Bernalillo County continues South Coors sector plan after heated public hearing

Bernalillo County commissioners on Nov. 18, 2025 heard staff presentations and public testimony on two related zoning items — an amendment to the Southwest Area Plan and a new South Coors Boulevard Sector Development Plan — then voted 4-0 to continue both items to Feb. 13, 2026.

Mino Savoca, a senior planner with Bernalillo County Planning and Development Services, told the Board that the amendment (case SPR2025-0003) would add three neighborhood activity centers along Coors Boulevard and is intended to align the area plan with the proposed sector plan. Richard Meadows, Transportation Planning Manager with Public Works, said the sector plan responds to a federally funded safety project on Coors and showed crash and capacity data along the corridor. “We recently were awarded a large federal grant to address safety issues along the corridor,” Meadows said, describing planned pedestrian, bicycle and transit improvements.

Consultant Jessica Lawless of Decker outlined the zoning changes staff is proposing: two new zoning categories (a corridor zone and an activity-center zone), a design-overlay with stepbacks and landscape buffers, and options for reduced parking where development is near transit. Lawless summarized outreach that included steering committee meetings, open houses and an online survey that drew 252 responses. She said the plan allows higher residential densities in activity centers but couples them with stepbacks, a 20-foot buffer adjacent to MRGCD facilities and a 15-foot streetscape setback to reduce perceived building mass.

Public testimony reflected sharp differences. Jerry Noble, president of the Blake Road Neighborhood Association, said staff recommendations “ignore the concerns that were strongly expressed by neighbors” and objected to proposed four-story buildings adjacent to low-density homes. “That intense development adjacent to our neighborhood would have quite the opposite effect,” Noble said, calling instead for a two-story limit at Blake Road. Peter Eschman of the Kanity Rail Neighborhood Association urged strict lighting controls and lower color temperatures to reduce light trespass near the Valle de Oro refuge.

Supporters argued for coordinated land-use and transportation planning. Mark Bailon of the Mid-Region Metropolitan Planning Organization said the plan aligns with the region’s 2045 metropolitan transportation plan and promotes moderate density near transit to reduce vehicle miles traveled. Several property owners and small-business supporters said the plan would create new opportunities for local jobs and services.

Commissioners and staff focused on three recurring themes during discussion and the public hearing: building heights and stepbacks, traffic and corridor safety, and protections for the South Valley’s cultural and agricultural character. Staff repeatedly noted that zoning changes create opportunities but do not by themselves mandate affordable housing, and they cited a regional housing needs assessment to explain the 1,000–2,000 unit figure referenced during the presentation.

Given the mix of support and opposition and the volume of public input, Commissioner Frank Walker moved to continue both items to Feb. 13, 2026 so staff and commissioners can meet with stakeholders and refine the proposal. The motion was seconded and passed on a 4-0 vote. The Board directed staff to continue outreach and to return with amendments or clarifications addressing height limits, traffic and design and to formalize a map correction requested by the Garcia Family Trust that would retain agricultural zoning for specific parcels.

With the continuance, the county will have additional time to reconcile neighborhood concerns about scale and character with the county’s goals for multimodal safety and increased housing options along Coors Boulevard.