albuquerque housing development may see construction near treasured bosque

A one-time family farm located just blocks from the Paseo del Bosque Trail running along the banks of the Rio Grande may be the site of an unusual cluster house development.

The Albuquerque-based Rio Grande Huerta LLC, has announced that it wants to build some 30 homes on what is a 3.7-acre piece of land at the dead end of Gonzales Road.

The unusual project, according to Bernalillo County documents, would see the construction of an eco-village, incorporating “net zero energy use, zero-waste strategies, and maximizing water conservation.”

As proposed, the project will include homes ranging in size from studio casitas to four-bedroom townhouses, with prices beginning at $130,000.

A common house would be built along international energy efficiency design standards.

The plan also calls for more than half of the land in question to remain undeveloped open space that can be used for agricultural purposes.

The project, which has been the subject of several community meetings, has sparked opposition from neighbors worried about traffic congestion and the environmental impact on the nearby Bosque.

Rio Grande Huerta describes itself as a not for profit development corporation made up of “socially and environmentally concerned Albuquerque residents” who have pooled their money to build a multi-family, mixed-income community.

The group’s request for a special use permit will go before the Bernalillo County Planning Commission in January.

By Garry Boulard

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