Planning commission approves 150-room AC Marriott despite traffic concerns; DOT access to be right-in/right-out

The Santa Fe Planning Commission on Feb. 5 approved a development plan for a 150-room AC Marriott (a four-story, 79,000-square-foot building) at the intersection of Surrilos (Cerrillos) Road and Saint Francis Drive, voting to accept staff's conditions and technical corrections after debate over traffic and driveway access.

Claudia, the case planner, summarized the proposal as "a development plan for a 79,000 square foot 4 story, 150 room AC Marriott Hotel" on a combined 3.4-acre parcel, noting the plan provides 151 parking spaces (one per room) and exceeds the city's open-space requirement. Staff recommended approval subject to conditions and technical corrections in the staff report.

The design package included sidewalk and streetscape improvements along Cerritos (a 6-foot sidewalk and a 5-foot planting strip with an additional 10-foot landscape buffer), lighting revisions to minimize nuisance glare, and architectural sketches styled to reflect Santa Fe materials and earth tones. Alan Hook of Water Resources noted the applicant proposed an alternative development water budget and that any commercial project using more than 5 acre-feet would require a transfer of water rights into the city prior to a construction permit.

Traffic and access became central issues in public comment and in commissioners' questions. Leroy Pacheco, representing Public Works, relayed NMDOT review: "We can only support the driveway as a right in, right out only configuration," and said the hotel will need to coordinate closely with DOT reconstruction plans for Surrilos Road so the agency's design determines final access geometry.

Neighbor testimony underscored congestion worries. Edward Archuleta of the Old Santa Fe Association urged denial, saying the Surrilos/Saint Francis intersection is already congested: "The intersection of Surreal's Road and Saint Francis Drive is already overly congested," he said, and quoted the applicant's traffic study about eastbound backup to the proposed driveway during peak periods.

Applicants said they revised designs after neighborhood input and that the project complies with applicable C2 zoning standards. Jennifer Jenkins, representing the applicant, told the commission the team had "met with the city public works department, as well as the department of transportation, to determine the scope of the analysis" and described turn-lane geometry and a dedicated deceleration lane to serve the main entrance.

After extended deliberations about the adequacy of a single primary access and the timeline for DOT reconstruction, the commission voted to approve the case with conditions. The motion passed after a tie and the chair cast the deciding vote (recorded roll-call result: 4 yes, 3 no). Conditions included staff's technical corrections and a requirement for the applicant to revise the lighting plan and address nuisance glare, and for ongoing coordination with DOT on access and road improvements.

Why it matters: The hotel will add 150 rooms and associated vehicle trips near a busy intersection and adjacent institutional uses (including the New Mexico School for the Deaf and a rail corridor). The approval commits the applicant to mitigation measures and DOT coordination but leaves unresolved some neighbors' concerns about congestion and safety during rail-related backups.

Next steps: The applicant must finalize technical corrections, obtain required DOT access permits and water-rights transfers (if the project exceeds water-rights thresholds), and secure construction permits before work begins.