8/27/09
Chamita residents are circulating a petition opposing a proposed subdivision scheduled for a hearing Thursday (8/27) in Tierra Amarilla before the Rio Arriba County Commission.
The County Planning and Zoning Committee approved by a 6-1 vote Aug. 12 an application presented by Arsenio Martinez and Rio Arriba County Democratic Party Secretary Lou Baker for a 263-acre, 22-lot subdivision just north of Chamita along the Rio Chama. The approval, opposed only by Committee member Phil Kilgour, came despite concerns from County staff about the application’s lack of adequate fire protection, sewer and erosion plans.
The developers have not yet submitted those documents, County Planning and Zoning Director Gabriel Boyle said.
One federal agency has also recommended the Commission vote against the development. A soil analysis completed Aug. 20 by the Natural Resources Conservation Service shows the soil and the slopes on the site are not suitable for development, and the subdivision could lead to erosion and sewer seepage.
Chamita resident Gloria Gonzales said she and her neighbors have so far collected about 150 signatures on a petition they plan to give the Commission before the hearing.
Residents are worried the development will cause erosion down the Mesa Prieta toward Chamita, and contaminate the area’s water supply with sand, Gonzales said.
“As a private resident, I can tell you all of us are just worried about our water,” Gonzales said.
County Commissioner Felipe Martinez said he shared that concern, and also worried about aesthetics.
“I just hope the homes are set back far enough so as not to create an eyesore for the passer-by,” Felipe Martinez said.
Commissioner Alfredo Montoya, who represents Chamita, did not return calls for comment.
Despite his objections, Felipe Martinez praised the development for complying with the County’s goal of keeping development away from farmland. Arsenio Martinez’s property is zoned for agricultural use, but is unsuitable for farming, Felipe Martinez said.
Residents are also worried the development will drive up property taxes, Gonzales said. That may be a legitimate concern, though not in the near future, County Assessor Art Rodarte said.
Because property tax assessments are based on the sale price of nearby properties, the development — whose lots are priced at $120,000 to $240,000 each — could raise surrounding property values, especially if it sparks real estate speculation, Rodarte said. However, the County cannot re-appraise values by more than 3 percent annually unless specifically asked by the state, which the state did earlier this year.
Chamita resident Anna Denise Lopez, who attended the Aug. 12 meeting, had raised the same water quality, erosion and tax concerns when the Committee last reviewed the development in 2004. The Committee rejected the application then because the Office of the State Engineer hadn’t approved its water plan, according to meeting minutes. The Office approved the water plan July 31 of this year, according to correspondence from the Office.