A company called Rio Grande Huerta LLC has initiated a process to build an exclusive, private community called "Cohousing ABQ" with unaffordable condo-style housing in the heart of Albuquerque's South Valley.
Rio Grande Huerta LLC intends to build 27 condominiums on 3.8 acres of land directly adjacent to Rio Grande Valley State Park that is currently zoned as an A-1 Rural Agricultural Zone. Building Cohousing ABQ would significantly compromise this natural open space of cultural and environmental significance. The new multi-story housing complex could obscure our view of the Sandia and Manzano Mountain ranges.
Rio Grande Huerta LLC has indicated that prices for the homes will range up to $700,000 for a family-style condominium. In addition, Rio Grande Huerta LLC plans to create a homeowner’s association (HOA) which would burden the residents of Cohousing ABQ with monthly association fees. We need more affordable housing in our community, not homes that are financially out of reach for most.
New development in the South Valley can result in higher property taxes for all of us. With higher property taxes come higher mortgage payments. If Rio Grande Huerta LLC is allowed to develop and property taxes are raised accordingly, long-time South Valley families could be priced out of their homes.
The new residents of Cohousing ABQ would bring many new cars with them. That would add to the congestion of busy streets like Sunset, Central, Bridge, and Gonzales. In addition, the multi-year project would bring construction traffic at the same time the Bridge Corridor Redevelopment Plan begins.
This is a deeply unpopular proposal. The vast majority of residents living in the Vecinos del Bosque neighborhood don’t want to see this land developed. The Vecinos del Bosque Neighborhood Association board voted 10 to 3 to oppose the proposed Cohousing ABQ development.
South Valley Community Alliance appealed the District Court’s decision to the New Mexico Supreme Court.
South Valley Community Alliance appealed the District Court’s decision to the New Mexico Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals ultimately declined to review the District Court’s decision.
South Valley Community Alliance appealed the Bernalillo County Commission’s decision to District Court. The District Court judge ultimately ruled against our appeal.
November 25, 2020 - Rio Grande Huerta LLC filed a response with the Supreme Court.
November 24, 2020 - Bernalillo County filed a response with the Supreme Court.
November 10, 2020 - The Supreme Court issued an Order asking respondents to file responses.
September 28, 2020 — Attorney Hessel Yntema filed the Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the New Mexico Supreme Court.
August 31, 2020 - The Court of Appeals declined to hear our Writ of Certiorari.
June 25, 2020 - Attorneys Eric Loman and Meghan Stanford filed the Motion to Withdraw and Substitute Counsel for Rio Grande Huerta, LLC with the New Mexico Court of Appeals.
March 13, 2020 - Attorney Hessel Yntema filed the Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the New Mexico Court of Appeals.
March 3, 2020 - District Court Judge Denise Barela Shepherd denied our Motion for Rehearing.
November 23, 2019 - Attorney Hessel Yntema filed the Motion for Rehearing and a Request for Hearing with District Court.
November 22, 2019 — KUNM reported on the opposition to Rio Grande Huerta LLC’s special use permit for Cohousing ABQ.
November 18, 2019 — District Court Judge Denise Barela Shepherd denied our appeal and granted our Motion to Supplement the Record.
August 5, 2019 - Attorney Hessel Yntema filed the Reply to Responses for the Appellants’ Statement of Appellate Issues.
July 10, 2019 - Attorney Hessel Yntema filed the Reply to Responses for the Motion to Supplement the Record.
June 26, 2019 - Attorney Hessel Yntema filed the Appellants’ Statement of Appellate Issues and a Request for Hearing.
June 17, 2019 - Attorney Hessel Yntema filed the Motion to Supplement the Record and a Request for Hearing.
May 6, 2019 — South Valley Community Alliance appealed the Bernalillo County Commission’s decision to District Court.
April 9, 2019 — The Bernalillo County Commission voted 4-1 to deny all three appeals of CSU2019-0001.
April 4, 2019 — County officials informed appellants that they successfully invoked the 20% rule. Owners of 36.7% of the property surrounding the subject site signed an official petition protesting the proposed development. See the map.
April 4, 2019 — Appellants filed a supplemental argument for COA2019-0002.
April 4, 2019 — An attorney representing Rio Grande Huerta LLC filed a response to all of the appeals.
March 22, 2019 — Attorney Hessel Yntema sent Bernalillo County officials a letter providing new arguments for COA2019-0001, letter asking for inclusion of “new evidence”, and attachment containing the “new evidence”.
March 21, 2019 — Bernalillo County responded to attorney Hessel Yntema’s OMA violation notice.
March 6, 2019 — Attorney Hessel Yntema sent Bernalillo County officials a Claim of Violations of Open Meetings Act.
February 22, 2019 — Vecinos del Bosque residents filed COA2019-0001, COA2019-0002, and COA2019-0003 to appeal the Bernalillo County Planning Commission’s (CPC) approval of Rio Grande Huerta LLC’s special use permit application for Cohousing ABQ. The hearing for these appeals is scheduled for April 9, 2019.
February 6, 2019 — The CPC voted 4-2 to approve Rio Grande Huerta LLC’s special use permit application. Chairman Joe Chavez and CPC member Johnny Pena voted against the proposal. Read the CPC Notification of Decision.
February 6, 2019 — KOB reported on the CPC hearing and the opposition to Rio Grande Huerta LLC’s application for Cohousing ABQ. They interviewed longtime Vecinos del Bosque residents Evelyn Fernandez and Albert Sanchez.
December 17, 2018 — Rio Grande Huerta LLC submitted a revised special use permit application and site plan to Bernalillo County.
December 6, 2018 — KRQE reported on the overwhelming opposition to Rio Grande Huerta LLC’s application. Longtime Vecinos del Bosque resident Albert Sanchez spoke on behalf of South Valley Community Alliance.
December 5, 2018 — South Valley Community Alliance announced that over 300 residents had submitted comments to the Bernalillo County Planning Commission in opposition to Rio Grande Huerta LLC’s application for a special use permit application.
November 29, 2018 — The Vecinos del Bosque Neighborhood Association board voted 10 to 3 to oppose the proposed Cohousing ABQ development. A letter of opposition will be sent to the county planning staff stating that position. Read President Rod Mahoney’s message to members.
November 26, 2018 — Rio Grande Huerta LLC submitted its special use permit application and site plan (CSU2019-0001) to Bernalillo County.
South Valley Community Alliance has obtained numerous records related to this project by filing New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) requests. These records are in the public domain and can be shared freely.
Vecinos del Bosque residents appealed the Bernalillo County Planning Commission’s (CPC) approval of Rio Grande Huerta LLC’s special use permit application for Cohousing ABQ. The hearing for these appeals was held on April 9, 2019. The Bernalillo County Commission voted 4-1 to deny all three appeals.
The Bernalillo County Planning Commission (CPC) voted 4-2 to approve Rio Grande Huerta LLC’s special use permit application (CSU2019-0001). Chairman Joe Chavez and CPC member Johnny Pena voted against the proposal.
Rio Grande Huerta LLC submitted two versions of its special use permit application and site plan to Bernalillo County.
