Dear, Editor:
On May 25, residents of Middle San Pedro Road packed a Planning Commission hearing on a preliminary plat subdivision request from Santa Fe developer Garon Fulgenzi, who wants to build 6 houses on a 1.5 acre field within a gated community. The price point will be around $650,000 for each house.
Neighbors (myself included) were deeply concerned about the impact of additional traffic on Middle San Pedro, already a very narrow road where two vehicles cannot pass without one of them pulling over into someone’s yard space. There are no sidewalks; pedestrians frequently use this road. Mr. Fulgenzi’s initial plan was to use Middle San Pedro as both entrance and exit. Nearly all neighbors spoke out against this. I’m also concerned about construction traffic, noise, and dust. Our road cannot handle this kind of activity without endangering both drivers and pedestrians.
The larger issue is who has access to housing. More housing is needed in Española but we need truly affordable housing for our predominantly working class population. At $650,000, this subdivision will be affordable mostly to outsiders who have little sense of connection to the community from behind their walls.
We need to prioritize community wellbeing and equity over greed. I want to see Planning Commission members take on this level of questioning and consider how this proposal aligns with the vision set out in the 2017 Comprehensive Plan. This development would only deepen exclusion and put housing further out of reach for most of our residents.
Maia Duerr,
Española