Preserve Old Pecos Trail corridor
The Mayor’s Action Plan for Santa Fe, available on the city website, details “What Alan Will Do as Mayor.” Regarding housing, it states: “Stop the failed system of ‘an empty lot-led strategy’ (one politicized project at a time, proposed for a specific piece of land and advanced in an adversarial way that only angers neighborhoods). Create an Office of Neighborhood Associations to build a collaborative approach between the city government and neighborhoods that goes beyond just housing — and focuses on creating healthy, livable neighborhoods.”
Worthy sentiments, but action is lacking. The proposed rezoning of 9.59 acres at the corner of Zia Road and Old Pecos Trail from R-1 to R-3 to accommodate a 25-house subdivision is a textbook example of the failed system Mayor Alan Webber describes. This request has been vocally and consistently opposed by neighboring residents and other citizens at several Early Neighborhood Notification and Planning Commission meetings as inappropriate and too dense for the land in question. In August, the Planning Commission narrowly approved the plan, and it is slated to be considered by the City Council on Wednesday.
The “empty lot” in question sits on Old Pecos Trail, which is part of historic Route 66, designated in 1999 by Congress as a nationally significant highway worthy of legal protection. The city general plan cites Old Pecos Trail as “a scenic roadway and recognizes its importance as an unspoiled entryway into downtown.” The city has tried (and failed) several times to codify protection for the corridor, and as a result, it’s in danger of precisely the kind of ad hoc, piecemeal development of which the mayor warns.
It’s no surprise the approval process has been acrimonious and, yes, “politicized.” Accusations of NIMBY-ism and worse have been voiced. Residents have
been accused of being against infill, but most have no objection to the land being developed at the current R-1 zoning, which is consistent with the character of the surrounding neighborhood and the corridor and would profit the developers, though maybe not to the extent they want. There are other problems with their plan as presented, among them issues of open space requirements, increased traffic flow and interruption of wildlife corridors. The developers have been vague about any kind of unifying aesthetic for the subdivision. A cynic might think they just want to push the development through, not do it right.
The city code provision regarding a change of zoning most applicable here — that considering a “different character use” of the land being “more advantageous to the community” — begs the question, what community? We are not a monolithic city but a collection of neighborhoods: Tesuque, Agua Fría, Sol y Lomas, Pueblo Alegre and
Canyon Road, to name just a few. We have more than 30 neighborhood associations. The would-be developers narrowly define “advantage” as more dwelling units, yet the mayor urges us to look “beyond housing” and consider what will create “healthy, livable” neighborhoods.
Santa Fe is a special place, steeped in history and natural beauty. Any development should be undertaken with that in mind. The Old Pecos Trail corridor belongs to all Santa Fe citizens, and its open, rural character should be preserved as an advantage for all. A “collaborative approach” between city government and neighborhoods would be welcome, but distrust seems more prevalent. There’s a lot of skepticism that the city has the best interests of current homeowners at heart.
So, Mayor Webber and city officials, you can try to live up to the sentiments voiced on the city website or you can cede to business as usual. It’s your choice.