COMMUNITY MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Daniel Alvarado on the Land Development Code Update
A few weeks ago, the City of Santa Fe released a full draft of Phase 1 of their Land Development Code (LDC) update. We asked Daniel Alvarado, Senior Planner with the City and Project Manager for the LDC update, a few questions about the significance of this update and what it means for the future of Santa Fe.
Why is Santa Fe updating their Land Development Code?
The City of Santa Fe hasn’t comprehensively updated the LDC in over 30 years, and the piecemeal updates in that time have created a code that is overly complex and not responsive to our current needs. Additionally, we are updating our General Plan concurrently with the Code, which will guide the code update with high-level policy direction around things like growth areas, architectural style, and sustainability.
The City just released the full draft of the updated Chapter 14. How did you get to this point and how was the local community involved?
We just released the Phase 1 public draft after 3 years of work. This started with an internal assessment of the code, which involved a line-by-line review of the text by staff and extensive interviews with City leadership and other stakeholders. In February of 2023, we launched the official rewrite project with Clarion Associates, and endeavored to collect public, staff and stakeholder input on what could be changed in the new code in a document we call the “Assessment Report.” Since the Assessment Report was released last summer, we have been working with several working groups to review and provide feedback on the code draft, including the Community Advisory Working Group (CAWG), which is made up of community leaders representing a diverse set of organizations, and the Technical Advisory Working Group (TAWG), which is made up technical experts such as engineers, architects and planners. We also worked with a Historic District subcommittee and Planning Commission Subcommittee who provided targeted feedback regarding specific sections of code.
A draft implies that there are rounds of editing yet to happen. What are the next steps with Phase 1 of the update?
We completed the public draft in September and released it to the public to gather comment via online commenting on the code draft, 2 public meetings, 1 planning commission study session, 3 drop-in sessions, several presentations to working group member organizations, and meetings with City leadership. We are now working to incorporate the feedback we’ve heard from the public into a final draft that we will present to the Governing Body for adoption, hopefully in the coming weeks. We aim to have Phase 1 adopted by the end of 2024 so that we can move directly into Phase 2 and 3 of the project.
What challenges have you faced in this process?
The sheer volume of the document is very challenging. It’s no secret that the Land Use Department has several vacancies, meaning we all must do several jobs to get things done. Thankfully, our consultants, Clarion, are extremely experienced and have been able to do the bulk of the drafting work, meaning staff can focus on content changes and engagement.
How do you see this update positively impacting our City?
While it’s still early days for both the LDC and GP update projects, both projects together have the possibility of setting a new course for growth and development in Santa Fe. We haven’t had an official long-range planning department or staff in the City for over 5 years, meaning we have a ton of catching up to do to rebuild a functional long-range planning department here at the City. These projects are the essential groundwork to rebuilding that functionality. Additionally, much of the frustration around development quality or concentration can be addressed through these projects, so I am hopeful that through a robust public engagement process we can identify a consensus regarding the future of the City Different.
Do you have questions about the LDC update process? Send us a message! And make sure to stay in the loop with Friends to find out about upcoming meetings that invite public comment.
GET INVOLVED
Are you a local builder or architect? The City of Santa Fe is seeking input on its Green Building Code update, which proposes changes to requirements for single family residential and multi-family builders. Register below for one of three upcoming sessions on October 22nd, 30th, and November 6th from 11:30-1:00. The sessions will be hybrid, hosted in person at Santa Fe Area Home Builder Association offices at 2520 Camino Entrada, Suite B in Santa Fe, and via Zoom.
FRIENDS OF FRIENDS
Free registration is open for the City of Santa Fe’s Planning and Land Use Department’s “Built in the Past” conference on November 1st. This event will focus on the Historic District Ordinance and Archaeological Districts Ordinance, and will foster community engagement by showcasing the benefits of archaeological investigation and historic preservation within Santa Fe.
Want to get involved in local affordable housing advocacy? Join Homewise at their Housing Advocacy Meet Up on Tuesday, November 12th from 5:30-7:30pm at Second Street Brewery’s Rufina Taproom. Message us if you have questions!
Acequia Madre Elementary School is hosting an Art Auction at the Farmers Market Pavilion on Saturday, November 16th from 6:00-9:00pm. They are seeking both fiscal sponsorship and art donations for the event. For more information, please send us a message below!
ON OUR MINDS THIS MONTH
What do urban heat islands say about equity distribution in our City? (SF Reporter)
How does city zoning impact day-to-day life? (Bloomberg)
How can speculative fiction writing help us envision a future we want? (Urban Omnibus)