Development in Placitas (Albuquerque, Bernalillo: homes, to buy, quality of life)

[trailtramp]

Anyone have any insight into the proposed commercial development in Placitas? I understand there is a huge behemoth multi use development planned for the area just east of the fire station on the north side of 165, which would totally ruin the feel of Placitas. Apparently its about 100 acres, with one or two owners whose interests are to make a boatload of $$ with little concern for the environment or the existing residents. Of course to say nothing about the lack of enough water up there. We have been looking to buy a home near this area, but learning about this are exceptionally hesitant. This type of haphazard development could easily plummet surrounding property values and dry up the wells of the residents with homes already built.

[rybert]

That sounds awful. F'n developers!

[nmguy]

There's a web site that was created by concerned Placitas residents called OnePlacitas - Speaking for the Communities of Placitas to preserve, and defend the character, beauty, and unity of Placitas, New Mexico.

This might be helpful to trailtramp.

[trailtramp]

Thanks nmguy for the tip. The OnePlacitas group was at a meeting I attended last Thursday night in Bernalillo regarding this proposed Placitas development. While development along I-25 is inevitable and probably necessary over time, it is the rezoning of the 103 acres in the center of Placitas that has everyone in an uproar. The property owners (Cashwells) and their 'representatives' are trying to tell the Placitas community a boatload of garbage that there should be higher density development (which they have lamely tagged 'diversity') smack dab in the middle of a rural residential community. Placitas already has diversity of living, there are rich and poor, many ethnicities and backrounds, and that diversified population is a huge majority of residents who do not want increased density. The highest and best use of that acreage would be to sell it off into parcels identical to the area that surrounds it. But those parcels won't give the Cashwell family as much as commercial parcels do. This is a totally greedy money driven exericise, so the owners are looking to get this land rezoned as higher and sell it off. They do not give two hoots about Placitas, so this would benefit a handful of people at the detriment to the 5000+ residents of the area. No matter what part of the Albuquerque metro area one lives in, its really important that residents get together when city planning infringes on quality of life to the detriment of many for the benefit of the few. Someone always gets paid off and screws the public.

[SunGrins]

Is Placitas a city unto itself or is it part of Bernalillo? Who did the rezoning?

Do they have anything like a residential conservation district that could be designated for that area? With that status you could limit new development to be similar to what is already in place. I think the majority of owners would need to agree to that but it might be the owners with the majority of the property in the district--- sometimes less than half the owners if they owned maybe 70% of the property. I think that is how it works here but I don't know what the rules are there.

[ABQConvict]

Placitas is not a part of Bernalillo. In fact there used to be miles and miles of open space between the two villages way back in olden times (1990's).

The Cashwells, huh? Hollywood couldn't come up with a better name for a family of evil developers. They just need long, skinny moustaches and top hats. And then they can tie a pretty lady to the train tracks until the villagers agree to a Starbucks / Urban Outfitters in the middle of Placitas.

ABQConvict

[trailtramp]

Placitas is not part of the town of Bernalillo, but apparently, Bernalillo can legally annex property up to 3 miles outside of its border. They have recently already annexed almost 150 acres east and north of I-25 and the 550, I believe east on the 165 for 2 miles or so, and north on the frontage road up to about Sundance Mesa. Bernalillo wants to develop this to increase revenue for the town of Bernalillo. So, the first few miles of entrance into Placitas is already destined to become just like the wart hole of conjestion and sprawl on the west side of the interchange. With all that new annexation and development, there is absolutely no need to develop ANOTHER 100 acres in the middle of Placitas. And yes, I wanted to verify, and did, through the Abq Journal, the name if the family that owns a majority of that 100 acres is 'Cashwell', the ONLY people who come out of this possible travesty smiling, (and laughing at the people of Placitas) all the way to the bank!

[lalahartma]

Any updates on this?

[trailtramp]

Just recently a report was issued regarding development in Placitas and the recommendations by Sandoval county. Go to www.oneplacitas.com; and click on the download to read the county report. As a Placitas resident, I'm feeling pretty comfortable that we will be able to maintain the Placitas area as it currently is. The two areas of commercial development, at La Puerta and at Homesteads, are still underutilized and Placitas residentsare going to want those areas to be developed out before other areas are rezoned. Only area of concern is the Cashwell property area, privately owned by greedy people that want to have the area east of the firestation upzoned so they can sell it off to commercial developers rather than residential. Don't think that will go anywhere though.

[lalahartma]

Thanks!