BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com
Los Alamos County Council will consider an ordinance Tuesday evening which would allow the sale of two parcels of County-owned property at 3661 and 3698 Trinity Drive to Pet Pangaea, LLC for $200,000.
Pet Pangaea is owned by Cyndi Wells and the business is currently located at 158 Central Park Square. Founded in 2004, Pet Pangaea received the NM Family Friendly Award and the Small Business Development Center’s Small Business of the Year award in 2009. In 2013, Pet Pangaea received the Sonny Brown Small Business of the Year Award from the Rotary International District 5520. In both 2017 and 2018 Pet Pangaea received the Retailer of the Year award from the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce. Just last year, Pet Pangaea received the NM Women-Owned Small Business of the Year Award.
Wells told the Los Alamos Reporter Friday evening that she is thrilled the proposal is moving forward and looks forward to working with the County.
“I am excited to be able to invest in the community and provide a quality business as well as pet-friendly housing,” she said.
Wells has partnered with an architectural firm and a construction company for the project which will have 7,000 square feet business space on the ground four and 4,000 square feet of pet-friendly housing above. The project will break ground after the sale of the property closes.
The agenda package for the meeting notes that the two parcels have been vacant for a few years having previously been developed with single family homes which were purchased by the County in support of potential public improvements along Trinity Drive.
“The County no longer plans to use the parcels for this original purpose. Under specific circumstances when vacant County land becomes available, Council will consider disposing of such parcels in support of local business retention and expansion. As such, County Council instructed County staff to make these parcels available for sale under an open competitive solicitation,” the agenda back-up states. “A solicitation was issued by the County on October 15, 2020 with a deadline of November 6, 2020. Three proposals were submitted for consideration by Council with the Pet Pangaea submittal deemed the top selection.”
The agenda packet does not indicate who the other two parties were that bid on the two parcels.
“The benefit to Los Alamos County is that a parcel of land that had been vacant will be developed and owned by a long-serving, vital local business. The project as proposed will be a 7,000 square foot retail pet store on the ground floor with four residential units on the second floor,” the packet states.
The two parcels are currently zoned Public Land and will need to be rezoned to Mixed-Use. Access to the parcels will be from 35th Street, not Trinity Drive,
The packet indicates that Council is authorized to sell County-owned real property and interests in real property through Chapter 14 of the Los Alamos County Code. An appraisal of the property estimated the combined market value of the parcels at $165,000 which is $8.25 per square foot, The due diligence period for the project will be 120 days, with closing to be scheduled within 30 days after due diligence. Pet Pangaea has agreed to complete the project within 24 months of closing on the parcel.