Staff Reports
Convalt moved two steps closer to making its solar manufacturing campus a reality.
During the Aug. 12 Gallup Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, commissioners addressed two agenda items related to Convalt’s project.
First, Convalt requested to rezone the campus site from a rural holding zone to an industrial zone district. Local governments use rural holding zones as temporary land-use categories to preserve open space and prevent premature urban development. Conversely, industrial zones designate areas specifically for manufacturing, factories, warehouses, and heavy shipping.
The affected area spans about 66.22 acres, located approximately 5.19 miles west of U.S. Highway 491 along and north of Carbon Coal Road.
The commission approved the rezoning request.
Next, Convalt CEO Hari “Harry” Achuthan requested a conditional use permit to allow manufacturing within the newly designated industrial zone.
The commission approved this request as well. Commissioner Rose Eason cast the sole dissenting vote.
The commission engaged in significant discussion around both items. Several attendees questioned why the panel approved Convalt’s manufacturing requests while simultaneously rejecting a proposed housing development.
During the same meeting, the commission voted against changing a separate zoning designation from single-family residential to high-density multi-family residential.
The property owner of the Mark Avenue site requested the change to build a 69-unit multi-family apartment complex featuring 10 townhomes and 59 apartments. The owner intended to market the complex as market-rate housing rather than low-income or subsidized housing.
The commission split evenly on the housing vote. Chairman Matthew Long and Commissioners Kyle Spolar and John Cresto voted “no,” while Commissioners Sabrina Ezzell, Curtis Hayes, and Rose Eason voted “yes.”
The Sun will publish a full story detailing the meeting and its surrounding debates in its Sept. 4 issue.
