Long-term effort to build homes in the East Mountains takes a small step forward

EDGEWOOD — A plan to develop thousands of houses in the East Mountains, which has faced strong opposition for over 20 years from residents worried about water access, took a new step forward Thursday night.

The Edgewood Planning and Zoning Commission voted 3-2 to approve dividing a portion of Campbell Ranch into five smaller sections. The commission’s decision can be appealed. There are still many steps before anything can be built on the property, including securing a water source for any homes built there.

Campbell Farming Corp. has been trying to build 4,000 homes and two golf courses on an 8,000-acre area near Cedar Crest and San Antonio Village since 1999, when the town of Edgewood annexed part of the 25,000-acre Campbell Ranch. A master plan was signed with the Edgewood mayor in the early 2000s that is still in effect.

Residents who came to voice their objections packed the Edgewood Town Hall chambers and filled the corridor. Over 150 people came to share their opposition. Far fewer were allowed to speak, as the public comment period was 45 minutes long, with more time for people living adjacent to the property being subdivided.

Sani Polk Withers has lived in the area since 1976 and is worried that a new development could endanger the wells on her family farm.

“A few years back, there was a house built just across the fence from our farm. Within a year, two neighboring wells went dry,” Polk Withers said. The development would “undoubtedly harm the whole area, as not only our well would be put at a serious risk of running dry, but all the wells in the surrounding area,” she said.

Several residents said they had paid $20,000 to $50,000 to drill new wells after theirs ran dry.

Beth Wylie has lived in the area since 2019, and her well is at risk of running dry, but she’s also worried about disruptions that dense housing could bring to the quiet, rural way of life.

“It seems to me that this developer has endlessly deep pockets to fight the legal battles necessary to press forward with this project, heedless of the harm this will cause to our quality of life, our home values, our safety and our environment,” Wylie said.

The parcel that was divided into five was approximately 1,200 acres. The developer wanted to create more manageably sized parcels to make it easier to secure funding, according to Sheldon Greer, a project manager with Community Design Solutions, who was representing Campbell Farming Corp.

“We fully recognize that inevitably, the water supply must be sorted out. If this project was easy, it would have been done, OK, but it’s very expensive. It’s very difficult. There needs to be momentum,” Greer said.

The project has faced substantial legal challenges around water use. Most recently, in 2023, the New Mexico Court of Appeals affirmed a district court decision to deny a groundwater application for the Campbell Ranch development.

Bernalillo County has never approved the Campbell Ranch master plan. A Bernalillo County representative spoke against the planning approval Thursday on behalf of Commissioner Eric Olivas.

“While we acknowledge the pressing need to expand housing stock amidst the current housing crisis, this proposal represents an unsustainable and irresponsible approach,” said Augustin Montoya, Olivas’ executive officer. “Allowing such development in a region already strained by limited water resources and fragile ecosystems is reckless at best and catastrophic at worst.”

Bernalillo County would likely end up responsible for providing emergency services to homes developed in the area, Montoya said. Given the community objections and the lack of consultation with Bernalillo County, the county commission will oppose and scrutinize attempts to get resources for the development, Montoya said.

Cathy Cook is a news reporter for the Albuquerque Journal. Reach her via email at ccook@abqjournal.com.