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Resident urges strict oversight of Escondido Hills 7‑acre project, cites past fill failures and water/sanitary risks
Summary
A long-time Ruidoso Downs resident told the council the proposed Escondido Hills 7‑acre development needs stronger geotechnical and stormwater oversight, citing prior building failure from organic fill and current unpermitted digging on sanitary stubs; he urged compliance with EPA general-permit rules for sites over 1 acre.
At the Ruidoso Downs council meeting, resident Brian Roberts urged the council to demand professional oversight of the proposed Escondido Hills 7‑acre development and to enforce erosion and sanitary protections.
Roberts, who identified himself as a 20‑year resident, pointed to a prior local project where organic fill settled and a building was lost. “We have organic fill…Large trees were pressed into the ground and filled. And there is a potential for settlement in the future if we build on top of that,” Roberts said, warning of foundational risk if the site is not properly compacted and engineered.
Roberts also said he observed what appeared to be unpermitted work on sanitary stubs and raised concerns about sanitary lines laid directly beneath water lines, describing the usual standard as at least one foot of separation horizontally and vertically. He asked the council to require compliance with stormwater controls and noted that, in his view, sites disturbing more than one acre require an EPA general permit with silt‑fence controls.
Roberts said he supported quality development but cautioned that without strict enforcement the project could produce future failures. He named an installer—Tanner Irons—and said he believed the developer should be reminded of legal obligations.
The council did not take formal action on the development at this meeting. No staff report, permit application numbers, or engineering reviews were presented on the record; Roberts’ statements were made during public comment.
