The Las Cruces City Council adopted an Ordinance that approved zone changes, with conditions, for an approximately 75-acre property, at 2700 N. Main St., that was part of the former Las Cruces Country Club.
Council’s adoption of the Ordinance came at its regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, March 7, 2022, in Council Chambers at City Hall, 700 N. Main St.
The Council’s approval to rezone the property, means the approximately 75 acres can be redeveloped with multiple zoning designations. Seven planning areas of different acreage sizes on the property were approved by City Council.
Proposed land uses for the approximately 75 acres include single- and multi-family residential housing, office, retail, and commercial services, and some open space areas. Tetrad Property Group, who now owns the property, intends to utilize the Apodaca Blueprint – which was approved by City Council in 2018 – as the guiding land-use document and master plan.
Additionally, at Monday’s meeting, City Council adopted an Ordinance to amend Section 9-38 of the Las Cruces Municipal Code (LCMC), 1997 that will simplify the process for the Mayor and City Council to use their emergency powers.
Almost two years ago, on March 27, 2020, the Council approved Ordinance 20-083, which amended LCMC, 1997 to include the Emergency Declaration Ordinance, LCMC Sections 9-35 through 9-41. The Emergency Declaration Ordinance authorizes the Mayor and the City Council to exercise their emergency powers through the issuance of a proclamation.
Under those provisions, the term for a proclamation is three days. The amendment approved by City Council removes a portion of Subsection C of Section 9-38 that had stated, “but such time shall not exceed 14 days.”
Previously, the Council had the option to extend the term of the proclamation for as many as 14 days. But the change now allows City Council to extend proclamations to run the length of any state emergency declared by the Governor.
The Emergency Declaration Ordinance was approved in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ordinance 20-083 empowers the Mayor and the City Council with the ability to respond quickly to emergencies without waiting for a regularly scheduled Council meeting to act.
The Mayor and City Council have used emergency powers several times the past two years to complement executive orders issued by the New Mexico Governor through the issuance of proclamations or resolutions.
Also, a Proclamation was presented to longtime Las Cruces educator Doris Hamilton declaring Monday, March 7, 2022, as “Doris Hamilton Day” in Las Cruces. Hamilton, who celebrated her 94th birthday on Monday, received a standing ovation from the audience in Council Chambers.