A rendering of the proposed new building for Pet Pangaea. In addition to a new space for the business, owner Cyndi Wells is planning to offer four apartment units on the second floor. Courtesy/LAC
A rendering of the proposed parking lot for Pet Pangaea’s new location on Trinity Drive. Courtesy/LAC
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
Pet Pangaea is getting a new home. During the regular Los Alamos County Council meeting Jan. 5, an ordinance to sell land parcels at 3661 and 3689 Trinity Dr. to Cyndi Wells, owner of Pet Pangaea, passed unanimously.
“I’m definitely appreciative that the County Councilors approved the land ordinance for the sale,” Wells told the Los Alamos Daily Post in an interview Jan. 7. “I’m looking forward to working with the County on the land development.”
The purchase price for the two lots is $200,000. The plan, according to the agenda documents, is to construct a mixed use development with a 7,000 square foot retail space and apartments. The building will be two-stories with the pet store on the bottom and four residential units on the second floor.
Wells told the Post that there are many things she is excited to offer at the pet store’s new building she is unable to provide at her location at 158 Central Park Square.
These services include offering space for rescue animal organizations to hold adoption events and grooming stations.
“…the community will hopefully find it a real asset and the local neighborhood, too,” Wells said.
“I’m excited to do a sustainable type of development” with solar panels, she added.
Wells thanks partners in the community that provided letters of support for the proposal. These partners are Los Alamos Friends of Shelter and Companion Animals, Enterprise Bank and Trust and Pajarito Environmental Education Center. She also credits Formative Architects and her attorney Philip Dabney for their assistance in preparing the proposal.
“Hard work may still lay ahead but I’m very excited for the opportunity,” she said.
Before ground can be broken on the new structure, the Planning and Zoning Commission will need to approve Wells’ site plan and rezoning the parcels from public land to mixed-use, Community Development Department Director Paul Andrus told the Post in an interview Jan. 7.
He said Wells has a 120-day due diligence period and will have 24 months to complete her project once the land sale closes.
During the Jan. 5 Council meeting, County Manager Harry Burgess said three proposals were submitted for the land and “Pet Pangaea was the top proposer as reviewed by the committee.”
Andrus added that solicitation for bids went out Oct. 15 and the deadline to submit a bid was in November. A site walk-through also was held.
“Through the conversation in how the process was structured … we have a long serving local business here (and) I think through her proposal she describes her search for a new location that she can own and operate,” Andrus said.
He explained that Wells’ proposal to offer commercial and residential uses “is really in line with a number of different strategic goals within the comprehensive plan, economic vitality strategic plan and council priorities. That was key in the analysis going forward.”
Andrus told the Post that there are a lot of benefits in selling the land to Pet Pangaea.
“It means that a long serving, viable business will stay in the community and retain them and keep them in a strong position (and) that is absolutely benefit to the County,” Andrus said. “We are retaining a long serving business and that is key … also, we need housing … every unit counts and that was attractive to council as well. It checked a lot of boxes for council … Cyndi has put in time over the years in developing a vision, engaging design professionals and not every small business invests time and money in doing that but really that is key to the success of the project.”
Andrus said that working with design professionals, knowing finances and having builders and contractors “are good elements for a successful project.”
The County has sold property to other local businesses including Los Alamos Public Schools Credit Union, Del Norte Credit Union and Pebble Labs, he said.
The hope is to offer more public land to local business, Andrus said. For instance, once the cleanup work on DP Road is completed, the plan is to subdivide the property and make the parcels available for sale, he said, adding that Wells’ submittal will be a great example to show other businesses for future land sales.
Ownership rather than renting is attractive to businesses because “in this case they don’t have to rent a commercial space; rent is pretty high in Los Alamos and this will allow them to control that particular cost…,” he said.
Councilor Sara Scott also expressed hope to assist more businesses in owning property.
“Based on community input the council has been and is really going to continue to work on strategic priorities that includes supporting our local business environment and providing more housing options,” she said. “Additionally, we’ve heard from businesses in our town that being able to purchase rather than rent properties is really going to increase their sustainability and potentially expandability … so, I fully support this purchase … as well as the continued effort to make additional properties available to support our business environment.”
While selling the land to Pet Pangaea was unanimously supported, some questions were posed during the council meeting.
Los Alamos resident Pauline Flynn said her home is adjacent to where Pet Pangaea will build its store.
“I love Pet Pangaea,” Flynn said. “I think Cyndi Wells is a terrific asset to the County.”
However, she said she had concerns; Wells’ plans call for a 5-foot easement and a building that is two stories. This means when she goes out into her backyard, all she is going to see is a wall, Flynn said. The sun won’t shine on it till mid-day and if it snows, the backyard will be a glacier, she added.
Flynn asked that the building run east-west rather than north-south to resolve the issue.
Wells’ architect assured that they are open to making modifications to the proposed plan, but it needs to remain a pet store on the first floor and residences on the second floor.
Councilor Denise Derkacs encouraged Wells and her team to work with the store’s future neighbors.
“It offers an opportunity for a local small business to own their property … I do appreciate the proposed design for building but encourage them to work with neighboring homeowners in their final proposal that they present to the planning and zoning committee,” she said.
Councilor Sean Williams questioned the purchase price.
“…I am not particularly happy about selling County property above appraisal for two reasons,” he said. “The appraisal is the history of prior sales so this sale will factor into future appraisals. If the County consummates above the appraisal, we will bid up commercial value around the County. Secondly … I believe in the disposal of County land we should focus on public purpose and not highest bidder.”
Williams suggested that if it isn’t illegal, he supported the sale but wanted to renegotiate the price to get it more in line with the appraised value, which totaled $165,000.
County Attorney Alvin Leaphart said once the sale was approved, council couldn’t change the sale price. To change the amount that the land was being sold, the entire process would need to restart, he said.
Dabney spoke on behalf of his client saying that Wells did not want to change the sale price.
Councilor David Izraelevitz wondered whether any type of housing study had been done for the proposed residential units.
“So … our business has been in operation for 16 years,” Wells said. “It’s been a repeated issue with respect to people unable to locate pet-friendly housing often before they even move here … I have all the confidence those units will be filled quickly. We get repeated questions at my store about the need of pet friendly housing. It is going to be thoughtfully integrated.”
The next step in the process is for the land sale to go before the Planning and Zoning Commission for site plan and rezoning approval.
Another rendering of the new store for Pet Pangaea. Courtesy/LAC
