Albuquerque city councilors rejected an appeal from neighborhood groups opposed to a Westside development, paving the way for the mixed-use project to move forward.
Tierra West LLC is planning townhouses, office space, a cannabis retailer and a restaurant at Coors Boulevard and 7 Bar Loop Road.
Representatives of the Bosque del Acres Neighborhood Association have opposed the project, citing concerns about cannabis being sold in the area and the proximity of a protected archaeological site.
Application in Spring ‘23
Last May, Tierra West officials met with city planning and transportation staff before submitting the application for the project. The developer agreed to meet with Bosque del Acres representatives. At the recommendation of staff, Tierra West also reached out to the West Side Coalition of Neighborhood Associations, according to city records.
Bosque del Acres resident Sharon Decatur told KRQE earlier that the development would disrupt the area’s rural lifestyle.
Deborah Haycraft, who also lives in Bosque del Acres, told the station she was concerned about her privacy, with only an irrigation ditch separating some two-story townhouses from her backyard.
City records state an officer and multiple members of the Bosque del Acres Association and at least one coalition officer attended the city-facilitated meeting.
Through the system
The Environmental Planning Commission heard Tierra West’s case in December. It was heard in two parts — zoning changes along with new land uses in one and dimensional variances, which relate to space between elements and the property in the other.
The commission then voted to approve the package, triggering the Bosque del Acres Neighborhood Association to file an appeal challenging the variances and the permit for the cannabis site.
At Monday’s City Council meeting, there was no public comment on the matter and councilors spoke little of it, with Louie Sanchez asking about the elevation difference between the development site and surrounding homes.
City staff told Sanchez that the project would leave residents with ample views of the Sandia Mountains.
The council’s decision means the project can now move forward.