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City Council upholds Environmental Planning Commission approval for Mesa Film Studio at Double Eagle 2 Airport
Summary
The Albuquerque City Council rejected a land-use hearing officer recommendation and affirmed the EPC approval of a site plan for Mesa Film Studio at Double Eagle 2 Airport, voting 8–1 after debating whether film production is an allowable use in the NRSU zone under the IDO.
The Albuquerque City Council on March 17 rejected a land use hearing officer's recommendation and upheld the Environmental Planning Commission's approval of a site plan allowing Mesa Film Studio to locate on a portion of Double Eagle 2 Airport property.
The council voted 8'to'1 to reject the hearing officer's findings after a summary from the land use hearing officer that recommended granting the appeal and reversing the EPC decision. "The LUHO recommends approval, granting the appeal and reversing the approval of the site plan," Miss Kolodon, the land use hearing officer, told councilors during the meeting.
The appeal arose after the EPC approved a site plan for a film studio in an NRSU (Non-Aeronautical Support Use) zone on the Double Eagle 2 Airport master-plan property. Miss Kolodon told the council the core legal question was whether "film studio/film production" is an allowable use in the NRSU zone under the Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO) and related master-plan changes. The hearing officer concluded that the studio could not be treated as an accessory use to airport operations and that the allowable-uses table (Table 4-2-1) did not list film production for NRSU, and therefore recommended reversing the EPC approval on that ground.
Council discussion centered on the scope of EPC discretion to approve nonlisted uses, the effect of a 2024 council resolution to allow non-aeronautical uses on the Double Eagle 2 master plan, and whether the IDO's zoning and allowable-uses table control the outcome. At the moment of the vote, Councilor Lewis said, "I don't agree with the recommendation. I move to reject." His motion to reject the LUHO's recommendation was seconded by Councilor Champine and carried 8'to'1.
Outcome and next steps: By rejecting the LUHO recommendation, the council left in place the EPC approval of the Mesa Film Studio site plan; the council did not remand the matter or adopt the LUHO findings. The record indicates the council did not take additional direction to administration or staff during this accept/reject stage; a full hearing on any remaining procedural issues may occur only if parties pursue further remedies.
Why it matters: The decision resolves a dispute about how the IDO, the city's zoning rules, interacts with parcel-specific master-plan amendments and the EPC's discretion in NRSU areas. The case also illustrates tensions between land-use regulation that references specific allowable uses and council-level master-plan decisions permitting non-aeronautical development on airport-owned land.
Meeting context: The appeal was an "accept/reject" stage; the council heard a summary from the LUHO rather than live evidence. The council's vote was 8'to'1 to reject the LUHO recommendation and maintain the EPC's earlier approval.
Provenance: The LUHO summary of findings was presented in council staff remarks beginning with Miss Kolodon (transcript excerpt: "The LUHO recommends approval, granting the appeal and reversing the approval of the site plan.") and the motion to reject the LUHO recommendation and subsequent vote appear later in the record (motion: "I don't agree with the recommendation. I move to reject.").
