Corrales village councilors Tuesday will be asked to take a step toward getting a nuisance property cleaned up.
Neighbors of the property at 744 Old Church Road say the lot has been in disrepair for years and that recent developments have made it more of a public safety hazard than before.
The agenda includes a “clean and lien” action. State law allows a county or municipality to clear abandoned or nuisance properties or those that violate codes and ordinances related to blight and bill the property owners for the cost of the cleanup.
The local government may also place a lien against such a property.
The proposed resolution authorizing the clean and lien provides the property owners 10 days to address the issue, which village staff say include “ruined, damaged and dilapidated materials, unpermitted or illegal accessory structures, inoperable motor vehicles, construction debris and other rubbish and trash.”
At a council meeting in September, several residents complained of a growing number of abandoned vehicles on the property, which have attracted squatters living in unsanitary conditions. They also said the property contains lots of trash and piles of dead wood and tires, both of which are potential fire hazards.
The timeline for when the lot might be cleaned up is murky: according to state law, the property owner can seek a public hearing before the council and appeal a clean and lien order to district court.
In the agenda, planning and zoning administrator Laurie Stout wrote that village officials have sent notices of violation to the property owner and visited the site earlier this month. She wrote that she believes the elderly resident is being taken advantage of by others who claim to be using his land for storage or work space.
Councilors will also discuss recommendations from the planning and zoning commission regarding “no parking signs” and the village lot coverage ordinance. Those recommendations include barring commercial parking on residential streets and leaving maximum lot coverage rules unchanged.
On the consent agenda, which is typically approved without discussion, are a proclamation recognizing Nov. 29 as Small Business Saturday and a resolution awarding $1,350 to the Corrales Historical Society for its Dec. 5-7 winter craft show.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Oct. 28.
WHERE: Village of Corrales Council Chambers, 4324 Corrales Road VIRTUAL: via Zoom; Meeting ID: 815 4078 1438 Passcode: 541824.