proposed west side albuquerque housing development sent back to commission for additional review

A project that would see the construction of 76 single-family homes not far from the banks of the Rio Grande is going to be looked at one more time by the city’s Environmental Planning Commission.

The Overlook at Oxbow project, as proposed by the Albuquerque-based Gamma Development, would be built on 22.7 acres located on the east side of Namaste Road NW.

The project has generated determined opposition from area residents, as well as the Taylor Ranch Neighborhood Association, who are worried about both its potential for increasing vehicular traffic in the vicinity, as well as possible damage to the ecology of the nearby Bosque that runs adjacent to the river.

The homes proposed by the developer for the site would range in size from 2,100 to 2,700 square feet.

Gamma Development has also earlier committed itself to the creation of a certain amount of open and recreation space at the site.

Although the environmental planning commission this spring approved the plans for the project, members of the Albuquerque City Council have decided to hold off, at least for now, on also green-lighting the project.

At issue is a question regarding whether or not the project, as proposed, is in violation of city density limits.

In correspondence submitted to the environmental planning commission in February from the Albuquerque-based Consensus Planning landscape architecture firm, it was noted that the proposed Overlook at Oxbow project is actually a combination of two cluster development projects.

One of the cluster developments takes in a 6.5-acre site that would allow for 26 lots and nearly 2 acres of open space. The other comprises 17 acres with 50 lots and 5.4 acres of open space.

By Garry Boulard

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