Village councilors in Tijeras Monday officially rejected a zoning change they had previously chosen to set aside in the face of overwhelming public pushback.
Mayor Jake Bruton told the Route 66 Independent the council erred by letting a public hearing on rezoning 58 acre property near I-40 and State Route 14 conclude without taking a vote. Councilor Ernest Barnes moved to approve the change requested by property owner Charlotte Rode, but the motion died for lack of a second.
Bruton said state law required the council to put the matter back on the agenda. After another two-plus hours, the result was the same. The council voted unanimously to deny the application.
Rode told The Independent Tuesday she will seek feedback from councilors and possibly legal advice before deciding whether to appeal the decision to state district court. She has 30 days to make that decision.
As at the previous meeting, residents came out to oppose the change from CB-1 (neighborhood commercial) to CB-2 (large commercial/general business); the latter classification would permit (subject to approval of specific projects) larger retail operation, lodging or a gas station).
She previously said she wants to build her family home on the property and limit business uses to the highway frontage along State Route 14.
Nothing specific was proposed for the site, but residents’ concerns included crime, traffic and pollution. Rode said opposition to the rezoning was based on hypothetical projects she doesn’t intend to pursue
“That’s the way the world works now,” she said. “People get attention by using inflammatory language and spreading false narratives.”