HOUSE BILL 138

57th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2026

INTRODUCED BY

Andrea Romero

 

 

 

 

 

AN ACT

RELATING TO ZONING; PROHIBITING COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL ZONING AUTHORITIES FROM IMPOSING LOT SIZE REQUIREMENTS FOR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES; PROVIDING EXEMPTIONS FOR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. Section 3-21-1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1965, Chapter 300, Section 14-20-1, as amended) is amended to read:

     "3-21-1. ZONING--AUTHORITY OF COUNTY OR MUNICIPALITY.--

          A. For the purpose of promoting health, safety, morals or the general welfare, a county or municipality is a zoning authority and:

                (1) may regulate and restrict within its jurisdiction the:

                     [(1)] (a) height, number of stories and size of buildings and other structures;

                     [(2)] (b) percentage of a lot that may be occupied;

                     [(3)] (c) size of yards, courts and other open space;

                     [(4)] (d) density of population; and

                     [(5)] (e) location and use of buildings, structures and land for trade, industry, residence or other purposes;

                [B. The county or municipal zoning authority] (2) may:

                     [(1)] (a) divide the territory under its jurisdiction into districts of such number, shape, area and form as is necessary to carry out the purposes of Sections 3-21-1 through 3-21-14 NMSA 1978; and

                     [(2)] (b) regulate or restrict the erection, construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair or use of buildings, structures or land in each district. All such regulations shall be uniform for each class or kind of buildings within each district, but regulation in one district may differ from regulation in another district; and

                (3) shall not impose lot size requirements in residential zones.

          [C.] B. All state-licensed or state-operated community residences for persons with a mental or developmental disability and serving ten or fewer persons may be considered a residential use of property for purposes of zoning and may be permitted use in all districts in which residential uses are permitted generally, including particularly residential zones for single-family dwellings.

          [D.] C. A board of county commissioners of the county in which the greatest amount of the territory of the petitioning village, community, neighborhood or district lies may declare by ordinance that a village, community, neighborhood or district is a "traditional historic community" upon petition by twenty-five percent or more of the qualified electors of the territory within the village, community, neighborhood or district requesting the designation. The number of qualified electors shall be based on county records as of the date of the last general election.

          [E. Any] D. A village, community, neighborhood or district that is declared a traditional historic community shall be excluded from the extraterritorial zone and extraterritorial zoning authority of any municipality whose extraterritorial zoning authority extends to include all or a portion of the traditional historic community and shall be subject to the zoning jurisdiction of the county in which the greatest portion of the traditional historic community lies.

          [F.] E. A zoning [authorities] authority, including a zoning [authorities] authority of a home rule [municipalities] municipality, shall accommodate multigenerational housing by creating a mechanism to allow up to two kitchens within a single-family zoning district, such as conditional use permits.

          [G.] F. For the purpose of this section, "multigenerational" means any number of persons related by blood, common ancestry, marriage, guardianship or adoption."

     SECTION 2. Section 3-21-11 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1965, Chapter 300, Section 14-20-9) is amended to read:

     "3-21-11. CONFLICTS BETWEEN ZONING REGULATIONS AND OTHER STATUTES AND ORDINANCES.--If any other statute or regulation or other local ordinance, resolution or regulation adopted under authority of Sections [14-20-1 through 14-20-12 New Mexico Statutes Annotated, 1953 Compilation] 3-21-1 through 3-21-14 NMSA 1978 is applicable to the same premises, and that premises is not a residential property, the provision shall govern which requires:

          A. the greater width or size of yards, courts or other open spaces;

          B. the lower height of building or a less number of stories;

          C. the greater percentage of lot or land to be left unoccupied; or

          D. [or imposes] other higher standards."

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