Lyons urges city approval of East Mesa annexation

New Mexico Land Commissioner Pat Lyons has written a letter to Las Cruces Mayor Bill Mattiace urging the city to approve the development of 3,200 acres of state trust land on the East Mesa.

The land is part of the 6,000-acre development, called The Vistas at Presidio, that’s up for master plan approval and, in the case of 4,200 acres, annexation at Monday’s city council meeting.

The development proposal has been submitted by Solo Investments and Logos Development, but more than half the land is owned by the state. The State Land Office and the developers have signed a lease agreement that will allow the developers to improve the land in preparation for future sale, but the developers will have to bid for purchase at a later date.

Under the agreement, which was approved by the State Land Office at the end of December, the developers’ lease began Jan. 1 and lasts up to five years. The developers must pay the state $37,500 each year in rent.

Solo Investments and Logos Development, in turn, will build roads, utilities and other infrastructure on the land. When it’s ready for sale, which could be sooner than five years, the State Land Office will put the land up for sale, and the developers will have to bid on it along with anyone else who chooses to attempt to purchase it. If the developers aren’t the successful bidder, the purchasers will have to pay the State Land Office for the improvements made to the land, and the state will pass that money on to the developers.

You can read the lease agreement by clicking here.

Lyons, in his April 10 letter to Mattiace, said he wanted to “reiterate my full support of the city’s intent to annex the 3,200-acre area.” He stated that he is required to generate money for education off the land he controls, and said he has sold 1,280 acres on the East Mesa during his tenure, which has generated $15.5 million for public schools.

The State Land Office still owns 11,000 acres on the East Mesa, including the 3,200 it has leased for this project.

“It is my firm belief that the city should annex these lands so that development in the area is carried out in a thoughtful manner, consistent with your city’s building and zoning ordinances,” Lyons wrote.

This isn’t public land, Lyons wrote, but land owned by the state that is set aside for sale or lease.

Technically, the land is public because it’s owned by the state, but Lyons is right that it is set aside for the purpose of making money for education, and the State Land Office has the legal right to restrict public access to it.

Read Lyons’ letter by clicking here.

Developer’s contributions helped Lyons re-election

The owner of Logos Development is Philip Philippou of Las Cruces. It’s important to point out, as a matter of disclosure, that he made political contributions last year, around the time this land deal was being worked out, to a political action committee that gave a great deal of money to Lyons’ re-election campaign.

Another Philippou company, Terra Firma of Las Cruces, gave $20,500 last election cycle to Blue & Red PAC, a committee set up by Democratic lobbyist Dominic Silva and Republican Lobbyist David Kimble.

Philippou gave $10,000 on Aug. 7 of last year. The same day, the committee gave $7,500 to Lyons’ re-election campaign. Philippou gave the remaining $10,500 on Sept. 8. That day, the committee gave $8,000 to Lyons’ re-election campaign and spent $2,142.50 on “T-shirts for Committee to Elect Pat Lyons,” according to a finance report that details the gifts.

The contributions taken from Philippou and given to Lyons represent more than half of the committee’s finances. The PAC raised a total of $36,200 last year, with much of the rest of its funding coming from Silva and Kimble.

Silva said Philippou didn’t direct that his contributions be given to Lyons, and also said he and Kimble solicited the donations from the developer. He said the committee gave a lot to Lyons because his race against Democrat Jim Baca was hotly contested and Lyons has been friendly to business.

“It’s a business-friendly PAC,” Silva said. “We’re looking to support Democrats and Republicans that are friendly to business.”

Kristin Haase, spokeswoman for the State Land Office, said it wasn’t unusual for Lyons to receive such large contributions, and also said the campaign didn’t ask Silva where the committee’s money came from.

“That wasn’t our business,” she said. “All we know is he gave to a number of candidates – including the governor – who he considers business friendly.”

Blue & Red PAC’s next largest contribution, after those given to Lyons, was a $5,000 gift to Gov. Bill Richardson’s re-election campaign.

Philippou’s company also released a statement addressing the contributions:

“As a local businessman and member of the community for over 25 years, Mr. Philippou is not only approached by many organizations soliciting donations, but contributes to those he feels best represents the interests of the community,” it states. “As in the case with most contributions to organizations, the donation was given to the group, and how the resources are applied is a decision for the leadership of Blue & Red, a non-partisan PAC that contributes money to a wide range of political figures, from Democrats like Gov. Bill Richardson and Sen. Ben Altamirano to Republicans like State Rep. Nora Espinoza and (Public Regulation Commissioner) Carolyn Sloan.”

Philippou, the statement said, has donated “tens of thousands of dollars” over the years to non-profits, including Community of Hope and the Nature Conservancy.