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Mesilla trustees postpone short‑term rental approval after questions about historic cellar
Summary
Trustees postponed consideration of PzHAC case 061823 (2450 Calle De Principe) after debate over whether an excavated cellar is a demolished historic structure requiring permit documentation; staff was directed to collect photographs and demolition records before rehearing the request for two short‑term rental units.
The Mesilla Board of Trustees on Nov. 12 postponed action on PzHAC case 061823, an application to construct a 30‑by‑30 structure and operate two short‑term rental units at 2450 Calle De Principe, after trustees sought documentation about whether an on‑site cellar represented a historic structure that had been demolished.
Planning staff presented the case and said the Planning and Zoning Commission had recommended approval with a condition that the applicant provide signage to acknowledge the former building on the site. Eddie Salazar, planning staff, told the board that municipal review determines local historic findings and that, under county/state guidance, no permit is required for filling when grading is under 4 percent: “There is no permit required to grade your property above 4%,” he said, adding he had emailed the State Historic Preservation Office for guidance and supplied the commission with related correspondence.
Several trustees disagreed about whether the buried cellar should be treated as a demolition subject to the town’s historic‑preservation code. One trustee argued the cellar was part of a former building and therefore a structure that would have required documentation and a demolition permit under section 11.33; another said the inventory listing for the property references a structure but does not describe a basement or cellar.
Trustees asked staff to collect missing materials — including photographs, any prior demolition permits or records, and a short historic description — and ordered a postponement to allow staff to return with that information and for the applicant or owner to respond. The motion to postpone carried on roll call.
The postponement keeps the Planning & Zoning condition in place; trustees said they wanted clarity on whether the town’s code for historic districts applies before taking an approval or denial vote. The case will be reheard once staff supplies the requested documentation.
