Aztec Vision 2040:

Aztec is a charming, welcoming, and growing community in northwest New Mexico that sits along the enchanting Animas River. We are a diverse community that cherishes its cultural heritage as exemplified by the Aztec Ruins National Monument and our place within the Four Corners region that offers a myriad of outdoor recreation opportunities. We have welcomed new businesses to Aztec that have helped grow our economy and cater to outdoor recreation, cultural tourism, hospitality, and renewable energy industries, which has drawn our youth back to the community. We have achieved an interconnected, walkable community where we can safely access our neighborhoods, community parks, schools, Downtown businesses, and other destinations. Our Downtown area features beautifully restored and preserved historic buildings along Main Avenue that remind us of our pioneer past, and where cars are secondary to pedestrians. Our residents are engaged and embody the spirit of volunteerism to work towards our shared vision.

Downtown Metropolitan Redevelopment Area Plan

Consensus Planning completed the Downtown Metropolitan Redevelopment Area (MRA) Plan, which is the City of Aztec’s guidebook for revitalization of Downtown Aztec over the next ten years. The Downtown MRA Plan was developed through extensive research, on-site reconnaissance, and a community engagement process that included a two-day workshop in one of Main Avenue’s historic storefront buildings, two community surveys, and stakeholder interviews. The Downtown MRA Plan presents a community vision for the future of Downtown and identifies specific redevelopment projects, public sector investments, and support actions to help achieve that vision. At its core, the Downtown MRA Plan establishes an expectation for future public and private partnerships and investment, and communicates the types of uses and redevelopment that are appropriate for Downtown Aztec.

The Downtown MRA planning process revealed an actively engaged and interested group of community stakeholders and elected officials. They cherish and value the history and historic buildings that characterize Main Avenue, and want to see the area alive with new activity and thriving businesses that cater to residents and visitors. They understand that Downtown Aztec is well-poised to capture its slice of cultural heritage tourism as exemplified by its proximity to the Aztec Ruins National Monument, Main Avenue Historic District, Lover’s Lane and Church Street Historic District, and the Aztec Museum and Pioneer Village.

The Downtown Aztec MRA Plan has been instrumental in fostering several new businesses opening in previously vacant buildings, including an old gas station that was an eyesore along Main Avenue. The Aztec Theater sign was restored and the City secured funds for a complete streets project that now connects North Main Avenue to the Aztec Ruins, a UNESCO World Heritage site. These are some of the projects that were identified in the MRA Plan.

Comprehensive Plan

Consensus Planning was engaged by the City of Aztec for a major update to the Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan is the City’s general policy guide concerning the location, character, and rate of growth in the community over the next 20 years. The Comprehensive Plan is both a process and a product – it expresses the community’s values gleaned during a public engagement process and identifies goals, objectives, and implementation strategies that interpret those values into future land use, growth and development, and capital improvement investments. The Comprehensive Plan provides the ability to calibrate and strategically guide decision making regarding the future growth and development of Aztec through:

• Identifying preferred land uses, development patterns, and redevelopment strategies;
• Guiding the creation of future planning documents and land use regulations that implement the vision expressed in the Comprehensive Plan;
• Coordinating public policy decisions and capital investments in infrastructure and community amenities according to a defined set of priorities;
• Shaping the visual appearance of the community;
• Celebrating and preserving Aztec’s unique sense of place and cultural heritage; and
• Encouraging transparency in City government.