NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – A major development in the heart of the North Valley promises hundreds of apartments shops, outdoor space, and more. The project once approved by Los Ranchos Village government is now primed for a court battle with the same government that okayed it.
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It’s now well under construction at Fourth Street and Osuna, but the $50 million “Village Center” in Los Ranchos may be up in the air based on the latest move from the village government. Los Ranchos Village trustees voted two to one Wednesday night to file a court injunction against the public-private project which that same government body green-lighted years ago.
“We want to get to a place of solution,” said Frank Reinow, trustee.
“We have to keep our government in check,” said Jennifer Kueffer, trustee.
The project has faced opposition since the groundbreaking in 2022. Neighbors booed the project in part over concerns about the size of the development and what it might do to traffic in the area. The trailhead at Chamizal is 12 acres and planned for 204 apartments, over two dozen retail spaces, a grocery store, a brewery, and more.
Earlier this month, a Bernalillo County District Court judge ruled that prior Los Ranchos city officials broke state open meetings law in 2022 when the village approved the project without a public meeting. This is something village trustees referenced during Wednesday night’s vote. “I was most concerned about how the previous administration was dismissive of villagers and disregarded the public process required under state law,” said Jennifer Kueffer, Los Ranchos Village trustee.
Los Ranchos will now ask for a judge to intervene in the continued project construction, a move that’s dividing village leaders.
The project developer, Palindrome Communities did not respond to KRQE’s email asking for comment. The village has yet to say when it will file its legal action against the project.
