One housing project in Las Campanas area receives county approval; another delayed
Dec. 15—Santa Fe County commissioners approved plans for one proposed new housing development Tuesday night, while tabling another because of disputes over requirements the county would like to add regarding accessory dwellings and the width of the road serving the proposed subdivision.
Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the final plat to create the Tierra Antigua subdivision, which will include 23 homes — two of which will be "affordable housing."
Before the vote, a handful of area residents spoke out against the proposed development, mostly citing concerns with road maintenance and conservation of the landscape and night sky. One resident, Cathy Thomas, opposed it because of the additional light it would create.
"It's a neighborhood that respects the night sky," Thomas said during the meeting. "In Las Campanas, we have very strict night sky regulations — the lights have to be out by a certain hour; we do not have streetlights. The whole reason for moving out there is to see the night sky and preserve that."
Resident Dan Koffman, who had previously opposed the development, said he now supports it due to the need for more housing.
"The impact will be minimal; it's 23 houses," Koffman said. "There are residents who want to stay in the area after their spouses pass away, but they need to downsize. ... This project would allow them to stay in the area, stay with their doctors and their friends, and not have to manage large properties. It would also free up these large homes for young families."
The commission tabled plans for the Rancho Cielo Grande subdivision, after a back-and-forth discussion of the development and maintenance of a private dirt road along the planned subdivision, Los Sueños Trail. The plan includes 12 homes, ones of which would be considered affordable housing.
Both Tierra Antigua and Rancho Cielo Grande are slated be in the Las Campanas area, northwest of the city.
During a previous meeting, area residents expressed concern about increased traffic and the road's maintenance. In the end, representatives of the development company, Suerte Del Sur agreed to pave the road, but noted they felt it was unfair for them to foot the cost.
"I think a realistic approximation of the number of lots that use Los Sueños Trail today, by my count, is well over 200 lots," said Nathan Manzanares, an attorney representing the development company. "So that the line that staff reports was crossed by adding 12 lots ... if that was the straw that broke the camel's back, that camel was crushed years ago. And it is patently unfair for staff to say you're crossing that line today."
Under the new proposed plan, the developers would pave the road with a 66-foot easement, but county code requires an 80-foot easement to meet collector road standards. Manzanares argued this would be impossible because of the existing properties along the road.
Suerte Del Sur also raised concerns over new requirements added by county staff to restrict the construction of accessory dwellings on the planned lots. The company was only informed about this the day of the meeting, Manzanares said. County staff said it was added because Suerte Del Sur did not report a water budget, which provides water usage estimates, for these potential dwellings.
Under the new proposal, Suerte Del Sur will need to apply for a variance on the road size and provide a paving plan and traffic control plan. It will also need to create a water budget for any accessory dwellings to be allowed.
Commissioners promised to bring the plan back to a vote as soon as possible and plan to discuss it again in February.
"You're not quite ready for prime time," said Commissioner Anna Hansen. "I understand your frustration with land use. I feel like you pushed forward and land use wasn't ready."
