BY LWV OBSERVER CORPS

Editor’s note: Members of the League of Woman Voters of Los Alamos Observer Corps have been providing LWV members with reports on certain meetings in the County for many years. These reports have been included in the LWV’s monthly newsletter and now, at the invitation of the Los Alamos Reporter, will also be submitted to the Reporter for publication. The video of the full meeting may be seen at https://losalamos.granicus.com/player/clip/4602?view_id=2&redirect=true

Comprehensive Plan Update; Chapter 16 ‒ Development Code Amendments

The session was attended by Councilors Randall Ryti (Chair), Theresa Cull, Melanee Hand, Suzie Havemann, Ryn Herrmann, Beverly Neal-Clinton, and David Reagor.  

Comprehensive Plan Update 

Council was briefed on the process and timeline for updating Los Alamos County’s Comprehensive Plan. Council took no action. 

What Is a Comprehensive Plan and Why Is It Important?

As described in the County’s current Comprehensive Plan, the plan is a long-range policy document that establishes the County’s overall direction, goals, and priorities for future growth and development. It guides the physical development of the County by articulating the County’s vision for land use, housing, transportation, infrastructure, economic development, and environmental stewardship. 

Pete Lombardi, co-manager of the County’s Comprehensive Planning consultants (czb), presented details of the process and schedule for the Comprehensive Plan update. He emphasized that the goals and priorities outlined in the plan play a critical role in guiding County decisions—not only for long-term planning such as budgeting and capital investments, but also for day-to-day decision-making. “Notably, it is the foundation for zoning and development regulations,” he said. Lombardi added that the updated Comprehensive Plan will make recommendations and identify where land use regulations might need to be updated to align with the County’s visions and policy direction. 

Why Update the Plan Now?

County Manager Anne Laurent explained the key drivers for updating the existing Los Alamos County Comprehensive Plan, which was adopted in 2016. “It’s been 10 years, and best practice is to update it every five years.”  

Laurent noted that one of the primary reasons for the update is to incorporate plans adopted by the County Council over the past decade, including the master plans for Downtown Los Alamos and Downtown White Rock. Integrating these more recent policy documents will ensure the Comprehensive Plan reflects the County’s current priorities and adopted strategies. 

She also pointed to ongoing concerns related to Chapter 16, the County Development Code. “We have some lingering issues around Chapter 16 when we did that update several years ago, and we’re continuing to make improvements in those areas where there’s still some desire to have more conversation and more clarity.”

Focus of Update

Community Development Director Elias Isaacson said that “one of the most central questions to a comprehensive planning process in any community is that question of growth, whether it’s how much or where, or the sort of, “what is the trade off to that growth, whether it’s community, character, or other sorts of important values?  Those are the exact conversations we intend to have with the community through this process.”

Isaacson identified three major focus areas for the Comprehensive Plan update:

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs):  Evaluate where ADUs are most appropriate within the community and identify ways staff can help facilitate their construction by streamlining processes and reducing barriers for residents. 
• Parking standards, especially in downtown areas:  Review parking requirements to ensure they are not unintentionally hindering commercial development in downtown areas. The review includes exploring alternatives such as parking structures. 
• Zoning of open space parcels:  Ensure that the County’s Future Land Use Map (FLUM)—developed as part of the comprehensive planning process—clearly supports any necessary rezonings and eliminates ambiguity related to open space designations. 

Stakeholder Involvement

Isaacson described two committees that will help guide the planning process:

• The Technical Advisory Committee is an internal working group made up of County staff from departments whose operations are directly impacted by land use decisions. This committee will provide subject-matter expertise and ensure coordination across functional areas such as infrastructure, housing, transportation, and public services. 
• The Steering Committee is composed of community members, business leaders, and representatives from County Council, Planning and Zoning Commission, and local institutions and organizations. This committee will help shape policy direction and provide community-level perspective throughout the process. 

Isaacson emphasized that public participation will extend well beyond the steering committee. Community engagement will be extensive and include open houses, public workshops, and a project website where residents can submit comments. In addition, a community-wide survey will be launched in March to gather input during the early phase of the planning process. 

Plan Development Phases and Timeline

Lombardi explained that the Comprehensive Plan update is divided into three phases, with December 2026 being the target date for completion. Together, these phases are designed to move from analysis and engagement, to vision-setting, to formal plan adoption within a structured one-year timeline. 

• Phase 1: Patterns and Priorities (Jan.–Mar. 2026). During this phase the project team will review recent County plans, demographic and economic analyses, and initial public engagement results. The goal is to identify key issues, trends, and community priorities that will shape the direction of the update.  
• Phase 2: Vision and Path Forward (Apr.–Jul. 2026). During this phase, the project team will develop and evaluate scenarios for achieving the County’s long-term vision. Isaacson elaborated: “We’ll be trying to identify several scenarios—tradeoff scenarios—looking at opportunities for growth, where that growth may happen, where it shouldn’t happen, really identifying a future for the community.”  The goal is to help clarify choices and tradeoffs before selecting a preferred path forward. 
• Phase 3: Plan Development (Aug.–Dec. 2026). The final phase will focus on drafting and refining the new Comprehensive Plan. The team will incorporate community and stakeholder feedback, prepare the final document, and support the County Council through the review and adoption process. 

Rezoning of Open Space Parcels

The County also plans to address mis-designated open space parcels during the planning process, including amendments to the FLUM. Regarding the relationship between the Comprehensive Plan and amendments to the Chapter 16 Development Code, Isaacson noted: “When it comes to these open space parcels, they’re actually related. We’ll need to make sure that the FLUM, which gets updated through the comprehensive planning process, aligns with the eventual zoning designation of those parcels.” 

Councilor Reagor asked for clarification regarding the community’s concern about specific parcels. “We’ve had some correspondence with people in the County who are saying that a number of the pieces of open space were miszoned in the last transition,” he said. “Is that being addressed in this revision?”

Isaacson confirmed that the issue will be reviewed as part of the Comprehensive Plan update. “We’ll be looking at these open space parcels that you referenced and making sure that our FLUM … supports and allows for any rezonings that may be necessary to clear up any confusion around those open space parcels in various locations around the County.”

Laurent elaborated on some of the specific parcels that had been identified by the Los Alamos League of Women Voters. She noted that the current zonings of these parcels date back to the last Comprehensive Plan update in 2016, and that resolving concerns may in some cases depend on which growth and land use scenarios are ultimately selected. 

• Piñon Park (White Rock). At Piñon Park near the White Rock Branch Library, some open space is located on the same parcel as developed land. Residents have expressed concern that, because it is a single parcel, the remaining open space could eventually be developed. Laurent explained that resolving the issue would likely require splitting the parcel and rezoning the open space portion. “I have assured the folks that I’ve spoken to, there are no County plans to develop the parcels that they’re concerned about at Piñon Park,” she said. 
• Woodland Trail / Golf Course. Along the north edge of the Golf Course, residents have asked for protection of the Woodland Trail and Woodland drainage area, which serves as a buffer between homes and the golf course. Community members have suggested splitting the parcel and applying a different open space zoning designation to ensure long-term protection. 
• Canyon Rim Trail / NM 502 Corridor. Along Canyon Rim Trail near NM 502 south of the airport, some land is currently zoned light industrial. Laurent noted that some residents have requested rezoning. However, she indicated that the area may present other potential opportunities the County would like to explore, making it a topic for discussion during the Comprehensive Plan process. 

Laurent concluded the discussion by emphasizing that while these three parcels will require careful discussion, there are no projects or developments pending on any of the parcels in question that will happen before we go through this process. She underscored that any changes will occur through the public planning process. 

Chapter 16 ‒ Development Code Amendments

Council received a briefing from Danyelle Valdez of the Community Development Department regarding upcoming amendments to Chapter 16, the Development Code. 

What Is Being Updated?

Valdez said that two major sections of the Development Code are slated for update. Article II regulates zoning districts and allowable uses. Article IV establishes requirements for lot and building standards, parking, landscaping, signage, lighting, screening, open space, and infrastructure. 

Isaacson said that these code amendments are interdependent with the Comprehensive Plan update and should not be viewed as separate efforts. He said that a coordinated approach is necessary to ensure that policy direction and regulatory tools are aligned as the County moves forward with both the Comprehensive Plan update and Development Code revisions. 

Laurent reiterated the major issues that will be discussed with the public as part of the Comprehensive Plan process, with the results informing the code amendments: ADUs, parking standards, and the FLUM. 

For more information about activities and membership in the League of Women Voters in Los Alamos, go to https://my.lwv.org/new-mexico/los-alamos