[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6486086,"mediaKeyId","5690077-bfa47242149608a67073667ee990070a","parentId",5690077,"title","Planning panel approves 114‑unit cottage development on North Mesa","audioSeconds",2952,"startMs",4114000,"endMs",7066000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5690077-bfa47242149608a67073667ee990070a&start=4114&end=7066","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5690077-bfa47242149608a67073667ee990070a/thumbnail_4114000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6486086/New-Mexico/Planning-panel-approves-114unit-cottage-development-on-North-Mesa","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6486086-6a78be600ec19f0e9a80d04d76fb03a7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770395330&Signature=J3krIFcyooeHWtcK0~NbzzydeG7gZC3l2PBLlJEJMLWgKkc0sDnhBuMFiRCDiWc61Gi15tltySFST3VCVD2BeB72~0y9mUCfL-vyCK4-LiM6yLduzOzlrhSBavFYGdBz2fCgb7mHO~-ItVG-6TnPsybsXzOrqQw~5ZPvtn7ZJfySSRWiG2UtGvjHXyT9yHDYGDOP7IasnpqPngFuDBpHsgWwjon4al4d-rrD-mp5jl1R4qKNOvd2buVOiuLmg0Mkav3H6TAeES~7lb-kd1vwx~0RpT8y3LIT-hRITqkCNj~BcAStGXjy3lX4by4hQ5bKPVWH5yjOjACqmthnaXudOA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Los Alamos County","date","2025-08-27T00:00:00Z","article","LOS ALAMOS, N.M. — The Los Alamos County Planning and Zoning Commission on Aug. 20 approved a conditional use permit for a 114‑unit cottage development on Tract 4 of the Arbolada replat, a project the applicant described as a built‑to‑rent community with shared open space and neighborhood amenities.

The commission voted 5‑0 to approve case CUP20250001. The motion to approve was moved and seconded and roll call showed affirmative votes from Commissioners Hill, Nelson, Easton, Adler and Bruhl.

Danielle Valdez, planning manager for Los Alamos County Community Development and the case manager for the conditional use permit, described the proposal as a cottage development on about 9.51 acres with townhome‑style buildings, shared access drives, pedestrian connections and on‑site amenities. \"The proposed development is fully supported by adopted county plans and policies,\" Valdez told the commission, and she noted staff found the application met the conditional use decision criteria under the county development code. Valdez also said the county's affordable housing plan estimates an immediate need for 1,689 housing units and that the county hopes to bring roughly 2,400 units online between 2024 and 2029.

The applicant, represented by Josh Rogers of Titan Development, described the site plan as 36 two‑story buildings containing a total of 114 townhome units (two‑ and three‑unit buildings), all with three bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and two‑car garages. The proposal includes a roughly 2,200‑square‑foot community building with a leasing office and fitness area, multiple community gardens, a tot lot that the applicant said will be open to surrounding neighborhoods, and trail connections to San Ildefonso and nearby open space.

Rogers said the development was designed to be lower density than typical multifamily. \"We wanted to do this very appropriate cottage development with townhomes that had... much lower density than multifamily,\" he said, adding the project is approximately 12–13 units per acre compared with about 24–25 units per acre for a garden‑style apartment project.

Valdez and applicant representatives addressed several concerns raised during public comment and by commissioners. Staff said the interdepartmental review committee (IDRC) reviewed utilities, grading and drainage, fire access and traffic; the county's Department of Public Utilities and Fire Marshal had reviewed plans and found capacity or mitigation measures acceptable. The applicant said a six‑foot concrete masonry unit (CMU) wall is proposed along the eastern property edge adjacent to Broadview Estates and that drainage basins and waterproofing will be included in the grading plans. The civil engineer noted the eastern drainage basin is small and that county requirements are to keep developed drainage on site.

Residents raised questions about school capacity and classroom size; a Broadview Estates resident said Barranca Mesa Elementary currently has classes with about 24 students and expressed concern that the housing increase would add dozens of students. Commissioners and staff replied that school planning is managed by the school district and that the county's review focuses on land‑use, utilities and public safety. One resident and another speaker urged ongoing communication across county departments and with the school district as growth occurs.

The applicant gave a rent estimate during questioning, saying a reasonable range today would be roughly $3,400 to $3,800 per month, with a mid‑$3,000s target. The developer also pledged ongoing outreach to neighbors during grading and construction and said the tot lot would be accessible to nearby residents via an easement if the neighbors choose to open a pedestrian connection.

Staff recommended approval, concluding the proposal meets the conditional use criteria: conformity with adopted plans, no material detriment to public safety or welfare when standard conditions are applied, conformance with code and adequate utilities and access. The commission authorized the chair to sign a final order documenting the decision; the written decision may be appealed within 15 calendar days under county rules.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Los Alamos County - August 27, 2025 Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The Los Alamos Planning and Zoning Commission approved a conditional use permit for a 114‑unit built‑to‑rent cottage development on a 9.51‑acre tract in North Mesa, the county's first recognized cottage development and part of the county's strategy to expand housing supply.","taxTitle","Los Alamos, New Mexico","taxId",51137,"location","New Mexico","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6486093,"Planning panel approves final plat to replat Arbolada into 23 single‑family lots",3840,190000,4030000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5690077-bfa47242149608a67073667ee990070a&start=190&end=4030","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5690077-bfa47242149608a67073667ee990070a/thumbnail_190000.jpg","/articles/6486093/New-Mexico/Planning-panel-approves-final-plat-to-replat-Arbolada-into-23-singlefamily-lots","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6486093-f694805f45677998a3c90f2e311f94b9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770395330&Signature=KPlbwu2a3iRzkrvihEnMjXvfFWCLhUoBWsuHFoqNImfLQMvM4swLfl65TnzM2FgWbyUU4vWckgPxN0LAq6Vjanpp7N-BufK6zxz7tDtTW3FHj9Y30vvcK5hZiFTkRrZtZqprcPEpYWVo5VvtUkEkO8pSyOW~4ow1G6HX-NivO8Z9OEwCl-g-Gnu-O6wXeO5Alv9E5Kb5cW7iyyZH9PxbosEKZ0Jlet97HSCRlOiExvO9YMSqUHPS0VAgwZYMf-K5Mj8gV2cz1suGLMqnHxUFeyX5x~2acO~s74ATOT2Z-uQfr8-V8pfWxbG-qfA4bMUVSQ7h~zPJZX5r~1zBWUWTGg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","LOS ALAMOS, N.M. — The Los Alamos County Planning and Zoning Commission on Aug. 20 approved a final subdivision plat to replat the previously approved 85‑lot Arbolada subdivision into 23 single‑family lots and four tracts, a change the applicant says is a prerequisite for a separate application to develop 114 cottage units on one of the tracts.

The commission voted to approve case SUB20250022 on a 5‑0 roll call. Commissioner Burrell moved to approve the final plat and Commissioner Nelson seconded; commissioners Hill, Nelson, Easton, Adler and Bruhl voted yes.

The replat covers a 17.07‑acre parcel in the North Mesa neighborhood, most commonly addressed as 659 San Ildefonso Road. County staff said the proposal would create 23 single‑family lots fronting a 50‑foot public street named Arbolada and three tracts designated as open space; Tract 4 — roughly 9.54 acres — would remain as a single, larger tract to be the subject of a later development application.

Desiree Luhan, senior planner with Los Alamos County Community Development, summarized staff findings and the decision criteria the commission must use. \"The 23 lots will be for single family dwellings,\" she told commissioners, and added that the lots range from about 5,783 square feet to an average of 6,057 square feet. Luhan said public utilities are available via San Ildefonso Road, that the Department of Public Utilities reviewed capacity and that a waterline upgrade plan is planned to support growth in the area.

Staff told the commission the application satisfies the county development code criteria for final plat approval, citing prior approvals in the entitlement sequence: a preliminary plat approved June 11 and a minor zone map amendment approved July 23 that rezoned portions of the site to SFR‑5 to meet lot standards. The community development report recommended approval, and staff said public notice requirements were satisfied.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about the relationship between the final plat and the separate conditional use permit for the cottage development that followed on the agenda. Commissioner Hill asked why the eastern lots were being created as single‑family lots rather than rezoning the area to multifamily; staff and the applicant explained the final plat creates legal lots of record and that Tract 4 must exist before an application for the 114‑unit cottage development can be filed.

Several residents addressed the commission during public comment with concerns focused on school capacity, drainage and construction impacts. Melissa Boswell, a Broadview Estates resident whose property borders the site, told the panel the development would occur directly behind her home and raised concerns about class sizes at nearby Barranca Mesa Elementary and about potential drainage and grading impacts on adjacent yards.

The applicant and staff responded that drainage and grading plans were reviewed by the county's interdepartmental review committee and that Los Alamos National Laboratory and DOE had been consulted regarding canyon drainage. The applicant said a six‑foot concrete masonry unit (CMU) wall is planned along the eastern edge adjacent to Broadview Estates and that grading and drainage plans will be finalized in later permitting stages.

The final plat approval authorizes the county to prepare a final written order and findings of fact reflecting the commission's decision. The commission's approval can be appealed to the county within 15 calendar days of the final written decision by the property owner, anyone who received mailed notice for the application, or any person with a recognized legal interest under New Mexico law.

The commission proceeded immediately to a separate conditional use permit hearing for Tract 4; that application was considered and decided at the same meeting.","Los Alamos Planning and Zoning Commission approved a final subdivision plat to reconfigure the previously approved 85‑lot Arbolada subdivision into 23 lots and four tracts, a step the applicant says is needed before filing for a separate conditional use permit for a 114‑unit cottage development on Tract 4.","actionData","errors"]

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Planning panel approves 114‑unit cottage development on North Mesa

Planning panel approves final plat to replat Arbolada into 23 single‑family lots