outcome: The agent distributed copies of a packet of drawings illustrating the current and proposed changes in land use and zoning. These drawings (two of which were displayed in large format) formed the basis for discussion. The agent reviewed all the drawings and answered questions and responded to comments from the neighborhood representatives. The only area of procedural concern was the timing and extent of notification of the meeting to interested parties. The representatives said that in general they considered the lead time between notification of the meeting [May 11] and the meeting itself [May 21] was very short; they were concerned that not all members of impacted associations were notified. One representative reported that they were able to utilize an email list and Facebook page to get the word out. It was noted that members of the Stormcloud homeowners association that is adjacent to the area under scrutiny might have attended, had they been notified Meeting Specifics (generally, from the agent presentation with specific questions indicated): 1. Background of the Plans and changes a. Albuquerque Public Schools Facilitated Meeting Report: Westland North Project #1000570 (fka 599)
  • 2.
    CITY OF ALBUQUERQUELAND USE FACILITATION PROGRAM PROJECT MEETING REPORT i. Originally APS had 48 acres in the Atrisco Heritage area to be used for a stadium, but did not have access to additional property ii. APS purchased two 110 acre parcels from WALH, for developing both an education complex (elementary, middle and high school) and an athletic complex iii. APS, as a separate political division of the state, is not bound by City zoning regulations b. City of Albuquerque i. City wanted to create a Westside regional soccer site ii. There was an 81 acre parcel immediately west of the APS site 1. Vacating an existing roadway right-of-way and easement across the APS Athletic complex property allowed WALH to rededicate the former road right-of-way as 10-acre park 2. Passage of the Parks and Recreation bond issue provided for acquisition of the site, though nothing for design and construction iii. APS and the City entered into two Memoranda of Understanding regarding the approval process for the APS facilities 2. Current status a. Creation of the APS and City facilities put the Plans out of date; the present effort is to amend the plans and bring them up to date b. Only the APS parking and stadium are cast in stone; all the other facilities are undetermined and unfunded c. Road improvements are in progress now and this will address the current incomplete road network i. Arroyo Vista to be a full section connect from Ladera to Tierra Pintada ii. Arroyo Vista will be a half section from Tierra Pintada to the west property line of the APS Athletic Complex property iii. Tierra Pintada will cross Mirehaven Arroyo and will be a 4-lane roadway 1. A neighbor asked about median landscaping for the portion of Ladera Boulevard east of the Sector Plan area 3. Proposed amendments and changes a. Proposed Westland Sector Plan amendments i. Sector Plan affects only the (eastern) portion, within the City limits 1. Anything in Master Plan west of Sector Plan must be approved by the County ii. Sector Plan makes reference to the Master Plan, amended in 2009; the plans are “married”—amending one calls for amending the other iii. The Regional Park area is owned by the City but within County jurisdiction b. Proposed Westland Master Plan amendments i. Changes include the APS education and athletic complexes, the City Regional Park, roadway changes and some smaller use changes 1. Roadway changes a. Tierra Pintada as noted above b. 118th Street through Atrisco Terrace Open Space now to be utility and trail easement only c. Now two east-west roadways—Arroyo Vista, Ladera Facilitated Meeting Report: Westland North Project #1000570 (fka 599)
  • 3.
    CITY OF ALBUQUERQUELAND USE FACILITATION PROGRAM PROJECT MEETING REPORT ii. Atrisco Terrace Open Space 1. A portion of the mesatop area (approximately 60 acres) was previously designated as Regional Park a. Area is encumbered by powerlines and proposed for R5.5 residential b. This is the area whose change might be in question iii. Other proposed changes 1. A large AMAFCA retention pond area near I-40, designated as residential, is identified as private open space 2. A small sliver below the Atrisco Terrace Open Space near I-40 is proposed for combining with the Atrisco Terrace R5.5 3. Changes must be approved by the County a. The County might be asked to allow annexation of the area—from Atrisco Terrace east to the City 4. WAHL is working closely with the County and the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority on water and sewer issues a. A neighbor said that the WUA explained that odor in the South Valley comes from a sewerage bottleneck b. A new treatment facility near Montaño and the bosque will relieve the bottleneck c. The agent reported that the land has been acquired by ABCWUA for that facility iv. Timeline 1. Phasing of the development is clearer a. Development from east to west b. After the APS stadium, the area between Petroglyph Monument and Tierra Pintada will be developed, as infrastructure is being designed and in place v. Community facilities plan 1. There is a general idea of the locations for schools and parks 2. The SW corner of Arroyo Vista and the new 118th Street alignment might be a good location for a future community center, fire station, police station, etc. c. Proposed Zoning amendments i. Stormcloud III subdivision, east of Tierra Pintada, south of Mirehaven Arroyo 1. Currently platted RLT for duplexes on small lots—35’ wide a. Request to allow single-family detached houses on the same lots— same density and number of residences b. The Sector Plan does not allow detached homes in Stormcloud III, so an exception for the existing platting is being requested—to allow 35’ width lots, rather than 40’ c. RLT zoning is extremely flexible d. Because of the Sector Plan restriction, text amendment is sought, rather than rezoning 2. A neighbor questioned whether it would be better to request re-zoning to allow for medium-size houses rather than small houses in a development surrounded by larger residences Facilitated Meeting Report: Westland North Project #1000570 (fka 599)
  • 4.
    CITY OF ALBUQUERQUELAND USE FACILITATION PROGRAM PROJECT MEETING REPORT a. This is not being requested; the City told WAHL that it could not be changed, because of the Sector zoning b. The new design calls for zero lot lines, allowing 30’ wide houses ii. Residential Resort 1. An area north and west of Tierra Pintada was originally planned and approved as a golf course 2. The original developer could not find a golf course developer to take it on 3. Now it is proposed to be designated for R4 residential in the area not used for the school complex 4. The rules are not being changed, only consolidated and reorganized for clarity iii. Town Center Village 1. The area within the TCV available for development is much smaller 2. The proposal is for slightly higher density 3. Again, no rule changes, only consolidation 4. Other questions from neighbors and information from the agent a. What happens with the western extension of 118th Street above Atrisco Terrace? i. Currently, that is unclear; it most likely will be reconfigured b. Where will Ladera end? i. It goes to Arroyo Vista and points west—potentially to Rio Puerco? c. What will be the access to the area? i. There will be three ways in and out—98th/ Arroyo Vista to I-40, Ladera on the east and Tierra Pintada to the northeast d. What about traffic in and out of the stadium area? i. APS reports only a few of their games exceed 1500 spectators, with larger crowds for homecomings and school rivalries 1. A neighbor suggested that Atrisco Heritage is “huge” and will make for larger crowds, with the improved access e. Will the stadium be used for concerts and other public events? i. APS will allow only school events—no concerts f. The infrastructure is expensive; how will all this be paid for? i. The City gets money for infrastructure in lots of ways and is revising its impact fee schedule g. Notification of this meeting was inadequate i. Other groups should have been notified—Watershed, Las Lomitas 1. They do not have Neighborhood Associations and were not on the notification list developed by the Office of Neighborhood Coordination 2. The agent said he would be happy to meet with any group and come to meetings Next Steps: Possible meetings of the agent with interested individuals or organizations, though none were specified Action Plan: N/A Action Items: N/A Facilitated Meeting Report: Westland North Project #1000570 (fka 599)
  • 5.
    CITY OF ALBUQUERQUELAND USE FACILITATION PROGRAM PROJECT MEETING REPORT Application Hearing Details: 1. Hearing Date and Time: Thursday 14 June 2012 a. The Commission will begin hearing applications at 8:30 a.m. b. The actual time this application will be heard by the Commission will depend on the applicant’s position on the Commission’s schedule 2. Hearing Process: a. Comments from facilitated meetings will go into a report which goes to the City Planner. b. City Planner includes facilitator report in recommendations. c. The Commission will make a decision and parties have 15 days to appeal the decision. 3. Resident Participation at Hearing: a. Written comments must be received by Tuesday 12 June 2012 and may be sent to: Staff Planner Catalina Lehner (505) 924-3935 clehner@cabq.gov Planning Department, 600 2nd St., 3rd floor, Albuquerque, NM, 87102 OR b. Hugh Floyd, EPC Chair, c/o Planning Department, 600 2nd St., 3rd floor, Albuquerque, NM, 87102 Comments: This meeting seemed to accomplish the goal of informing interested and concerned neighbors of the background, details and proposals for developing a large area of the city and adjacent county land. The meeting attendees did not express any concerns regarding the proposed amendment to the Sector and Master Plans. Names & Addresses of Attendees: Thomas Borst Tres Vocanes NA Candy Patterson Westside Coalition Marie Barr Laurelwood NA Carol Cunningham Parkway NA R.T. Starr Western Albuquerque Land Holdings Jim Strozier Consensus Planning Facilitated Meeting Report: Westland North Project #1000570 (fka 599)