BY GEORGE CHANDLER
Los Alamos

I have now reviewed the agenda documentation for Tuesday night’s proposed approval
of the Low Income Housing Agreement for the apartments at 1027 and 1203 Ninth Street and 1211 11th Street. I discussed this in a letter late last week before the agenda documentation was released. (https://losalamosreporter.com/2025/03/22/lte-proposed-rehabilitation-of-apartments-downtown/) My initial enthusiasm for this project is now somewhat diminished by the discovery of a detail of the agreement that has not been publicly disclosed to this point, as far as I can tell. The audio/video of the March 11 meeting is still (4:42 AM Monday) not online so I can’t tell if it was mentioned at the meeting, but none of the documentation for that meeting mentions what may be the real sweetener in the agreement: Under Section 1.4 the property may be subdivided and any new construction is not subject to the affordability agreement.

There is a considerable green area (just under an acre) on the West half of the Ninth Street apartments parcel. Under the current very flexible zoning (MFR-M) it could accommodate multi-family: “single-family, duplex, fourplex and townhouse,” up to 45 feet in height. The code does not seem to specify the density except “medium.” After parking requirements are met a developer could build 30-40 units in three-story apartments, is my guess.

This would have a considerable impact on the Ninth street/Myrtle/Iris residential area in terms of increased density and parking, especially in light of the impending redevelopment of Mari-Mac and environs. It would be necessary for the neighbors to be vigilant that parking requirements are analyzed, met, and enforced, in addition to traffic circulation.

I remain in favor of the affordability project, for the reasons given in my previous letter:
even though it is limited to twenty years it seems to protect the current inhabitants. I am disappointed that the staff report states that “Developer profit will generally be limited to long-term appreciation of the property” when the fine print in the actual agreement quite clearly contemplates a considerable opportunity for profit in the development of the green area, and this “detail,” the likelihood of a new multi-family development on the property, has not been made public until now.