By Jesse Jones, City Desk ABQ in The Paper. — Bulldozers are officially cleared to start building new housing in Albuquerque. The only problem, say neighbors and pueblos, is that the development will sit next to the Petroglyph National Monument.
The Pueblos of Santa Clara and Laguna and the Westside Coalition of Neighborhood Associations (WSCONA) were denied a zoning appeal to stop Jubilee Development’s planned 238-unit complex near the Petroglyph National Monument. The Albuquerque City Council, which unanimously denied the appeal March 16, upheld decisions by the Environmental Planning Commission and Land Use Hearing Officer Steven Chavez to deny the appeal.
After Jubilee Development won site plan approval from the EPC, the neighborhood coalition and Pueblos appealed the decision. The LUHO reviewed the case, held a quasi-judicial hearing, and issued a 26-page report recommending that the Council deny the appeal, noting the EPC’s initial decision was backed by substantial evidence. During the March 16 meeting, Councilor Dan Lewis moved to adopt the LUHO’s findings, leading to a unanimous 9-0 vote to finalize the project.
The Pueblos appealed the development, arguing the buildings would disrupt views of a culturally sacred landscape. They also argued the city failed to provide them with adequate notice to review the proposed development before it was approved…