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Commission weighs Metropolitan Redevelopment Area for Sundaro Apartments; leans to let county lead for speed
Summary
City attorney presented a developer request to designate the Sundaro Apartments area as a Metropolitan Redevelopment Area (MRA). Commissioners discussed scope and timing and generally recommended allowing Otero County to lead a site‑specific MRA while the city scopes larger, longer‑range MRA planning.
City attorney Daryl Moore presented a request Tuesday from developer Brenner Campbell asking the city to designate the area around the Sundaro Apartments as a Metropolitan Redevelopment Area to unlock redevelopment incentives.
Moore told the commission the county has previously served as the lead jurisdiction for MRAs — citing Patriot Point as an example — and said the county could move faster. "If the goal is expediency, I feel the stronger chord is with the county," Moore said, while also noting the city could undertake a broader MRA process that would take longer.
Commissioners debated whether to prioritize speed for the single development or to take time to identify multiple target areas citywide. Mayor McDonald and others argued for strategic, long‑range planning: "If we're gonna do an MRA, I just think it would be more beneficial if ours was thought out and we had the areas identified," the mayor said. Other commissioners highlighted the potential for collaboration with the county to bridge jurisdictional challenges.
There was no formal action to create an MRA at Tuesday's meeting. Staff and Moore said the next practical step would be a resolution giving the county (or the city) authority to proceed if the commission chooses; Moore said the county would need the city's "blessing" in the form of a resolution if it is to be the lead jurisdiction.
The discussion concluded with general direction to allow the county to proceed with a site‑specific MRA for the Sundaro Apartments while the city develops a longer‑range map of candidate areas for a possible future MRA program.
