Residents tell Sandoval County commission blocking Palomino Road would hinder emergency response, deliveries and access to public land

Several residents of the Mustang Mesa and Wild Horse Mesa areas told the Sandoval County Planning and Zoning Commission on Feb. 11 that neighbors' plans to block Palomino Road would disrupt emergency response, regular deliveries and access to nearby Bureau of Land Management and Albuquerque Open Space lands.

The speakers asked the commission to seek solutions that would preserve public access where it has existed for years and to help identify legal and practical options. "Some of my neighbors plan on blocking off a road that is my egress and ingress into my home," said Jan Farrell, a Mustang Mesa resident, during the public comment period. "It's a road called Palomino." Farrell said she and other neighbors had consulted BLM, Albuquerque Open Space, the sheriff's office and the subdivision developer and believed Palomino had been used by the public for more than a decade.

Why it matters: Residents said closing Palomino would force drivers, delivery services and emergency responders to use longer, unimproved dirt routes that are often impassable in bad weather. John Norton, an air ambulance pilot with the Lifeguard program at the University of New Mexico Hospital, said the change could add about 15 minutes to ambulance, fire and police response times in the area if crews follow GPS and encounter blocked gates.

Speakers described regular service traffic on Palomino, including package carriers and weekly trash pickup. "UPS, FedEx, Amazon, they come into our neighborhood and do a route through Palomino," said John Beltre, a local firefighter lieutenant. Bill Morris, who said he trucks water to his home several times a year, said some alternate dirt roads would be significantly longer or impassable in wet conditions, increasing wear on unimproved roads.

Residents raised legal questions about access. Several public commenters referenced the doctrine of prescriptive easement — rights that can arise when the public uses a road openly and continuously for a long period — and said they are researching whether Palomino qualifies. Commissioners and county staff said the county's role is limited if the road is private and maintained by a homeowners association.

County response and next steps: Chair Trejo and Director Beaman told speakers staff would review the concerns and coordinate internally. Commissioner Simpson asked whether the county conducts traffic studies; Beaman said he would defer traffic-specific questions to Mark Hatzberger, the county's public works director. Deputy County Attorney John Butler told the commission his understanding was that Palomino is a private access road maintained by the HOA, and that disputes among property owners and the HOA are primarily civil matters.

Commissioners said they would accept contact information and asked staff and legal counsel to clarify which issues the county can act on and which will require action by the HOA or state/federal agencies. Commissioner Brown and others suggested the county could help convene parties to seek practical interim solutions, but no formal direction or vote was taken.

Context and limits of county authority: Speakers acknowledged that some matters — including access to federal lands and BLM jurisdiction — fall outside county control. The commission repeatedly noted the distinction between issues the county can address (county roads, permitting, certain easement clarifications) and those that require federal or HOA action.

The commission did not take formal action on Palomino Road at the meeting; staff and legal counsel were asked to follow up with petitioners and to report back with options within the scope of county authority.