OBSERVER REPORT FROM LAS CRUCES CITY COUNCIL, July 23, 2007 – Marnie Leverett

 The meeting was called to order by Mayor Mattiace with all Councilors present. The first item of business was a fairly long presentation on city bike trails in a number of cities across the country presented by a member of the League of American Bicycles.

 The first item on the agenda was a resolution approving the Mesquite Historic District Neighborhood Design Plan.  It was approved unanimously.

 Then came an ordinance selling a parcel of land in the West Mesa Industrial Park to the F & A Dairy Products, Inc. for a new office building and plant. It was also passed unanimously.

 The last item on the agenda for action was a request for a zone change on a parcel at the intersection of Mesa Grande Drive and Central Road to allow for four-plex units to be built in a new subdivision. This would be modestly priced housing and there was little discussion on it. The ordinance was passed unanimously.

 Finally, there was an appeal to be discussed. The owner of a manufactured home in a development off Elks has put her house up for sale. An offer was made but before it could be finalized the owner was told that an addition they had made when they bought the home in the first place was not approved and was out of compliance with the zoning code. It was discovered that no building permit was ever granted by the city for the construction--the developer took care of the building without getting one. The owner did not realize that there was a problem until the recent effort to sell. The developer is now gone. Since a real hardship has resulted from this situation, the City Council granted a variance but several of the Councilors noted, as did several people in the audience, that we need a regulation to enable buyers or the city to bring action against such business practices done illegally.