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Council declines to uphold planning commission on rezoning for 110 Hill Drive after neighbors raise precedent and floodplain concerns
Summary
The council rejected a planning-and-zoning recommendation to rezone a 6-acre lot at 110 Hill Drive from R‑1 to AR‑1, amid neighbor objections about livestock, subdivision precedent and floodplain risks; the P&Z chair had recommended rezoning noting lot size and character.
Ruidoso Downs — After a public hearing that drew neighbors and planning commissioners, the village council declined to uphold the planning and zoning commission’s recommendation to rezone 110 Hill Drive from single-family (R‑1) to agricultural-residential (AR‑1).
The property owner’s agent sought more flexible agricultural-residential use to allow livestock and expanded uses on the six-acre parcel. Neighbors said the change would set a precedent for adjoining large lots and could allow multiple houses and dozens of horses; one resident warned the shift would change the character of an otherwise residential neighborhood.
Planning & Zoning chair Luther Light explained the commission’s reasoning: because the lot is large, partly undevelopable due to a floodway and geographically separated from denser neighborhoods, the commission concluded the parcel could be characterized as AR‑1. “It seemed that perhaps this particular piece of property… did not fit the definition of an R‑1,” Light said on the record, describing the commission’s deliberation and its vote to forward a recommendation for rezoning.
Councilors and residents worried about notice and the effect on adjacent properties. Several speakers asked whether letters had been mailed to nearby homeowners; planning staff reported notices were sent to properties within 100 feet and that only limited responses had been logged. Residents also raised runoff and floodplain concerns if livestock and waste were introduced upstream from existing homes.
A motion to uphold the planning-and-zoning recommendation was made and called for roll call. The transcript records multiple councilors voting “No” and the motion failed. The council closed the public hearing and moved to other business.
Why it matters: Rezoning changes, even on single large lots, can set precedents that affect neighboring properties, local water and drainage patterns and the character of established residential areas. Council members said they wanted clearer evidence of notice and fuller input from adjacent residents before changing zoning in place.
What’s next: The public record shows the P&Z recommendation was not upheld; applicants may choose to revise the proposal, address neighbors’ concerns or reapply with additional supporting materials.
