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Planning commission approves vacation of Post Office Place easement in Placitas with signage condition
Summary
Sandoval County Planning & Zoning Commission approved VAC‑25‑002, vacating a 15‑foot private access and public utility easement known as Post Office Place in Placitas. Approval included conditions on addressing, access for existing tracts and a new requirement that owners remove signage identifying the easement and mark it as private.
The Sandoval County Planning and Zoning Commission approved VAC‑25‑002 on a voice vote to vacate an existing 15‑foot private access and public utility easement known locally as Post Office Place in Placitas.
Dan Beaman, Sandoval County planning and zoning director, told commissioners the request by Alpha Pro Survey on behalf of property owners would remove the dedicated private access and eliminate the ability to locate future public utilities in that exact easement. He said the easement runs along the middle of the subject property at Campo Santo and New Mexico State Road 165 and was submitted as part of a boundary survey plat. "The private access road being vacated has been known as Post Office Place and currently runs along the middle of the subject property," Beaman said.
Beaman presented staff's recommendation to approve VAC‑25‑002 with conditions. Among the conditions: owners of Tracts A, B and C must apply for new addresses (Tract A will be addressed off NM SR 165; Tracts B and C off Camino Del Campo Santo); Tracts B and C may continue to use the existing access driveway but if either lot is sold a new access drive will be required; and a New Mexico Department of Transportation driveway permit will be required if future development occurs on Tract A. Beaman also said the plat vacation had been reviewed and approved by Sandoval County Fire and Public Works departments.
Gary Grisco of Alpha Pro Survey, speaking for the applicants, described the history: the easement was created in 1983 when property was split to serve a small post office and that building is no longer operating. Grisco said the owners want to close the easement and install gates to prevent shortcutting and safety risks. "That's kind of what it is. It's a shortcut ... it's probably safer if it's closed," Grisco said.
Commissioners questioned whether the easement had ever been maintained by the county and how mail delivery and emergency response would be handled. Beaman said the strip had always been a private easement and not a county‑maintained public road; he emphasized addressing will be assigned into the county's 9‑1‑1 database to ensure public safety response. "Postal delivery ... is gonna take a subservient role to public safety response," Beaman said.
Commissioner Rodriguez proposed, and the commission adopted as an additional condition, that the property owners remove existing street signage identifying "Post Office Place" and post notices indicating the area is private property/private access. After that amendment, Commissioner Rodriguez moved to approve VAC‑25‑002; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The minutes record the motion carried with the ayes prevailing and no recorded opposition.
The applicant and staff were directed to complete addressing and permitting steps specified in the conditions prior to final plat recording or any development that would rely on the former easement.
The commission did not record a roll‑call tally for the action; approval was taken by voice vote during the meeting.
