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Frank Steiner, who wants to create a complex of five duplexes on the 1.89-acre parcel where his Sunbelt Nursery now sits, said recently he wants to be clear that these two-bedroom dwellings all will be rentals. At this time the actual rental price per unit is not known, because it all “depends on when I get the approval to build, as the cost of construction is increasing almost daily,†as he put it. He added that the project’s cost estimates have risen 47 percent since he first proposed it in the fall of 2019.
Steiner wants to keep rents “as affordable as possible.†And would be delighted were “the Village to reduce or forgive the construction impact fees.†Renting out houses since 2001 on his compound off Espinosa Road, Steiner believes his tenants “love it there and stay forever.†And if a vacancy does come up, it is rented in hours because of referrals from satisfied customers.
He typically requires a year lease, with tenants paying for gas and electricity. Steiner pays for water and trash removal, and his son Brandon, a contractor, does all the maintenance and repair work. “We usually can respond to the needs of tenants on the day they notify us of a problem.â€
The planned duplex would sit on land at the corner of Corrales Road and Dixon Road, in the commercial district, which would make walking or bike riding to village stores, restaurants and the Bosque uncomplicated for residents.
The longstanding one-home-per-acre rule that dominates Corrales real estate may no longer apply to plots in the commercial zone, if Steiner can convince the right people. As Steiner suggested in early January, “We need a majority of the Councillors to vote for approval of this project and direct P&Z to offer the appropriate zoning solution.â€