Contact Info

505-662-8120

505-662-8363

1000 Central Ave Suite 150

Monday - Friday:

8:00am - 5:00pm

Paul Andrus - Community Development Director The Community Development Department is made up of four divisions: Planning, Building Safety, Housing, and Administration, with each having a vital role in the Department's mission to ensure well-planned development and high-quality construction practices in order to promote economic vitality and achieve the highest possible quality of life for the residents of Los Alamos.

The Department’s main goal is to provide consistent, timely, and solution-oriented land use planning, building permitting and inspection processes and housing policy and program development with the highest level of customer service in mind. Although many of the primary functions of the Community Development Department are essentially regulatory in nature, staff work with our customer base in a proactive manner, encouraging homeowners, businesses, developers, design professionals, and contractors to engage with them on their projects as early in the process as needed in an effort to provide the necessary education and technical expertise that will help to expedite the review process and ultimately result in a better overall experience for the customer and outcomes for the Community.

DOWNTOWN MASTER PLANS & CODE UPDATE

The ‘Downtown Master Plans and Development Code Update’ is a two-year project initiated by Los Alamos County, starting in June 2020. The project encompasses two phases: Phase 1 will create Downtown Master Plans for both the Los Alamos and White Rock downtown areas; Phase 2 will update the County’s Chapter 16 Development Code, the County’s zoning. Both phases recognize the unique challenges that Los Alamos County faces. The project team will develop strategies to address the economic and population growth projected for the County. Please utilize the following link to access the project website and see a schedule of outreach events: https://losalamosconnect.org/

****Update****

Inspections will be conducted as long as the Chief Building Inspector feels it is safe to do so. In the effort to keep customers and staff safe while the threat of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus). We will continue to except permit applications and digital plans through the CSS portal

https://losalamoscountynm-energovpub.tylerhost.net/Apps/SelfService#/home

or through e-mail at permit.techs@lacnm.us.

All payments for permits will be with credit card only via telephone/portal. If you have any questions or concerns, please call 505-662-8120. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

Michael Arellano, CBO

Chief Building Official

Important Updated Customer Notice

CDD would like to update the public with the recent changes regarding COVID 19. In a continuing effort to protect our staff and customers from the COVID-19 (Corona Virus), we are following the recent announcement made that all public schools state wide are to remain closed, and in light of recent federal legislation that has passed, the Community Development will not be open to the public until further notice pending guidance from the Governors office.

We will continue to operate remotely and our staff will still be looking at plans and permits and you may submit them via email or through the CSS portal only. Our staff will do our best to address any issues that we can via email or by phone. We will continue to except digital plans through the CSS portal.

https://losalamoscountynm-energovpub.tylerhost.net/Apps/SelfService#/home

We thank you for your patience during this time. Below is a list of emails and phone number to use.

Check out our FaceBook page for the current news from CDD!

Link to Appeal Hearing For Sirphey:

https://www.losalamosnm.us/cms/one.aspx?portalId=6435810&pageId=16792739

North Mesa Housing Study

Los Alamos County is seeking to create a master concept plan for workforce housing on a 30-acre +/- tract of land on the North Mesa, between the Los Alamos Middle School, the North Mesa Sports Complex, North Mesa Road and San Ildefonso Rd. The land is currently owned by the Los Alamos School district. The overall goal is to generate a preferred concept plan for housing that can be carried forward into design and development.

North Mesa Housing Study Area Vicinity

picture showing where housing vicinity would be located

Project Objectives

Generate a preferred concept plan with the goal of developing attainable housing for the County’s workforce and providing community amenities.
For more information, please click on the link to project web page:

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/2bd99622052847179515208429906f4a

Housing Market Needs Analysis

A housing market needs analysis was completed in December 2019 to provide the County information on community housing needs and preferences. The study was implemented as part of Council’s 2019 strategic goals for housing. This includes a variety of housing options for all segments of the community, from affordable, entry-level, and live-work housing to new options for those interested in downsizing or moving closer to central areas of the community. Sites Southwest Consulting performed the study including several outreach activities for community input and to collect needed market data. The study concluded an acute housing shortage and identified immediate need for additional home and rental units to serve all market segments. Key findings also identified high unmet demand for middle- to higher-density homes for the workforce, students, and seniors such as townhomes, duplexes and small-scale apartment buildings. Recommendations included development of sites close to existing infrastructure, developing strategies for higher density housing and mixed-use development in Los Alamos and White Rock town centers, and working with LANL and the School District on transportation and other redevelopment plans.

Community Development Advisory Board Seeks Public Input

The Los Alamos Community Development Advisory Board (CDAB) will be finalizing its outreach plan early this year to gather public input from a broad cross-section of the community to support its efforts to improve the County’s nuisance ordinance and code enforcement activities. The CDAB will review and incorporate community input for making informed recommendations to the County Council. The community outreach schedule will be placed on this webpage. More information about outreach plan activities will be disseminated through several sources.

The CDAB meets on the third Monday of each month at 5:30 pm in the Municipal Building,
Room 110. The board can be reached by email at cdab.cdd@lacnm.us

Administration

The Administration Division ensures quality customer service for permits, planning cases, business licenses, and code enforcement. Administration staff work with stakeholders, residents, design professionals, licensed contractors, and project managers engaged in the permitting process. Administration provides general support to internal and external customers. Administrative staff also oversee the system administration of the department's EnerGov permitting software, a responsibility currently shared with the Information Management Department.

Administration Staff:

Name	Job Title	Email	Phone
Paul Andrus	Community Development Director	paul.andrus@lacnm.us	(505) 662-8120
Barbara Lai	Senior Management Analyst	barbara.lai@lacnm.us	(505) 663-3436
Adrienne Lovato	Management Analyst	adrienne.lovato@lacnm.us	(505) 662-8293
Andrea Salazar	Senior Office Specialist	andrea.salazar@lacnm.us	(505) 662-8349
Community Development Advisory Board		CDAB.CDD@Lacnm.us

Code Compliance

Code Compliance Page

Name	Job Title	Email	Direct Line
Andrew Harnden	Housing and Special Projects	andrew.harnden@lacnm.us	(505) 662-8122
Antoinette Padilla	Code Compliance Officer	antoinette.padilla@lacnm.us	(505) 662-1895
Nathan Ortiz	Code Compliance Officer	nathan.ortiz@lacnm.us	(505) 662-8989

Planning

Ryan Foster (505) 662-8055

Planning Division

Planning acts in an advisory role to appointed and elected officials in providing professional review, analysis, and recommendations regarding all land use related matters including the following development applications: Site Plans, Re-zoning, Waivers, Special Use Permits, Subdivisions, Comprehensive Plan amendments, and Development Code (Municipal Code Chapter 16) amendments.

With support from the Inter-Departmental Review Committee (IDRC), Planning staff acts as case managers for all land use applications.

Planning Staff:

Name	Job Title	Email	Direct Line
Ryan Foster	Principal Planner	Ryan.foster@lacnm.us	(505) 662-8055
Anita Barela	Associate Planner	anita.barela@lacnm.us	(505) 662-8006
Desirae J. Lujan	Associate Planner	Desiraej.lujan@lacnm.us	(505) 662-8097
Margaret Ambrosino	Senior Planner	margaret.ambrosino@lacnm.us	(505) 662-8116

Building Safety

Michael Arellano (505) 662-8114

Building Safety Division

Building Safety Division reviews building permits, provides plan reviews (residential & commercial), conducts Inspections, and performs Code Enforcement of the Nuisance Code (Municipal Code Chapter 18) with support from the Fire, Police, Public Works, and Public Utilities Departments.

Building Safety Staff:

Name	Job Title	Email	Direct Line
Michael Arellano	Building Safety Manager and Chief Building	michael.arellano@lacnm.us	(505) 662-8114
Larry Valdez	Building Inspector	Larry.Valdez@lacnm.us	(505) 662-8129
David Martinez	Senior Building Inspector	david.martinez@lacnm.us	(505) 663-3447
Lenora Maes	Senior Permit Technician	lenora.maes@lacnm.us	(505) 662-8120
Michael Marquez	Senior Permit Technician	michael.marquez@lacnm.us	(505) 663-1727

Housing and Special Projects

Housing and Special Projects Division

Andrew Harnden andrew.harnden@lacnm.us (505) 662-8122

The Housing and Special Projects Division provides oversight on County housing-related initiatives. The Division develops and implements programs to improve and increase amount and variety of affordable and other housing types in the County to attract workers and students and give more options for seniors to stay in the community. Division staff also provide support for special projects as required by the Community Development and assists with Code Compliance Program oversight.

Oct07

Historic Preservation Advisory Board Meeting

5:30PM - 7:00PM @ 1000 Central Ave.,Room 110

Oct19

Community Development Advisory Board Meeting

5:30PM - 8:00PM @ 1000 Central Ave, Room 110

Oct26

Board of Adjustment

5:30PM - 7:00PM @ Meeting is remote. View proceedings at http://losalamos.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx