Council approves application to adjust Candelario Park boundary for Zia Road deceleration lane after heated neighborhood opposition

The Santa Fe governing body voted to authorize a city application to adjust the northern boundary of Candelario Park to allow construction of a traffic deceleration lane on Zia Road after staff said the lane was necessary to meet state access and safety standards.

Assistant City Attorney Rebecca Mina Kerman explained that both the developer’s traffic study and the city traffic engineer recommended an east‑ and westbound deceleration lane at the Galisteo/Zia intersection to meet New Mexico Department of Transportation access-management guidelines and reduce rear‑end and other crash risks. The lane as designed extends slightly into the park’s undeveloped northern edge; staff said the affected area is a small fraction of the park (roughly “less than 1%” as shown in staff graphics) and that the lot‑line adjustment is an administrative process that the land use director reviews.

City traffic engineer Leroy Pacheco — present at the meeting — told councilors the deceleration lanes remove turning traffic from through lanes and “are designed to New Mexico Department of…