new commercial development may be built on the northwest side of albuquerque

Members of the Albuquerque City Council will soon be tasked with determining the proper zoning designation for a 16-acre site that could be developed for commercial purposes.

The property is located on the northwest side of the city at the corner of Paseo del Norte Boulevard and Kimmick Drive NW.

Two months ago the Albuquerque Environmental Planning Commission approved a rezoning of the site, which is currently vacant, opening the way for its future commercial development.

That commission vote was taken after a presentation by the Albuquerque-based Consensus Planning, Inc., a firm specializing in urban design, landscape architecture, and planning.  The firm urged the site’s rezoning.

But in response to the commission decision, residents living in the nearby Paradise Hills Civic neighborhood have asked for an appeal of that decision, expressing concerns about the potential building heights of any development at the site, as well as increased traffic in the area.

Those concerns were reflected in a staff report for the commission, noting that a zoning change for the site would “allow more intense, auto-oriented uses such as drive-through facilities and larger retail stores along Paseo del Norte.”

The site has been designated as a Mixed-Use Low Intensity Zone. The commission approved classifying the site as Mixed-Use Medium Intensity Zone.

That new designation allows for moderate-intensity commercial, institutional, residential, and retail uses.

Public comments in opposition to the rezoning have now been taken by a hearing officer for the commission. That officer will then make a recommendation on the matter to the Albuquerque City Council, which will make a final decision.

By Garry Boulard

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