Los Alamos County Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting Summary – April 8, 2026

The Los Alamos County Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) met in person in the Council Chambers at 1000 Central Avenue at 5:30 PM on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, with virtual participation available via Zoom. A quorum was confirmed with Chair Karen Easton, Vice Chair David Hampton, and Commissioners Robert Chrien, Marlon Brown, Katherine Bruell, Rachel Grimm, Ronald Nelson, and Rebecca White. The Commission approved the agenda and prior minutes, unanimously granted a time extension for the 535 Central Avenue mixed-use site plan approval, and held a no-action work session on updating temporary sign regulations for county rights-of-way. No members of the public offered comment.

Consent Calendar

• Agenda approved by motion and second.
• Minutes of the March 25, 2026 P&Z meeting approved by motion and second.

Public Comments & Testimony

• The Chair opened public comment at the start and end of the meeting; no in-person or online comments were offered.
• No public testimony was presented during the extension hearing, and no additional parties or witnesses came forward.

Discussion Items

• Extension Request SIT-2023-0063 (Item 21436-26): Community Development staff confirmed the applicant met the three criteria under Development Code Section 16-72J (extensions of period of validity): a timely extension request letter dated February 19, 2026, no changes to the previously approved site development plan, and review by the deciding board. The project is a 104,671 sq ft mixed-use development at 535 Central Avenue (MMV 001, Downtown Los Alamos zone) with 322 residential units and 22,000 sq ft of commercial space. The approval letter (Attachment B, dated March 31, 2026) was noted by the Chair as a draft. Commissioner Nelson asked whether the plan is identical to the 2023-approved plan; staff confirmed it is. The Chair also acknowledged that all commissioners had received an email from a community member containing Attachment B; each commissioner affirmed no conflict of interest and no ex parte communication. Agenda discrepancy: the agenda lists Greg Gonzales dba Columbus Capital as the applicant, while the Chair identified the applicant as the Los Alamos County Capital Improvements and Facilities Division on behalf of the county property owner.
• Temporary Signage Discussion (Development Code Chapter 16, Article IV, Division 8; the agenda lists this item as Chapter 6, Article IV, Division 8): Staff presented enforcement challenges with the current temporary sign rules, including a 60-day placement limit that is difficult to track because signs are not dated or registered, unclear scope between private property and public rights-of-way, and an official temporary sign zone map that was created but never adopted. Staff noted that the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Reed v. Gilbert requires content-neutral sign regulation, so the previous distinctions between real estate, event, youth sports, and political signs are no longer permissible. Options presented: (1) maintain the status quo (not recommended); (2) ban all temporary signage in rights-of-way, modeled on Santa Fe (not recommended; the slides contained a typo stating that staff does recommend this approach, which was noted for correction); (3) adopt the previously drafted designated temporary signage zones for year-round use; and (4) year-round zones plus additional election-period zones, which staff indicated was their preferred middle-ground approach. Staff also proposed a short-duration exemption (24-48 hours, possibly up to 5-7 days) for signs such as farmers market, open house, and event signs, and an online registration system with permit numbers written on sign backs.
• Commissioner feedback on signage: Commissioner Hampton preferred Option 4, supported a short-duration exemption (suggesting 48 hours or longer), and requested additional zones such as Bronco Mesa; Commissioner Bruell asked whether signs could be regulated by organization type (staff and county legal counsel said no, because such rules are content- or speaker-based) and suggested outreach to youth sports and community groups; Commissioner Grimm asked about enforcement mechanisms and proposed aggregate limits on cumulative days to discourage abuse; Commissioner Chrien requested more data on the number of signs, compliance rates, and complaints before making a recommendation. Staff cited roughly 5-10 recent complaints plus a council member complaint about signs at the North Mesa roundabout, and committed to providing additional complaint data.

Reports and Communications

• Department Report: no report was given.
• Council Liaison Report (Councilor Hall): highlights from recent council meetings included a petition for a four-way stop at Urban and North Road following a recent fatality (referred to the county manager and Transit Board with recommendations due in 90 days), a request to the Environmental Sustainability Board to propose a single-use plastic bag policy (preferably with no bag fee), approval of a fire station bid, a county charter change to add an additional term for boards and commissions at the request of four of six responding boards, a briefing on the Atomic City Transit Saturday pilot, and approval of a new restaurant lease at the golf course.

Key Outcomes

• The Commission voted unanimously to approve the time extension for SIT-2023-0063. Recorded votes in favor: Easton, Hampton, Chrien, Bruell, Grimm, and Nelson; no opposition was recorded. The 15-day appeal notice was read into the record.
• The Commission took no action on the temporary signage item. Staff will correct the presentation typo, include the presentation in the meeting minutes, gather additional data and community outreach, and carry the Commission's feedback to the County Council work session for direction. Staff aim to return with draft ordinance language for P&Z review, ideally by fall 2026 and, if possible, by August so the ordinance could take effect before the general election.