Albuquerque, NM City Council Changes Zoning Code That Lacked 'Hot Air'

Our April 1st, April Fool’s Day spoof is still a few weeks away so you’ll understand our confusion when we thought someone was trying to pull one over on us! Ballooning in Albuquerque, New Mexico Illegal? April Fools right? Wrong.

This year in October, Albuquerque will celebrate the 42nd Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, the world’s largest continuous balloon festival. The nine-day event draws 750 hot air balloons from around the world, almost a million spectators and contributes millions each year to the city’s economy. Balloons illegal? You’ve got to be kidding!
 
That’s what members of the city council thought until it came to light that ballooning is not specifically mentioned in the city’s zoning codes – and anything not included is, well, excluded and illegal.
 
On Monday night the City Council moved to change that, revising the Zoning Code to make ballooning legal in the “Balloon Capital of the World.” KRQE-TV reports the problem arose when one local home owner began to complain about the balloons and eventually took the complaint to the Zoning Department. That’s when it was discovered there’s no mention of ballooning in the code.
 
The new code doesn’t really change much, but at least people can’t complain that balloons don’t belong because the city isn’t zoned for them. Every area of the city is now zoned for balloon take offs and landings.
 
However, that doesn’t mean pilots can launch from a landowner’s property without permission. There are already noise, nuisance and trespassing laws on the books and they apply to balloons right along with everything and everyone else.
 
Beth Wright-Smith is a spokesperson for the Albuquerque Aerostat Ascension Association. She told KRQE.com, “If they were saying, no you can only launch and land in this one area- that's a safety issue. We have to go where the wind goes and sometimes we can't always end up where we expect to because things change. Still, we’re trying to not upset anyone and avoid livestock and people who don't like balloons for whatever reason.”
 
The 42nd Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta launches October 5-13, 2013.

(Balloon Fiesta image from file)

FMI: www.cabq.gov, www.balloonfiesta.com