Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Redevelopment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Las Cruces council adopts West Picacho metropolitan redevelopment plan, agrees to boundary vote
Summary
The City Council voted unanimously Dec. 1 to adopt a Metropolitan Redevelopment Area (MRA) plan for West Picacho and Motel Boulevard and to consider a concurrent boundary-extension vote; staff emphasized funding matrices, required traffic studies for catalytic sites, and continued coordination with NMDOT.
The Las Cruces City Council on Dec. 1 adopted a metropolitan redevelopment plan for the West Picacho and Motel Boulevard corridor, directing staff to continue implementation steps including project prioritization, funding alignment and coordination with the New Mexico Department of Transportation.
Blair Flores, economic development staff, and Rhonda Bell of Stantec described the 14-month planning process, which included two community design workshops, more than 700 survey responses and focused outreach to area businesses. The plan identifies six strategy “buckets” of recommendations and three catalytic projects: the Shoto mixed-use hub (about 42 acres), Camunas Park upgrades and a conversion template for motel-to-apartment redevelopment at West Picacho and 17th.
Councilors heard that the proposed MRA boundary extension west of Motel Boulevard to the Rio Grande would require a separate resolution and vote and could affect the plan—s implementation. Bell said staff matched each recommended action to potential regional, state and federal funding sources and provided an interactive funding matrix in the plan.
Several council members pressed staff on traffic and safety. Bell said any redevelopment of the Tushero/Teshero multi-use hub near a school will require a traffic-impact analysis during land-use review and that many cross-section and safety upgrades will require coordination with NMDOT because Picacho Boulevard is a state/federal roadway. Staff recommended pursuing city-funded safety enhancements (pedestrian crossings, lighting, sidewalks) in collaboration with NMDOT rather than attempting immediate reclassification of the road.
Members of the public expressed both support and concern: some praised the prospect of reinvestment and neighborhood revitalization, while others warned about traffic impacts, potential big-box development and pedestrian safety. Staff told council that the MRA committee will prioritize projects, prepare the GRT baseline resolution and enter projects into Envisio for public reporting.
The council approved the procedure to hear the MRA items concurrently and then voted to adopt the plan on a unanimous roll call. Next steps include internal review by the MRA committee, preparing the GRT baseline resolution and pursuing identified funding opportunities.
The plan and the interactive funding matrix are available in the city—s project materials; staff said additional project-level traffic and safety analyses will follow as specific proposals move toward design or development.
