City Council Approves ‘Realize Las Cruces’ Development Code

Las Cruces City Council met Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025, and approved a series of changes to zoning and building ordinances that help modernize the City’s development code for the first time in nearly 25 years.

The changes repeal some chapters of the municipal development code and replaces them with updated guidelines, known as Realize Las Cruces, that will help usher city growth for years to come.

The newly adopted development code streamlines and simplifies regulations and better aligns with the policies and actions of the Elevate Las Cruces comprehensive plan.

The benefits of Realize Las Cruces include:

• Increased housing densities to address shortages in the current housing inventory.
• Ability to regularly update zoning documents.
• Greater flexibility in building height and carport designs.
• Increased flexibility in land uses and site designs for expanded housing opportunities.
• Adoption of multi-model transportation standards.
• Encouraged growth and redevelopment in the Metropolitan Redevelopment Area sites.
• Technical Manual to increase efficiency for the design process so future updates to the codes can be completed in a timely manner.

Realize Las Cruces includes an eight-month grace period where applicants can submit development plans using either the old or new codes.

Additionally, Councilors approved the City’s Technical Manual that’s associated with the Municipal Code update. The Technical Manual removes design standards from the Development Code and puts them into a smaller manual that can be updated on a regular basis.

Tuesday’s meeting can be seen in its entirety, along with all Council meetings and work sessions, on the City’s YouTube Channel. Councilors will next meet in a work session at 1 p.m.  Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, at Council Chambers, 700 N. Main St.