Los Chavez, NM

On January 21st, the Valencia County Commission voted 3-2 to approve a zoning change on 40 acres of irrigated Rio Grande Valley farm land from A-P (Agricultural Preservation) to RR2 (residential 2.5 acre minimum), despite a unanimous recommendation against the proposal by the Valencia County Planning and Zoning Board, and despite nearly unanimous opposition from neighboring property owners.

The zoning change request came from land owners John Whisenant, an Albuquerque real estate developer, and Elias Barela, a freshman State Representative. The deciding vote came from Valencia County Commissioner Georgia Otero Kirkham, Barela's first cousin. Kirkham refused to recuse herself on the vote, despite many requests that she do so in order to avoid voting on her cousin's proposal. She allegedly voted against at least one similar proposal made by Whisenant in the past, before her cousin Elias Barela became involved.

Kirkham also runs the local Stewart Title branch in Los Lunas, NM, the Valencia County seat. Her title company may derive substantial income from the sales of the proposed 15 lots (with or without new Valencia County homes in place on the lots). This rural property, used for agricultural purposes for generations, may soon be turned into a housing development.