Los Lunas Council Debates Economic Development Report Prioritizing Quality of Life

Better City LLC CEO Jason Godfrey presented the initial findings of the village’s Economic Development Strategic Plan to the Los Lunas Village Council, telling councilors that residents favor quality-of-life investments over unfettered expansion and asking the council to pick between two strategic paths labeled “Manage the Wave” and “Shape the Wave.”

Godfrey framed Los Lunas as an “incredible success story,” saying, “Your growth trajectory and what you’ve accomplished is really off the charts,” and that the village has experienced “Ten times growth in 20 years is just unheard of, right? You guys are killing it. I just want to be really clear about that.” Godfrey said the consulting team’s outreach included “nearly 482 community surveys,” input from 22 local leaders, eight stakeholder interviews, four focus groups and one visioning workshop conducted in concert with the village’s senior economic development director, Victoria Archuleta.

The presentation highlighted a notable data point on retail retention: “You’re collecting $62 million more in retail sales than is being spent outside,” Godfrey said, asserting that the figure indicates Los Lunas serves as a regional hub for shoppers even while some residents perceive a lack of national chains and other retail options. Godfrey urged the council to confront what he called a “psychological gap that’s perceived, perception gap, versus what’s actually reality,” adding, “The reality is you’re getting everything you need here. You can get everything you need here.”

The central choice laid before the council was whether to “Manage the Wave” - implicitly allowing existing market forces to dictate growth - or to “Shape the Wave” through proactive policy and planning. The source materials provided the labels but did not list the detailed policy differences or recommended actions attached to each path. The presentation, as reported, elicited strong reactions from both the mayor and the council, though council members’ names and specific comments were not included in the material reviewed.

For Los Lunas residents and business owners, the report’s combination of rapid growth metrics and apparent perception gaps raises immediate policy questions about zoning, economic incentives, downtown and corridor planning, and how the village markets itself to both shoppers and prospective employers. The $62 million retail-retention figure, if confirmed with supporting data, could affect decisions on infrastructure, business recruitment and community branding in Valencia County.

The News-Bulletin coverage of the presentation contained a typographic error that once referred to Godfrey as “Gottfried” in one passage; the consulting firm and the original materials identify Jason Godfrey as the presenter. The meeting date in the source materials is listed as Thursday, Jan. 29, but no year was specified in the documents provided.

Next steps for the council will include clarifying which strategic path it endorses and seeking the underlying data and policy language that define “Manage the Wave” and “Shape the Wave.” Residents, civic groups and local businesses will have a central role in shaping how Los Lunas translates the EDSP’s outreach into concrete planning and investment decisions.