Neighbors fighting NM United stadium, again

Three neighborhood associations, joined by three individual plaintiffs, are continuing their fight against New Mexico United’s attempt to build a soccer stadium nearby.

The Wildflower, Maria Dier and North Edith Corridor neighborhood associations have appealed the Albuquerque City Council’s decision to deny an appeal of the planning process at the Aug. 20 council meeting on an 8-1 vote.

Neighbors previously cited concerns at an Environmental Planning Commission meeting in April about a stadium such as noise and light pollution and the impacts on local traffic. The new appeal echoes these concerns.

Councilor Brook Bassan, who represents the district in which the stadium would be built, was the lone vote against. Bassan declined to comment Tuesday evening.

The appeal was filed Sept. 17, and no hearings have been scheduled yet by state District Judge Victor Lopez.

The Yntema law firm, which is representing the neighborhood groups, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Since 2020, New Mexico United has been seeking a home, initially proposing a Downtown location using money generated by bonds, which was shot down by voters in 2021.

Balloon Fiesta Park was proposed and then selected as the location for the club‘s permanent home, a privately financed stadium on leased land from the city, last November . This year, the project faced hurdles.

The stadium received the OK from the Environmental Planning Commission in April and the city’s Land Use Hearing Officer in July.

The United Soccer League requires its franchises to have dedicated soccer-only stadiums with a minimum capacity of 5,000 in place by 2026. The team currently plays at Isotopes Park, the home of the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes baseball team.

During a Tuesday event hosted by NAIOP New Mexico, a commercial real estate association, Mayor Tim Keller acknowledged the appeal.

“There’s one last step in court, but we also should have a stadium soon at Balloon Fiesta Park,” Keller said. “So if you didn’t know that, it’s passed on all approvals except an appeal in district court.”