Bernalillo County delays vote on South Coors Boulevard sector plan after hours of testimony on heights, safety and community character

Bernalillo County commissioners on Nov. 18 heard presentations from county planners, public works and a consultant on a proposed South Coors Boulevard sector development plan and a related amendment to the Southwest Area Plan, then voted 4‑0 to continue both items to Feb. 13, 2026 to allow more review and staff follow‑up.

Senior Planner Mino Savoca told the Board the amendment (SPR‑2025‑0003) would add three neighborhood activity centers at Coors Boulevard intersections with Sage Road, Arenal Road and Blake Road and is linked to the rank‑3 sector plan (SPR‑2025‑0054) that would guide a roughly four‑mile stretch of Coors from Bridge Boulevard to Gun Club Road. The plan, Savoca said, is intended to make zoning along Coors more consistent, create space for mixed uses and help relieve pressure to develop adjacent rural areas.

Richard Meadows, Transportation Planning Manager with Public Works, said the corridor was placed on the region’s high‑fatality and injury network and that the county obtained federal grant funding to design safety improvements. Meadows said the roadway project paired with the sector plan would add pedestrian and bicycle facilities, safer crossings, enhanced bus stops and traffic‑calming measures. He cited a regional housing needs assessment that estimated a need for roughly 1,000–2,000 additional affordable rental units on the Southwest Mesa.

Consultant Jessica Lawless of Decker described the plan’s public engagement — steering committee meetings, open houses and an online survey — and the land‑use details: two new zoning categories (a corridor zone, SC‑C, and an activity center zone, SC‑AC), a design overlay and a package of permissive and conditional uses. Key regulatory points presented to the Board included permissive density of 25 dwelling units per acre in activity centers (with conditional use permits allowing up to 50 DU/acre), a corridor height cap proposed at about 42 feet (roughly three stories) and an activity‑center cap proposed at about 54 feet (roughly four stories). Lawless also described step‑back and buffer requirements along the right‑of‑way and next to MRGCD facilities, and parking reduction options tied to transit proximity.

Public commenters were split. Jerry Noble, president of the Blake Road Neighborhood Association and a steering‑committee member, urged a two‑story height limit for the Blake Road activity center, saying four stories would overwhelm the neighborhood and noting the area’s topography would magnify perceived height. Peter Ashman of the South Valley Coalition of Neighborhood Associations likewise asked the board to limit heights to two stories and requested fully shielded, low‑Kelvin lighting to prevent light trespass and protect the adjacent Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge. Several speakers, including Mark Bailon from the Mid‑Region Metropolitan Planning Organization and Bruce Roseri of the Stinson Tower Neighborhood Association, expressed support for the plan’s integration of land use and transportation and its focus on safety and multimodal access.

Mark Garcia, representing the Garcia Family Trust, asked that two parcels at 3433 and 3437 Blake Road be removed from the activity‑center boundary and kept in A1 agricultural zoning; planning staff acknowledged the placement was an error and said the department supports removing those parcels from the planned boundary unless the owners request otherwise.

After about two hours of hearing and 11 public commenters, Commissioner Frank Baca moved to continue the two related agenda items to allow staff to incorporate public feedback and to meet individually with commissioners and community members; Chair Olivis seconded. The Board voted 4‑0 to continue both items to Feb. 13, 2026.

Next steps: staff said they will work with commissioners and stakeholders to refine heights, buffering, design‑overlay language and traffic/safety coordination and return a revised package at the continued hearing. The public will have another opportunity to comment when the items return to the Board.