Protest of zoning request on Leasburg sewage plant: homeowners near the proposed plant don't believe it will be odorless, despite assurances to the contrary

From the Las Cruces Sun-News - By Diana Alba Soular - LAS CRUCES — County officials will vote later this month on a zoning change needed for a wastewater plant proposal that has raised hackles in Leasburg. Residents of the rural community north of Las Cruces contend that a neighboring water district in the village of Doña Ana is unfairly trying to build the plant in Leasburg's backyard —miles away from Doña Ana's own constituents and voters. And Leasburg homeowners who live near the proposed plant on Hope Road don't believe it will be odorless, despite assurances to the contrary, said Tom Austin, president of the Leasburg mutual domestic water association. "We know what this sewer plant is going to smell like," he said. "I don't believe them when they say it won't smell." Austin and a group of Leasburg homeowners said they're concerned their property values will drop sharply if the plant is built. The Doña Ana Mutual Domestic Water Consumers Association, which is proposing the plant, is seeking a zoning change that would allow it to be constructed, county officials said. It's also asking the county for a variance, to allow for a narrower road to the facility than county rules require. The association is based in the village of Doña Ana, about seven miles from Leasburg, and is separate from Doña Ana County government. Read more

Protest of zoning request on Leasburg sewage plant: homeowners near the proposed plant don't believe it will be odorless, despite assurances to the contrary