eNewMexican

City rejects deal for land, plans to move ahead with connector

Public works director: Santa Fe to identify right-of-way needs and pursue acquisition of property after design is completed

By Nicholas Gilmore ngilmore@sfnewmexican.com

The city of Santa Fe has terminated an agreement with the state Department of Game and Fish to purchase 23 acres, part of which would be used to complete a long-planned extension of Richards Avenue.

The city entered into the agreement in October 2022 for an original price of $3 million, based on an appraisal performed by the department. After the city’s appraisal of the property showed a value of $1.4 million, however, the two parties agreed to a third-party “desk review” of the two appraisals, which returned a value of $2.1 million.

Following a closed-door session Friday, the State Game Commission voted to reject the city’s offer and put the property back on the market.

The City Council voted unanimously in a special meeting Monday to terminate the agreement with the state agency.

But officials said they will continue to pursue the proposed project, which calls for installing a connector route across the Arroyo de los Chamisos to link the north and south sections of Richards Avenue.

City Public Works Director Regina Wheeler said the city will identify its right-of-way needs and pursue acquisition of the property after the design is completed.

“It is our normal process to acquire right-of-way after the road is designed, and we know exactly what we need,” she told councilors Monday. “It’s very unusual to have an opportunity like this where we might have purchased the land well in advance of completing design.”

While several acres of the state-owned land would be unusable because of the arroyo, the city estimates it could build on about 18 acres, where officials have indicated they would consider affordable housing projects and a community center.

The planned extension has been contentious.

Some residents have supported it because it would relieve traffic on streets in surrounding neighborhoods and provide a more direct route between Cerrillos Road and Rodeo Road, where Richards Avenue heads south to the Santa Fe Community College District.

Others have opposed it, saying it would funnel more traffic through their neighborhoods.

To slow and reduce traffic, city officials have leaned toward building a roundabout just south of the arroyo, where Richards Avenue, a fire station service road and Camino del Prado would converge.

LOCAL & REGION

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2023-01-31T08:00:00.0000000Z

2023-01-31T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://enewmexican.pressreader.com/article/281861532645921

Santa Fe New Mexican