While former Mayor Richard Lucero spent much of the past four decades legislating Española laws, it now appears he’s trying to skirt them in his attempt to build an 8,100 square foot commercial property that will house four local businesses. After demolishing the building that housed Sun Valley Music on the corner of Riverside Drive and East Pueblo Street without a permit, Lucero has brought in bulldozers and put up chain link fences on the now-vacant lot without an approved construction permit from the city.
Lucero did not return phone calls requesting an interview.
According to official minutes taken from a May 9 Planning & Zoning Commission meeting, Richard Lucero and son Jorge Lucero approached the Commission requesting a commercial site plan review. Upon reading the information provided from applicant Jorge Lucero, who was applying on behalf of his father, many of the Commissioners said the information provided was inadequate.
The minutes state that Commissioner Richard Beaudoin asked why the Commission was reviewing the request when Jorge Lucero didn’t have a building plan or architect and engineering stamps. Beaudoin said without these items, the Commission was unable to determine whether the building was safe, met fire codes, or was compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
City employees had to explain to the Commission multiple times why they were reviewing a proposal that didn’t meet minimum requirements. According to the minutes, Planning Technician Larry Valdez told the Commission that Jorge Lucero’s proposal was as close to the requirements that the applicants could get without the needed stamps. After Beaudoin questioned Jorge Lucero’s lack of information, Planning Director Russell Naranjo told the Commission that Jorge Lucero was aware of the minimum requirements but thought the stamps could be paid later in the process.
As the Commission continued to press for more information, Richard Lucero presented them with an ultimatum. The minutes state that he told the Commission that if they wanted to end the project, they should do it right then, lest he spend money on fees for a denied proposal. Richard Lucero said he wanted the Commission to provide him and his son preliminary approval so the property could better serve the community instead of the orange and chili vendors that were residing there at the time.
The the minutes state that Beaudoin supported the project, but he and the rest of the Commission did not have enough information to approve the proposal, and it was tabled for 30 days.
According to minutes taken at a July 11 Commission meeting, all five Commissioners approved the Luceros’ proposal. But the proposal was approved with thirteen conditions of approval, which Naranjo later said was an exceptional amount. Some of the conditions included a one inch water line for each tenant, certified and stamped drainage and landscaping plans, and single, consolidated lots. Naranjo said even though the Luceros’ permit is still pending because the Luceros have yet to meet all the conditions, approval is a formality at this point in the process.
Four tenants will occupy the Luceros’ building. According to interim city manager Joe Duran, one of the confirmed businesses will be El Rey Discount Liquors, which is currently located across East Pueblo Street at 708 South Riverside Drive.
Throughout the entire demolition, planning, and construction process, the Luceros have tried to stay one step ahead of municipal and county laws. A Jan. 23 Rio Grande SUN report states Richard Lucero received a demolition permit Jan. 12, a week after the Sun Valley Music building had been razed. Richard Lucero continued to find himself on the wrong side of the law when he contracted with an Española trucking company that illegally dumped debris from the demolition project in a small arroyo at 2203 Lopez Lane.
Duran later informed Lucero that he was responsible for the debris as a condition of the demolition permit and would be required to move it. Duran said the city was unable to levy fines against Lucero because the Lopez Lane site was outside city limits.
Duran would not discuss the Luceros’ construction project until the permit was formally approved.