Tularosa Trustees Weigh Dog Ordinance Rewrite, Hear Conditions for Proposed 190-Foot Cell Tower

If you're house-hunting in Tularosa, New Mexico, or already live there, a recent Planning and Zoning Commission meeting is worth your attention. Alongside approving a new subdivision called Mesquite Flats, commissioners spent significant time discussing a proposed 190-foot cell tower — and, notably, admitted the village currently has no ordinance governing wireless infrastructure at all.

That's a striking gap. According to the meeting recap, a draft wireless ordinance exists but needs more collaborative work before it can even go to legal review and a public hearing. Meanwhile, cell tower projects are reportedly moving forward regardless. For families who prefer to have a say in where towers go relative to homes, schools, and yards, the absence of clear rules means less predictability about setbacks, placement, or future infrastructure near residential areas.

Why the Ordinance Backlog Matters

Commissioners were candid about their frustration: a backlog at the village attorney's office has stalled not just wireless rules, but impact fee procedures and code enforcement too. For health-conscious homebuyers, this matters because zoning ordinances are often the primary tool communities use to regulate where towers and antennas can be sited near homes. Without an approved framework, decisions may move ahead on a case-by-case basis rather than through a consistent, publicly vetted policy — making it harder for residents to anticipate or influence what gets built nearby.

It's worth remembering that EMF exposure from cell towers generally decreases significantly with distance, so where a tower is ultimately sited relative to homes can make a meaningful difference. That's exactly why ordinance details like setback requirements, which Tularosa hasn't finalized, matter to families weighing a move to the area.

What Concerned Residents Can Do

If you're in the process of buying a home in Tularosa or a similar small town, it's worth asking local officials directly about pending wireless ordinances and any tower applications in the pipeline before you commit. Attending planning commission meetings, where these discussions happen in public, is one of the few ways residents can stay ahead of infrastructure decisions before they're finalized.

For those who want to reduce EMF exposure inside the home regardless of what's happening outside, there are practical options. Some families look into EMF shielding paint for exterior-facing walls, while others focus on lower-EMF versions of everyday appliances, like low-EMF air purifiers or low-EMF hair dryers, to minimize overall exposure at home.

As Tularosa works through its ordinance backlog, families with health and EMF concerns should keep watching for updates on both the wireless rules and the tower proposal itself.

Originally reported by 2nd Life Media Alamogordo Town News