Finance committee approves contract to appoint declarant for Las Estrellas tract amid affordable‑housing steps

The City of Santa Fe Finance Committee on Jan. 27 approved a professional services contract to appoint a person to act on behalf of the city as the declarant for the Las Estrellas homeowners association, a step staff said is needed before donating a track of land for an affordable‑housing project.

Councilor Signe Lindell said the item — listed as Item D on the consent agenda — raised procedural concerns given a 2023 resolution directing how Track 6A should be handled in the event a qualifying affordable‑housing entity is chosen. “This goes back to a resolution that we had… in 2023,” Lindell said, adding that the resolution directed the city either to remove Track 6A from the declaration of covenants or request that the homeowners association limit assessments if affordable housing were to be…