SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – Santa Fe County Commissioners will be considering what to do with land that could potentially impact affordable housing. An ordinance will be heard during tomorrow’s commissioner meeting that will decide what happens to plots of land near the north side of Santa Fe.
“It’s mass confusion, it’s been fourteen years of mass confusion and so this would settle it once and for all,” says Sid Monroe, Area 1B resident.
Plots of land located on the north side of Santa Fe near the village of Agua Fria are the topic of a heated debate. Some residents who live in the area are asking the city to be absorbed into the Traditional Village of Agua Fria. They’ve started a petition and say they’ve been trying to get the city to annex their neighborhood for more than 14 years.
During this time, they say they’ve had no help from the city to finance projects like fixing roads. They say if they were to be absorbed, it would improve their ability to vote and get permits for land use. “Our end hope is just once and for all to have a settled representative government. We’ll have a county commissioner who we vote for, who represents us, who is our voice, but it’s schizophrenic because all of the land use is dictated by the city,” says Monroe.
The area is located north of West Alameda Street to the Highway 599 bypass. It encompasses more than 1,000 acres of land and is divided from the Traditional Village of Agua Fria by Alameda Street. Santa Fe County Commissioner Anna Hansen called for the ordinance to be considered during tomorrow’s meeting. However, opponents say that if the ordinance were to pass it would impede the development of affordable housing in the land’s empty lots.
The non-profit organization, Homewise, helps moderate income residents purchase homes. They say they will be at tomorrow’s commission meeting to protest the ordinance. “I hope the county commission turns down this proposal to absorb a part of the 1100 acres of a traditional village that in no way resembles a traditional village,” says Mike Loftin, Homewise CEO.
KRQE did reach out to Commissioner Anna Hansen for comment. She says she couldn’t comment due to a legal issue with the city regarding the ordinance. Residents say the city of Santa Fe has also filed an injunction against their petition.
