Las Cruces, NM Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)

Section 38-54 of the Las Cruces Land Development Code lists 'Airport, Privately and Publicly Owned' as a special use permitted in the C-2, C-3, M1/M2 and M-3 zoning districts, but treats the city's own Las Cruces International Airport differently: LCIA's property is zoned M-3 (Conditional) and follows the adopted LCIA Master Plan and Chapter 7.5 of the Municipal Code instead of a separate special use permit, so no additional SUP is required for that airport.

Every other airport in the Las Cruces planning area is treated more strictly. Any property within 20,000 feet of an active runway cannot be used in a way that would violate Federal Airspace Protection Regulations, referencing 14 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) Part 77, the FAA's airspace obstruction standards. Beyond that, any privately or publicly owned airport besides LCIA must comply with 14 CFR Part 77 generally, and its development standards, including required parking, runway paving standards and permitted land uses, are worked out case by case through the special use permit review process rather than a fixed table. As part of that SUP application, the applicant must submit a Noise Exposure Study, giving the Planning and Zoning Commission a documented basis for evaluating how the airport's operations will affect noise levels on surrounding land before granting the permit.