Portales annexation receives preliminary approval

PORTALES — Annexation of Roosevelt General Hospital and nearby property into the city of Portales received preliminary approval Tuesday from the Portales City Council.

The council approved a notice of intent to adopt ordinances that would add the hospital and about 36 acres of property nearby to the city and ensure the property is zoned for commercial use and the hospital is granted a special use permit..

City Planning Director Donna Rutherford said the re-zoning is necessary because any property annexed to the city is automatically zoned to R-1A residential, the city’s most restrictive zoning, and the zoning must be changed in a separate action.

In any case, Rutherford added, the hospital also requires a special use permit, which must also be granted by the council.

In documents presented to the commission, Rutherford noted the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend approval of the hospital annexation on Oct. 25, after holding public hearings on the matter.

Before the council makes final decisions on the ordinances, they must be advertised and public hearings must be held.

The council on Tuesday also:

• Approved an agreement with the New Mexico Department of Transportation that provides $288,677.02 in funds to continue to operate the Portales Area Transit service for fiscal year 2022, which ends on September 30, 2022. Of that amount, $261,235.02 is federally funded through the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the local share is $27,422.88.

• Voted to change the zoning on city property at North Avon and East Kaywood from light manufacturing to heavy manufacturing to make the property’s use as the city’s Convenience Center and as a site for a large underground water tank compliant with the city code, according to documents presented to the council. The city planning commission recommended the council approve the zoning change on Oct. 25. The Convenience Center is a facility where residents can dispose of large and small trash items.

• Approved a special use permit to operate a child care center to Alex Rega, the owner of property at 905 W. 17th Rutherford told the council Rega is taking over administrative duties for the day-care center to allow his wife to focus on care activities. The Planning Commission recommended approval of the amended permit on Oct. 25.

• Approved a rewriting of city information technology policies regarding matters such as cell phone, internet and computer use by employees, to make the policies easier to understand.

• Held an executive session “related to the purchase, acquisition or disposal of real property or water rights.” The council took no action related to the executive session.