Zoning plan for Caja del Oro gets OK from commission

Feb. 18—The Santa Fe Planning Commission on Thursday tabled approval of plans for an 88-home development on Caja del Oro Grant Road, but it approved rezoning and general plan amendments required for the project.

The commission unanimously approved Pulte Homes of New Mexico's request to amend the city General Plan's future land use map for the 16.21-acre site next to the village of Agua Fría from a mix of very low density and commercial zones to a very high density residential zone.

Commissioners also approved a rezoning to allow for 10 dwelling units per acre. Previously, the zoning allowed for a mix of one dwelling unit per acre and general commercial.

The commission stopped short of approving any preliminary subdivision plat or development plans until its members could receive more information about the development and visuals and their concerns about the project's density could be addressed.

"I understand density is becoming the way we have to build," Commissioner Pilar Faulkner said. "I know we are running out of land. But I also don't think quantity should have more value than quality."

Pulte Homes of New Mexico, through its agent James Siebert of James W. Siebert and Associates, is requesting to build 88 duplex row homes near N.M. 599 and along both sides of Caja del Oro Grant Road and just south of West Alameda Frontage Road.

The project came in front of the Planning Commission late at its Feb. 3 meeting. Commissioners voted to table the item after a series of comments from would-be neighbors about traffic concerns and the effect on the more rural area.

Commissioner Dominic Sategna at the previous meeting questioned why the developers were requesting a more dense R-10 zoning, compared with a medium density R-5 or R-6 zone, which better matched the proposed density of the project, about five to six dwelling units per acre.

At Thursday's meeting, representatives for the applicants argued yard setbacks — the minimum distance that a building must be set back from a street or road — required in the city's "antiquated" city code for a less dense zoning would have cut the number of homes that Pulte Homes could build on the lot to about 27 or 28.

The only way to address the issue, Siebert said, would be to request more density that allows more building flexibility.

"The city code is antiquated in a lot of ways," he said. "We [were] probably due for a reassessment of the city zoning about 15 years ago."

Faulkner said while she feels for the developers, she's concerned the rezoning circumvented the intent of the code — and also removes intended amenities for the area.

After the city annexed some 2,000 acres from the county in 2009, including the site, the city decided to zone a 10-acre portion of the site for a grocery store.

"I understand that there isn't a choice, but I don't appreciate the use of the code by asking for a rezoning," she said.

Sategna said while he also understands the reasoning behind the rezoning request, he also felt it was effectively circumventing the intent of the general plan by building to an R-5 or R-6 density, but without the yard setback requirements of those zones.

He also said he felt larger yard setbacks should be requested to avoid cramming as many homes onto a lot as possible. An R-10 zoning allows the planning commission to request specific yard setbacks.

"While it might be allowed legally, the intent for this type of density, or this type of home, was not intended to have row houses or duplexes," he said.

Sategna and other commissioners also noted concerns about the project's overall design, including how guests would enter the development, how the fronts of the homes were oriented and the effect of specific roads in the proposed subdivision.

Lawrence said while she views the project as a possibility, she lacked enough material to make a sound decision.

"We don't have a good sense or a good feel of what this would really look like or what this would feel like for the residents who are there," she said.

Commissioner Dan Pava suggested the commission table consideration of the development plans and subdivision plot so the developers could work on some of the concerns but approve the rezoning and general plan amendment.

The rezoning and general plan amendment next must be approved by the City Council.