Committee approves resolution to pursue lot line adjustment for Zia Road deceleration lane after neighborhood objections

The Santa Fe Public Works and Utility Committee voted April 21 to approve a resolution directing the city manager to appoint an agent to apply for a lot line adjustment to widen Zia Road and install a deceleration lane that would use roughly 1% of Candelario Park’s northern boundary. The motion passed on a roll call after public comment and discussion about process and public notice.

Neighbors urged the committee not to authorize the action without fuller public review. "The resolution being considered tonight ... leads with a false quotation of the park dedication," said Aku Oppenheimer, president of the Candlelight Neighborhood Association, during public comment, arguing the language misstates the deeded dedication and that state and municipal statutes limit vacations of land dedicated for public use. Rick Martinez and Margaret Marshall, both Candlelight residents, backed those objections and said the city should have flagged the issue earlier in approvals for the adjacent development.

Why it matters: The decision would change the use of a small portion of parkland owned by the city to accommodate a traffic safety feature for a nearby development. Residents and committee members debated whether an administrative lot line adjustment is the correct process, or whether the matter should be referred to the Planning Commission for a public hearing and fuller review.

City staff and consultants defended the change as a public‑safety measure and described the administrative pathway. Assistant City Attorney Rebecca McCormick said the governing body must act as the landowner to authorize an agent to submit a lot line adjustment application to the land use director. Land use director Lamboy said lot line adjustments are typically decided administratively but she could refer the application to the Planning Commission. Public works representatives and the project traffic engineer said the deceleration lane reduces the risk of rear‑end and more serious collisions at the nearby intersection, and that the design includes a bulb‑out and sidewalk improvements.

Key technical details provided in the meeting record: staff said the total right‑of‑way area impacted is about 2,775 square feet; the new street area (the portion becoming pavement) would be about 1,154 square feet, a net increase of roughly 1,100 square feet. Staff described the park as approximately six acres and said the area affected is a sliver abutting Via/Zia Road. One speaker noted the project area was described in earlier materials but not prominently enough for lay participants to realize parkland would be affected.

Process and timeline: Staff said the lot line adjustment process is administrative unless the land use director refers it to Planning Commission; the city attorney’s office said the governing body must give express authority to the city manager to appoint an agent. Public works director Regina Wheeler said the city could hire a consultant to act as agent or use a city staff member; councilors said they preferred an internal staff person rather than the developer applying on the city’s behalf. Staff estimated an administrative lot line adjustment could take about three to five months, and that a Planning Commission referral would likely take longer.

Public reaction and next steps: Neighbors present said they submitted a petition with 489 signatures opposing the repurposing of parkland. Councilor Michael Garcia said he could not support skipping a more robust public process and asked that the application be referred to Planning Commission; other councilors said they would seek to ensure the full governing body packet includes clear graphics and that the governing body meeting will allow petitions and public comment before a final vote. The committee approved the resolution to appoint an agent and proceed with preparing an application; roll call recorded Councilor Castro: yes (wished to explain vote), Councilor Michael Garcia: no, Councilor Romero Worth: yes, Chair Chavez: yes. The resolution will move onward to the governing body for further consideration and public comment; staff said the governing body packet would be published Friday.

The committee’s action at this meeting was limited to authorizing the city to seek the lot line adjustment by appointing an agent; it did not itself change property boundaries or finalize the lot line adjustment. Any administrative decision could be referred to the Planning Commission, and any Planning Commission decision could be appealed to the governing body and ultimately to district court.