City of Las Cruces Development Review Process
For a list of all pending development applications, click here.
There are four basic steps to the development review process in the City of Las Cruces.
- Administrative Review through either the Zoning Administrator or Subdivision Administrator
- Development Review Committee (DRC)
- Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z)
- City Council
Please note that all development applications are not required to go through all four steps. Below is a general description of each step, the types of applications each body reviews, and the authority of each body.
Administrative Review
Development applications are always distributed to City departments, such as Public Works, Las Cruces MPO, Utilities, Emergency Services, and Facilities for review. Depending on the nature of the development application, various outside agencies are also included in the development review process. Either the Zoning Administrator or Subdivision Administrator coordinates the review process.
Both the Zoning Administrator and Subdivision Administrator are representatives of the City whose objective is to simplify the zoning or subdivision process for the applicant, while at the same time addressing all concerns related to the development proposal. The Zoning Administrator and Subdivision Administrator are a source of information for the general public, the development community, and staff regarding the zoning or subdivision process and its requirements.
Development Review Committee (DRC)
The DRC is a formal group of representatives employed by the City or its representatives empowered to act on behalf of their respective departments on subdivision development-related applications. The DRC is comprised of representatives from various City departments, such as Emergency Services, Utilities, Facilities, Public Works, Community Development, and the Las Cruces MPO. The duties of the DRC include:
- Identify and address major issues that may affect a development proposal
- Provide general oversight of the reviews of a subdivision and other development-related proposals
- Resolve conflicting comments, recommendations, and design differences between reviewing departments and subdividers/developers regarding planning-related issues that have been appealed from the decision of the Subdivision Administrator, and
- Make recommendations to the P&Z Commission for approval, conditional approval, denial, or postponement of Master Plans, Preliminary Plats, Planned Unit Developments, and Final Plats.
Typically, the DRC does not review zoning applications. However, the DRC does review zoning applications for infill development proposals and planned unit developments (PUDs).
The DRC has final authority for approval of infill concept plans, alternate summaries, and replats that do not increase the number of lots in an existing subdivision. The DRC’s decision is final unless it is overruled by an appeal to the director or directors responsible for the area of disagreement and/or further appealed to the P&Z Commission or City Council.
DRC convenes on Wednesdays at 9:00 A.M. in the City Council Chambers, located at 200 N. Church. The public is invited to attend DRC meetings, but participation at the meetings is typically limited to DRC members and developers.
Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z)
The P&Z Commission is comprised of seven members appointed by the City Council. The P&Z Commission reviews the planning, zoning, and platting of the City and makes recommendations to the City Council.
The P&Z Commission generally meets the fourth Tuesday of every month at 6:00 P.M. in City Council Chambers, 200 N. Church Street. The meetings are broadcast live on Comcast Cable Channel 20. Public participation is highly encouraged.
As of May 2008, the Planning and Zoning Commission consists of the following:
| Commissioner |
Office |
City Council District |
| VACANT |
|
District 1 (Councilor Silva) |
| Charles Beard |
|
District 2 (Councilor Connor) |
| Donald Bustos |
Secretary |
District 3 (Councilor Archuleta) |
| Godfrey Crane |
|
District 4 (Councilor Small) |
| Shawn Evans |
Vice Chair |
District 5 (Councilor Jones) |
| Charles B. Scholz |
Chair |
District 6 (Councilor Thomas) |
| Ray Shipley |
|
At Large (Mayor Miyagishima) |
The duties of the P&Z Commission include taking final action (approval or denial) on the following:
- All Special Use Permits, Master Plans (except as part of an annexation request), Subdivisions (except Alternate Summary Plats and Final Plats as defined in the City’s Subdivision Code and subdivisions requesting three or more waivers to planning-related issues), and Final Site Plans of Planned Unit Developments (unless the Final Site Plan is submitted with the Concept Plan),
- Within the defined Infill areas, all infill development proposals and associated variances,
- All variances on property whether stand alone or that require a Special Use Permit or where a Planned Unit Development is proposed,
- All challenges to administrative decisions or interpretations of the Zoning Code, Sign Code, or Landscaping provisions of the City Design Standards,
- Appeals of design-related interpretation disagreements between the City staff and the University Avenue Corridor Citizens’ Design Review Committee,
- Appeals of the City staff decisions on matters associated with the Avenida de Mesilla Gateway Overlay Zone District,
- Appeals of City staff decisions on matters associated with the Lohman Avenue Overlay District, and
- All matters submitted pursuant to Section 3-19-11 NMSA.
Any final decision of the P&Z Commission may be appealed to the City Council in accordance with Section 38-13 of the 2001 Zoning Code, as amended.
The P&Z Commission offers a recommendation to the City Council on the following:
- Elements pertaining to the discharge of the Comprehensive Plan, and
- Approval, denial, or modification of all requests for Zoning Code amendments, Sign Code amendments, zone changes, annexations (a master plan that is part of an annexation request), initial zonings, the Concept Plan (and Final Site Plans if submitted with the Concept Plan) of Planned Unit Developments, and associated variances.
When the P&Z Commission recommends denial of any matter on which the City Council takes final action, an appeal to the City Council is not required.
City Council
After recommendation from Community Development Department staff, if applicable, the DRC, if applicable, and the P&Z Commission, the City Council shall take final action on the following:
- Comprehensive Plan, Plan elements, other plans sent from the P&Z Commission and all amendments,
- Zoning district change requests,
- Initial zoning requests,
- Concept Plan and Final Site Plans submitted with the Concept Plan of Planned Unit Developments,
- Associated variances
- Zoning Code and Sign Code amendments, and
- Appeals of decisions of the P&Z Commission.
Generally, the City Council takes final action on the abovementioned items at the City Council Land Use Meeting held on the fourth Monday of every month in City Council Chambers. The meetings begin at 1:00 P.M., with the exception of the following months in which land use meetings begin at 5:00 P.M.: January, April, July, and October. Public participation is highly encouraged.
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