COMMUNITY INPUT FOR NEW PARK NEAR SILER EXTENSION

District 2 Public Meeting:

A public meeting will be held on Thursday, November 5th from 5:30 to 7pm at the Nancy Rodriguez Center #1 Prairie Loop in Santa Fe. Community input is sought for planning and designing a small neighborhood park located off of Quail View Lane, southwest of the intersection of West Alameda and the new Siler Rd. extension. For more information please call (505) 992-9873 or log on to: explore@santafecounty.org

CONTINUED: NOW THE CITY REALIZES THEY CAN NOT PROVIDE SERVICES?

We wrote yesterday that the City was just now beginning to think about services for the 10,000 acres being annexed in the next few years. These are issues of serious concern for residents currently served by the County. It is apparent the City has not seriously planned for the vast areas set to become part of the City.

Today's Santa Fe New Mexican featured another story on the subject:

"How the city will foot the bill is unclear, but the City Council approved conceptual organizational plans Wednesday for each public safety department."

Here is the full article.

Here are the previous articles:

City faces reorganization for absorbing fringe areas

Police brace for shortage in annexation's wake

As city officials plan to take over duties from county with added land, department seeks 48 new positions

All residents that will become annexed are urged to get involved and demand that our safty and services will be provided for by the City.

NOW THE CITY REALIZES THEY CAN NOT PROVIDE SERVICES?

The Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper had two very disturbing articles in today's edition.

Police brace for shortage in annexation's wake
As city officials plan to take over duties from county with added land, department seeks 48 new positions

Here are a few highlights:

"It's Phase 2 of the annexation process — slated for the end of 2011 — that has them concerned, Deputy Chief Abram Anaya said. The city will absorb more than 10 times the number of new residents and nearly twice the amount of acreage as it will in Phase 1. "

"Two years ago, city police asked for 45 new officers over three years to improve the service to existing residents. Anaya said that request "was not reflective of annexation." However, budgetary constraints have meant that the department only received four of those positions in the 2008-2009 budget, and will get no new officer positions in 2009-2010, Anaya said. "

"I absolutely think they need more personnel (for those areas)," Solano said. "There's no doubt about that."

City faces reorganization for absorbing fringe areas

"As Santa Fe city officials approach completion of the first of three planned annexations to the city limits, details about costs and responsibilities for a bigger city remain undefined. Figuring out how to pay for road repairs on traffic arteries that will become the city's responsibility, preparing to provide police and fire protection for residents in a larger territory and making sure new residents have containers for trash pickup are among the tasks at hand"

Area 1 residents, as well as all other residents facing annexation, are urged to stay informed and involved. There are many critical issues ahead.

599 BYPASS: FUTURE INTERCHANGES AND DEVELOPMENT WILL IMPACT AREA 1

There is a highly important public meeting Tuesday, October 6, about future interchanges and development along the 599 Bypass corridor - see details here.

During the various meetings we attended this summer during the Zoning hearings, there were references made to future changes and added access points along 599. We were assured no decisions had been made, but an Editorial in today's Santa Fe New Mexican raised alarm bells:

"(Years ago) A citizens' committee was convened to determine which of three concentric half-circles would be chosen. Sensibly enough, according to recent folklore, knowing the expansive nature of the community leaders of the time, they chose the farthest-out line. The committee went ignored — while, cashing in on inside information, a few local prominences became wealthier overnight on their purchases of land in the path of the route now being driven.

But not wealthy enough, it seemed: Having secured the line to their liking, they began pressuring the politicians they'd bought with campaign contributions to turn what was proposed as a safer alternative road for Carlsbad-bound nuclear waste into a commercial strip — replete with gas stations on every corner, and strip malls to follow"

Lots of that ambitious thinking was thwarted, or at least delayed, as planning-conscious community activists gained stronger voices in the political process — but don't be surprised when the first gas station/convenience market pops up, then another and another ... "

See the full Editorial here.

A primary concern is the obvious possible continuation of the new Siler Road extension all the way to 599; along with other north-south connections. These connections would obviously be attractive to the developers looking to build in the un-developed areas of Area 1.

Stay informed! Please plan to attend at 5 PM this Tuesday, October 6, Genoveva Chavez Community Center located at 3221 Rodeo Road.