Growth needs clash with neighborhood fears
By Molly Ann Howell
Managing Editor
“Gallup is shrinking.”
That was developer Ahmad Ayesh’s core argument as he appealed to the Gallup City Council to overturn a denied zoning request for a new 69-unit housing project.
The appeal follows the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission’s decision to deny Ayesh’s request to rezone his Mark Avenue property from single-family residential to high-density multi-family residential. Through the rezoning, Ayesh hopes to construct a 69-unit complex featuring 10 townhomes and 59 apartments.
During a special Sept. 21 meeting, the city council reviewed the appeal while Ayesh advocated for his development, emphasizing that new housing is vital for local growth.
“We lost nearly 9% of our population in five years,” Ayesh said. “The doctors, the nurses, the teachers, the professionals—people who can’t find a place to live—they left.”
U.S. Census data supports his claim: Gallup’s population fell from nearly 22,000 in 2020 to roughly 19,600—a decline of over 10%.
Beyond attracting new residents to Gallup, Ayesh argued that his project offers substantial economic benefits.
He estimated that construction would inject $110 million into the local economy and create 110 jobs. Once operational, the development would generate roughly $325,000 annually for the local economy, including $200,000 in new tax revenue split between the city and McKinley County. Over a ten-year span, he projected a total revenue impact of $4.4 million.
“I’m not here to build low-quality homes,” Ayesh said. “I want to build a high-quality project so we can bring in the quality we deserve.”
Originally, Ayesh and the proposal applicants envisioned a larger scope: 231 apartments and 351 parking spaces on 12.64 acres. However, they scaled down the project after listening to public feedback.
Despite those modifications, council members raised several concerns during the hearing regarding zoning, site conditions, and neighborhood impact.
Councilor Sierra Yazzie Asamoa-Tutu, Dist. 2, asked why Ayesh did not apply for medium-density multi-family zoning after modifying his plans, but Ayesh explained that even the revised design exceeded medium-density limits.
Ground stability also emerged as a key issue when Councilor Sarah Piano, Dist. 3, questioned the integrity of the build site and Councilor Linda Garcia, Dist. 1, noted that Little Sisters of the Poor, a nearby senior living center, recently suffered structural collapse due to poor soil conditions.
Ayesh assured the council that engineers would conduct multiple soil studies once the city approved the rezoning.
Additionally, Councilor Ron Molina, Dist. 4, voiced concerns that an apartment complex might lower surrounding property values and increase local crime rates.
As part of the appeal hearing, the council invited comments from both supporters and opponents of the rezoning.
Supporters pointed directly to the city’s ongoing housing shortage. Kasey Connell, a Gallup resident, reminded council members that the city declared a housing emergency in 2022 and crafted an action plan to address it.
“I don’t think the plan incorporated saying no to a builder who came here and said ‘I want to build an apartment complex,’” Connell said.
Dr. Connie Liu, an OB-GYN with Gallup Community Health, echoed those sentiments.
She cited a 2023 Gallup Housing Authority study showing the city needed 127 new houses per year to meet community demand, yet builders constructed only 67 homes total between 2013 and 2023. Liu shared that GCH recently lost a «great candidate» for their Chief Financial Officer position because the applicant could not find suitable housing in town.
In response to concerns about safety and traffic, Connell pushed back against critics.
“I think it’s a little iffy to talk about crime because we’re going to put in nice townhomes and apartments,” he said. “I know a lot of great people who live in apartments and townhomes.
Addressing concerns over traffic congestion on nearby Red Rock Drive, Connell noted that he rarely encounters delays in the area.
«I’ve never sat on Red Rock for more than five minutes,” he said, suggesting the city could construct an additional outlet road from the Mossmann neighborhood to ease flow.
Tiffany Benson, owner of Gallup Coffee Company, also spoke in favor of the proposal. She frequently hears patrons complain about the lack of quality, mid-level housing in Gallup, with many noting that currently available apartments are far too small.
Following statements from supporters, eight residents voiced opposition to the project, primarily citing traffic congestion.
During the Planning and Zoning Commission’s Aug. 12 meeting during which this matter was discussed, Mark Avenue resident Mary Ann Armijo noted she was still waiting on a formal traffic impact report from Ayesh and Afra Construction & Design or from the New Mexico Department of Transportation.
However, Ayesh and Sakura Engineering and Surveying submitted a traffic analysis to the city in July. Mark Avenue is currently a two-lane undivided road with a 25-mph speed limit and a low average daily volume of 949 vehicles. The study projected that the completed complex would increase daily volume to between 2,800 and 3,000 vehicles.
In transportation engineering, Level of Service measures operational traffic conditions—such as speed, driver delay, and freedom to maneuver—on a scale from A (free-flowing) to F (heavily congested). Sakura Engineering maintained that Mark Avenue would maintain an A/B LOS grade even after construction, indicating minor delays of only 10 to 15 seconds per vehicle.
Nevertheless, neighborhood resistance remained strong. Armijo presented a petition with 256 signatures opposing the development, though officials later noted that not all signers lived in the Mossmann neighborhood.
In response, Yazzie pointed out that project supporters had not organized a petition, leaving open the question of how the broader city felt about the initiative. She conceded that while the site was not perfect, the city faced limited choices.
“I understand the concerns and I see that the evidence points [to the fact] that this is not the ideal location for this development,” Yazzie said. “But we don’t have the luxury right now to pick and choose. We don’t have any proposals to build on those ideal lands.”
When Molina questioned whether Ayesh could build elsewhere, council members acknowledged that Ayesh owns this specific parcel, not the city’s theoretical «ideal» locations.
Meanwhile, Garcia expressed concern for the safety of current Mark Avenue residents and urged Ayesh to build high-end single-family homes instead.
Acknowledging the conflict, Piano described the choice as excruciating.
“I think as city councilors it’s our job to listen to our constituents, but we also need housing,” Piano said. “How can we say we’re in a housing crisis and then not approve housing? We’re damned if we do and damned if we don’t because part of you are going to be happy and part of you aren’t.”
Ultimately, Yazzie moved to approve Ayesh’s appeal and grant the rezoning request. However, her motion died when no other councilor seconded it.
Molina then offered a counter-motion to uphold the Planning and Zoning Commission’s denial. Garcia, Piano, and Mayor Marc DePauli voted in favor alongside Molina, while Yazzie cast the sole dissenting vote, effectively killing the project.
In related business, the council postponed two additional appeals stemming from the Aug. 12 Planning and Zoning meeting—specifically regarding approved rezoning requests for Convalt Engineering, a solar manufacturing company planning a facility in Gallup. The council will hear those appeals at a later date.
