Community Development

Los Alamos County Community Development Department

The Community Development Department is made up of four divisions: Planning, Building Safety, Economic Development, and Administration, with each having a vital role in the Department's mission to ensure well-planned development and high-quality construction practices 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 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.

 

 

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Short-Term Rental Program Development Project

Short-term rentals, also known as vacation rentals, are now a mainstay in most communities, and Los Alamos is no exception. The Los Alamos STR program project aims to define the market in the County, assess benefits and drawbacks, and incorporate public input. The project's ultimate goal is the Los Alamos County Council's adoption of an ordinance that establishes a mechanism for STRs to legally operate in Los Alamos County as part of a program that effectively manages neighborhood impacts. CDD Planning Division has partnered with short-term rental program experts Wilson & Company to help develop this program.

Learn More

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
Andrea Fresquez Senior Office Specialist andrea.fresquez@lacnm.us (505)663-3436
Adrienne Lovato Senior Management Analyst adrienne.lovato@lacnm.us (505)662-8293
Lenora Maes Senior Permit Tech lenora.maes@lacnm.us (505)663-1894
Wendy Laird Permit Technician wendy.laird@lacnm.us (505) 663-1727

Code Compliance is responsible for enforcing the rules and regulations specified in the Los Alamos County Code, which includes the Building Code, the Development Code, and the Nuisance Code,exceptfor where the Code clearly designates enforcement authority to the County Engineer or some other official.

Code Compliance Page

Name Job Title Email Direct Line
Eric Abeyta Code Compliance Officer eric.abeyta@lacnm.us (505)662-8024
Antoinette Padilla Code Compliance Officer antoinette.padilla@lacnm.us (505) 663-1895

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.

Learn More About the Planning Division

Planning Staff:

Name Job Title Email Direct Line
Sobia Sayeda Planning Manager sobia.sayeda@lacnm.us (505) 662-8122
Vacant  Senior Planner    
Desirae J. Lujan Associate Planner Desiraej.lujan@lacnm.us (505)662-8097

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.

Learn More About Building Safety

Building Safety Staff:

Name Job Title Email Direct Line
David Martinez Building Safety Manager and Chief Building david.martinez@lacnm.us (505)663-3447
Michael Rivera Senior Building Inspector michael.rivera@lacnm.us (505)662-8129
Michael Marquez Plans Examiner michael.marquez@lacnm.us (505)662-8114

Los Alamos County NM is committed to sustainable growth and economic development under the direction of the Economic Vitality Strategic Plan (EVSP)(PDF, 331KB). The County staff includes a dedicated economic development administrator supported by a team of professional marketing and housing specialists, planners, engineers, and financial and legal experts.

Economic Development Staff:

Name Job Title Email Phone
Vacant Economic Development Administrator    
Janice Krish Economic Development Program Manager janice.krish@lacnm.us (505)662-8116
Anita Barela Associate Planner anita.barela@lacnm.us (505)662-8006
Ellyn Felton Marketing Specialist ellyn.felton@lacnm.us (505)662-8087
 Ubaldo Barela Management Analyst ubaldo.barela@lacnm.us  505-662-3439

Housing is responsible for developing and implementing programs and projects to maintain and increase housing opportunities for all segments of the Los Alamos County community.

View Housing Page

Housing Staff:

Name Job Title Email Direct Line
Dan Osborn Housing Program Coordinator daniel.osborn@lacnm.us (505)663-1755

Contact Us

Phone

505-662-8120

Fax

505-662-8363

Location

1000 Central Ave Suite 150
Los Alamos,NM
87544
View Map

Hours

  • Sunday Closed
  • Monday
    • 08:00 AM–05:00 PM
  • Tuesday
    • 08:00 AM–05:00 PM
  • Wednesday
    • 08:00 AM–05:00 PM
  • Thursday
    • 08:00 AM–05:00 PM
  • Friday
    • 08:00 AM–05:00 PM
  • Saturday Closed
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