Corrales council delays lot coverage cut amid heated community debate

The Corrales Village Council postponed a planned vote to reduce allowable lot coverage from 35 percent to 25 percent after more than an hour and a half of public comment and council discussion. The first council meeting of 2026, overseen by newly sworn Mayor Fred Hashimoto, left the contentious issue unresolved as members opted to refine the ordinance before bringing it back for another vote.

Twenty-three residents and stakeholders spoke for and against the change, framing the debate as a clash between preserving Corrales’s rural character and defending private property rights. Supporters pointed to the village comprehensive plan and long-standing local identity that values open landscapes, agricultural traditions and modest building footprints. Carmen Martinez-Tittmann, speaking via Zoom, said she represented "part of the broader community of residents who support rural character, smaller building footprints and preservation of our precious community." She added, "This place tells us who we are and who we are not," and emphasized Corrales’s priorities of dark skies and long-term public interests.

Opposition centered on practical and legal concerns. A representative of a land-serving firm warned that the stricter cap would complicate surveys and permitting on existing parcels and private roads. "One of these private properties for people that don't even know it aren't going to be able to come in and get a site plan, build a porch, do anything else," Cliff Spirock said. He said the change would create difficulties for surveying, planning and zoning functions tied to building permits.

Some speakers framed the ordinance as an overreach on private rights. Bob Eichhorst argued that council regulations increasingly erode property freedoms and expressed frustration with visibility rules on Main Street, saying he could not erect a solid fence because "it's my view. It's not their view. I could care less who's driving up down this road. They don't have the right to look in my property."

Residents who favor the reduction say it responds to visible development since the 1980s and would slow the trend toward larger houses. "Corrales doesn't look the way it did in the early 1980s, and I don't expect it to, but I think you're on exactly the right track here to reduce the size of buildings and houses that can be built from that 35% to 25%," returning resident Dwayne Brown said.

Councilor Zach Burkett opposed postponing the vote, arguing the issue has been debated repeatedly and delays only stall action. After discussion, council members agreed to refine language and technical details before reconsidering the ordinance at a future meeting. Residents who want to review the full debate can watch the meeting on the Village of Corrales YouTube channel.

The takeaway? If you care about property rights or preserving Corrales’s village feel, tune in, read the revised ordinance when it appears, and bring specific examples of how coverage changes would affect your lot to the next hearing. Our two cents? Be prepared, be specific, and show up so your neighbor's view and your view both get counted.