Albuquerque’s opt-in zoning proposal suffered a decisive defeat on Wednesday when the City Council’s Land Use, Planning and Zoning Committee voted 4-1 against it after many people spoke in public testimony, most of them neighbors opposed to the plan.
The resolution, sponsored by City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn for Mayor Tim Keller, would have let property owners voluntarily rezone for higher-density or mixed-use development. The Land Use, Planning and Zoning Committee’s rejection is a major setback for the mayor’s “Housing Now” campaign, aimed at addressing the city’s housing shortage.
Only Fiebelkorn voted to advance the measure. Councilors Brook Bassan, Dan Champine, Renée Grout and Nichole Rogers all voted against it.
Public Opposition Dominates
The meeting stretched late into the evening, with nearly 40 people speaking during public comment. Opponents outnumbered supporters about 2-to-1, and neighborhood association representatives from across the city turned out in force, as opposition leaders had predicted.
Patricia Willson, past president of the Victory Hills Neighborhood Association, criticized the lack of neighbor notification.
“This resolution should be rejected out of hand,” she said. “Rather than continuing to pass crisis legislation… the city could do more to increase housing by providing casita grants.”
Evelyn Rivera, a residential appraiser, called the proposal “an attack on single-family homeowners” that “will not provide affordable housing.”
She also criticized outdated data and said she was “insulted as a multi-generational Hispanic New Mexican to be called a racist for wanting to protect my home and my value of my home.”
Jaemes Shanley, president of the Mark Twain Neighborhood Association and a write-in candidate for District 7 City Council, questioned the proposal’s underlying data. “Albuquerque has not grown. Our population decreased since 2020,” he said. “The city’s projection of housing needs based on 2% annual growth through 2045 is pure fantasy.”
Shanley said a survey he conducted of major city corridors showed 21% commercial vacancy rates, and he argued the city should focus on repurposing empty commercial properties instead of changing residential zoning.
Jill Yeagley, president of the Molten Rock Neighborhood Association, said her board unanimously opposed the resolution.
“We do not dispute the need for affordable housing. However, we do object to a shotgun approach that relies on inaccurate data,” she told councilors. Yeagley also argued the proposal “does not meet the state-required process of notification for residents.”
“We sincerely want to increase affordable housing, and I applaud that,” Yeagley said. “One of the things that I think we need to look at is zoning changes in large developments, such as we have going on in the Westside. That’s an ideal place where major developers can very easily plat the lots to incorporate town homes and duplexes and deepen those four plexes and do it in a way that creates a coherent and visually pleasing neighborhood.”
Not all opposition was categorical. Marit Tully, speaking for the Near North Valley Neighborhood Association, said the group “has supported increases in density” and “supports affordable housing,” but asked for a deferral because “none of us on our board thinks we have a handle on the impacts of this resolution.”
Tully added that the association had tried to educate members about the proposal but got little response, suggesting that “few of our neighborhood residents and other city residents understand its scope.”
Support for Upzoning
Supporters included members of Strong Towns ABQ, as well as young professionals and renters who argued that the city needs more housing options.
Jordon McConnell, communications chair for Strong Towns ABQ, said the group collected supportive comments “from every zip code and council district in the city.”
He called the proposal “a practical, bottom-up approach that allows property owners to opt into the next step up in zoning. It’s not a top-down mandate.”
Homeowner Erin Thornton said the plan would let her “share my quarter-acre lot with another family, even two, and still have a shared yard space to play and garden.”
She described it as “a ‘doing-based democracy’, where residents don’t just vote once every year, we show up actively to participate and shape the future of our neighborhoods.”
Other renters spoke about struggling with rent increases and limited housing options, arguing the proposal would create more affordable choices.
Failed Deferral
Before the final vote, Fiebelkorn tried to defer the resolution to address neighborhood feedback and update outdated dates, but the motion failed 3-2. Only Rogers joined her in support.
“I think we’ve got a little bit more work to do on this,” Fiebelkorn said. “I’ve heard from neighborhood associations.”
What Happens Next
Under new council rules, the failed resolution will be reported to the full City Council as having failed in committee, according to the City Council Rules of Procedure. It could still be revived if at least four councilors vote to advance it, but the decisive committee defeat suggests an uphill battle.
The resolution is a key part of Keller’s Housing Now package, which also included changes to Safe Outdoor Space rules and housing rehabilitation programs. The committee defeated the Safe Outdoor Space amendments as well.
Get Involved
The next City Council meeting is at 5 p.m. Aug. 18 in the Vincent E. Griego Chambers, basement level of the City of Albuquerque Government Center, 1 Civic Plaza NW.
To speak during public comment, you must sign up by 4 p.m. the day of the meeting. If you don’t have internet access, call (505) 768-3100 for help.
Join virtually:
Zoom link: cabq.zoom.us/j/84979163903
Webinar ID: 849 7916 3903
Phone: (669) 444-9171, then enter the Webinar ID
Watch live:
Comcast Channel 16 (GOVTV)
Stream at cabq.gov/govtvOn YouTube at youtube.com/@GOVTVBoardsCommissionMeetings