For and against

The Albuquerque City Council voted down zoning changes that would have allowed townhomes and duplexes in single-family neighborhoods citywide, as well as loosening other regulations.

The measure failed on a 5-4 vote.

Another proposed amendment would loosen requirements for Safe Outdoor Spaces, which are sanctioned homeless encampments on private property. The program has existed for more than three years, but only one site has received a permit due to onerous and expensive requirements.

That measure also failed on a 5-4 vote.

An additional amendment that would have legalized small grocery stores and retailers like bodegas in neighborhoods also failed on a 5-4 vote.

The city councilors who voted against the proposals were Renée Grout, Dan Champine, Dan Lewis, Brook Bassan and Council President Klarissa Peña. The supporting group included Councilors Stephanie Telles, Nichole Rogers, Joaquín Baca and sponsor Tammy Fiebelkorn.

Opposing Councilor Lewis said he voted down the measure on behalf of homeowners in his suburban district who intentionally bought property in less dense parts of town and are against zoning changes.

In contrast, Fiebelkorn said that the current zoning code is discriminatory against low-income residents, saying that single-family zoning only exists to “keep ‘those people’ out of your neighborhood.”

An at-first timid public commenter addressed both sides of the zoning debate Wednesday night.

“There are ways that balance both the issues with protecting character and allowing duplexes,” said Adam Newe.

He implored both sides to come to a compromise, offering suggestions that would preserve neighborhood character and allow development. For example, zoning could require townhomes to be set back and look like single-family homes. To assuage fears about gentrification, Newe suggested that to upzone a lot, an owner should be required to live in at least one of the two units. This would prevent an out-of-state landlord from doubling their profit to the neighborhood’s detriment, he reasoned.

“It's a breath of fresh air to hear somebody talk about compromise and working together,” said Council President Klarissa Peña, who rarely directly responds to public commenters.

Councilors are set to discuss controversial amendments to the Integrated Development Ordinance shortly.

With more than 70 people signed up for public comment on the zoning change and discussion to follow, it's likely to be a long night.

A vote on the measure isn't expected until late in the evening.

Dressed in bright blue tactical gear, Skyline, Albuquerque's local superhero, sat in the council chamber's front row Wednesday.

Skyline recently went viral on social media for assisting homeless people and attending protests while dressed in a head-to-toe superhero outfit and helmet.

Councilor Joaquín Baca briefly interrupted the meeting to give the vigilante Good Samaritan a quick shout-out.

"My teenage sons asked me to give a shoutout to Skyline if he showed up to Council again," Baca said.

Skyline posts his "missions" online, hoping to inspire empathy and mutual aid in the community.

Ahead of Wednesday's City Council meeting, where controversial zoning changes are up for debate, the council chambers are packed with attendees.

The crowd includes proponents and opponents of a change to the city's Integrated Development Ordinance that would change zoning for single-family neighborhoods.

That change would allow duplexes and townhomes to be built in much of the city where previously only single-family homes were allowed.

Supporting councilors have said that the changes are crucial to addressing what they call Albuquerque's "housing crisis."