CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY SEVENTH COUNCIL
COUNCIL BILL NO. R-26-6 ENACTMENT NO. ________________________
SPONSORED BY: Tammy Fiebelkorn and Nichole Rogers, by request
RESOLUTION
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Designating Approximately 36 Acres On San Pedro Dr As Blighted; Approving An Expansion Amendment To The Boundary Of The Near Heights Metropolitan Redevelopment Area; Approving A Corresponding Non-Substantial Amendment To The Near Heights Metropolitan Redevelopment Area Plan; Amending Section 1-12-11 Of The Code Of Resolutions (Fiebelkorn and Rogers, by request)
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DESIGNATING APPROXIMATELY 36 ACRES ON SAN PEDRO DR AS BLIGHTED; APPROVING AN EXPANSION AMENDMENT TO THE BOUNDARY OF THE NEAR HEIGHTS METROPOLITAN REDEVELOPMENT AREA; APPROVING A CORRESPONDING NON-SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT TO THE NEAR HEIGHTS METROPOLITAN REDEVELOPMENT AREA PLAN; AMENDING SECTION 1-12-11 OF THE CODE OF RESOLUTIONS.
WHEREAS, the City of Albuquerque (the "City") is a legally and regularly created, established, organized and existing municipal corporation of the State of New Mexico (the "State"); and
WHEREAS, the City desires to promote redevelopment in areas designated as blighted so as to promote neighborhood stabilization by providing affordable housing and convenient services; creating new jobs; and upgrading buildings, infrastructure, and housing for such areas and to promote public health, welfare, safety, convenience, and prosperity; and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Redevelopment Code, NMSA 1978, Sections 3-60A-1 through 3-60A-48, as amended (the "Act"), states, “A municipality shall not prepare a metropolitan redevelopment plan for an area unless the governing body by resolution determined the area to be a slum or a blighted area, or a combination thereof, and designated the area as appropriate for a metropolitan redevelopment project”; and
WHEREAS, in July 1998 (R-98-111, Enactment R-1998-110), the City designated the Near Heights Metropolitan Redevelopment (MR) Area as blighted and in October 2000 (R-00-90, Enactment R-2000-108), adopted a Plan for redevelopment; and
WHEREAS, since the Near Heights MR Area boundary was established, 67 lots located on the east and west sides of San Pedro Dr. between Lomas Blvd. and Cagua Pl. (the “Subject Area”), which are located adjacent to the existing boundary on the north side, have become blighted, vacant, and increasingly dilapidated; and
WHEREAS, the Subject Area exhibits signs of blight including vacancy, dilapidation, minimal commercial activity, and antiquated platting, which impairs the growth and economic vitality of the San Pedro Dr. NE corridor and the surrounding area; and
WHEREAS, on January 13, 2026, Council Services (the “Applicant”) co-hosted a stakeholder meeting with the Metropolitan Redevelopment Area for property owners within the proposed area in order to gauge support for the amendment; and
WHEREAS, on January 21, 2026, the Applicant submitted an analysis of a proposed amendment to the Near Heights MR Area boundary; and
WHEREAS, based on analysis of the Subject Area by Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency staff, it was found that the Subject Area suffers from, and is contributing to, blighted conditions and that the designation and redevelopment of the Subject Area is necessary to reduce or eliminate the blight conditions, which is in the interest of the public health, safety, morals, or welfare of the City and its residents; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to NMSA 1978, Section 30-60A-8 of the Metropolitan Redevelopment Code, the MRA caused to be twice published in the Albuquerque Journal, a newspaper of general circulation in the area herein identified, with the last publication no less than 20 days prior to any hearing on this matter, the notice contained a general description of the proposed amendment and the date, time and place where the Albuquerque Development Commission (ADC) held the public hearing; and
WHEREAS, on February 19, 2026, the Albuquerque Development Commission (ADC) recommended to City Council that the Subject Area be included within the Near Heights MR Area boundary and be subject to the Near Heights Metropolitan Redevelopment Area Plan.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE:
SECTION 1. RATIFICATION. All actions not inconsistent with the provisions of this Resolution previously taken by the Council and the officials of the City directed toward approval of the Plan and the Project should be approved and the same hereby are ratified, approved, and confirmed.
SECTION 2. FINDINGS. In accordance with State Statutes, NMSA 1978, Sections § 3-60A-7 and 8, the following findings are made:
1. This request is to designate approximately 67 lots (36 acres), generally located on the east and west sides of San Pedro Dr. NE, between Lomas Blvd. NE and Cagua Pl., as blighted, and for inclusion of the lots in the Near Heights Metropolitan Redevelopment Area and Plan, in accordance with Metropolitan Redevelopment Code, NMSA 1978, Chapter 3, Article 60A.
2. The Near Heights Metropolitan Redevelopment Area was designated by the City Council in July 1998 (R-98-111, Enactment R-1998-110) and the Plan was approved in October 2000 (R-00-90, Enactment R-2000-108).
3. The subject properties meet the definition of a “blighted area” per NMSA 1978, § 3-60A-4, as demonstrated by analysis and images presented in the Designation Report.
4. The blighted conditions in the area include aging building stock, vacant and underutilized lots, fragmented and inefficient lot layouts, inadequate pedestrian infrastructure, dilapidated buildings and signs, and high vacancy rates.
5. The subject properties are appropriate for inclusion in the Near Heights Metropolitan Redevelopment Area and Plan because they are similar in size and development condition to other properties in the Area.
6. Due to the blighted conditions present, the rehabilitation, conservation, clearance of slum conditions, redevelopment, or a combination thereof, is in the interest of public health, safety, morals, and welfare of City residents.
7. Inclusion of the subject properties in the Near Heights Metropolitan Redevelopment Area furthers City of Albuquerque Comprehensive Plan goals related to Land Use.
8. Inclusion of the subject properties in the Near Heights Metropolitan Redevelopment Area furthers the policies of the Near Heights Metropolitan
Redevelopment Area Plan by creating opportunities for eliminating blighted conditions.
9. The request does not constitute a substantial change to the conditions or goals of the approved Near Heights Metropolitan Redevelopment Area Plan. The scope and policies of the Plan remain intact with the inclusion of the subject properties.
10. Notice of the public hearing was published in the Albuquerque Journal, a newspaper of general circulation, on January 29 and 30, 2026. The notice included a general description of the subject area location and details of the Albuquerque Development Commission’s public hearing date and time, and how interested parties could provide comments, and the last publication was not less than twenty days before the hearing, in accordance with NMSA 1978, § 3-60A-8.
11. On February 4, 2026, which was at least 10 days prior to the public hearing as required by NMSA 1978, Section § 3-60A-8, notice was mailed (first class) to property owners of lots subject to designation.
12. On February 4, 2026, which was at least 10 days prior to the public hearing, as a courtesy, notice was emailed to Neighborhood Associations registered with the City’s Office of Neighborhood Coordination.
13. Any received comments, as a result of the legal notice, were considered by the ADC.
SECTION 3. ENACTMENT. Because of its blighted condition and the findings incorporated in this Resolution, the Subject Area is hereby included within the Near Heights Metropolitan Redevelopment Area boundary and Plan.
SECTION 4. NEAR HEIGHTS BOUNDARY EXPANSION. Exhibit 1 of the Near Heights Metropolitan Redevelopment Plan is hereby amended to include the Subject Area within the Near Heights Metropolitan Redevelopment Area boundary, in accordance with this Resolution. The Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency is hereby authorized and directed to replace Exhibit 1 on page 7 of the Plan with a map reflecting the revised Near Heights MRA boundary.
SECTION 5. AGIS UPDATE. Within 30 days of the effective date of this Resolution, the Albuquerque Geographic Information System (AGIS) and the City’s Metropolitan Redevelopment Areas map shall be updated to reflect the revised boundaries of the Near Heights Metropolitan Redevelopment Area.
SECTION 6. CODE OF RESOLUTIONS. Section 1-12-11 of the Albuquerque Code of Resolutions is amended as follows:
§ 1-12-11 NEAR HEIGHTS METROPOLITAN REDEVELOPMENT AREA AND PLAN.
J. Amendment 2026.
(1) The general area located on the east and west sides of San Pedro Dr. NE, between Lomas Blvd. NE and Cagua Pl., is hereby blighted and included in the Near Heights Metropolitan Redevelopment Area and Plan. The Near Heights expansion area further described as the Subject Area to this Resolution, is, by reason of the presence of a substantial number of deteriorated structures, unsafe conditions, deterioration of site and other improvements, obsolete and impractical planning and platting and low levels of commercial activity and redevelopment, which substantially impair and arrest the sound growth and economic well-being of the City and the Near Heights Metropolitan Redevelopment Area, constitute an economic and social burden and a menace to the public health, safety, and welfare in its present condition and use.
(2) The boundary of the Near Heights Metropolitan Redevelopment Area, as depicted in Exhibit 1 on page 7 of the Metropolitan Redevelopment Plan, is hereby amended to reflect the addition of the Subject Area as presented in Section 3 of this Resolution R-26-6. The amended boundary is hereby approved and adopted.
SECTION 7. REPEALER. All bylaws, orders, resolutions and ordinances, or parts thereof, inconsistent with this Resolution are repealed by this Resolution but only to the extent of that inconsistency. This repealer shall not be construed to revive any bylaw, order, resolution or ordinance, or part thereof, previously repealed.
SECTION 8. SEVERABILITY. If any section, paragraph, sentence, clause, word or phrase of this Resolution is for any reason held to be invalid or unenforceable by any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions of this Resolution. The Council hereby declares that it would have passed this Resolution and each section, paragraph, sentence, clause, word or phrase thereof irrespective of any provision being declared unconstitutional or otherwise invalid.
SECTION 9. COMPILATION. Section 6 of this Resolution amends, is incorporated in, and is to be compiled as part of the City of Albuquerque, New Mexico Code of Resolutions.