The Development Review Committee recommended approval to the Board of County Commissioners on a petition to annex 2,325 acres along Sunland Park’s western boundary for a proposed master‑planned community called Santa Teresa Estates.

Planning staff told committee members the petition covers 2,325 acres of largely vacant land contiguous to the city limits near Country Club Road and Airport Road and includes roughly 1,200 acres intended for future mixed land use. "This one's 2,325 acres of vacant land," Planner (C) said, noting the petitioners include CG7 LLC, Y.A. Bolson Properties, Yvonne Collins, Santa Teresa Country Club and Wholesale Land Investments LLC and that "there are no county owned properties or right of ways within the requested annexation area."

The committee’s recommendation asked the BOCC to approve the annexation with two comments: that the city and petitioners avoid creating new unincorporated "donut hole" pockets as Sunland Park continues to annex adjacent land, and that Country Club Road or its relevant right‑of‑way be dedicated to a public entity (the city of Sunland Park or Doña Ana County) so the roadway can be maintained and provide continuity of public road service. Chair (A) summed up the roadway concern: "I think we should recommend that that roadway be dedicated either to Sunland Park or the county so that at least we can have continuity of public road." Member (B) urged the committee to press the BOCC to reconsider prior decisions that left small isolated pockets of unincorporated land, saying those pockets "should be avoided as much as possible."

Staff walked members through maps showing the annexation area, city limits and exclusions. The area contains existing subdivisions and state land that are not part of the petition, a railroad corridor and the airport as nearby landmarks. Planner (C) described existing zoning within the petition area as a mix that includes T2 (rural), D1L (single‑family residential) and C1 (light commercial). Staff described the proposed Santa Teresa development as a master‑planned community with single‑family neighborhoods, multifamily apartments, townhomes, pockets of commercial uses, parks and open space. The staff presentation included approximate allocations: about 500 acres of single‑family, about 21 acres of multifamily, about 100 acres for townhomes and the remainder for commercial, parks and open space.

Planner (C) also flagged infrastructure and right‑of‑way constraints for the committee. "When you pull into Country Club Road ... that right of way ... is privately owned," the planner said, adding that because some rights‑of‑way are privately owned, "our hands are kind of tied" when it comes to county maintenance. The committee’s roadway recommendation explicitly addresses that constraint by asking for public dedication or transfer of the right‑of‑way.

The committee voted to send the comments to the BOCC. The motion to recommend approval with the two comments was moved and seconded and passed by voice vote; the record shows the motion passed following the committee's unanimous "aye" vote.

The item on the DRC agenda was procedural for Doña Ana County staff review; staff noted that representatives from the city of Sunland Park were present for questions. Planner (C) also referenced a prior annexation where staff added a recommendation that residents who explicitly did not want to be annexed have their wishes respected; that earlier recommendation was described as one of several items staff had previously forwarded to the city.

Following the vote the committee adjourned at 9:12 a.m.