Santa Fe staff unveil 'Santa Fe Forward' scenario frameworks; councilors press for cost and implementation details

City staff presented draft scenario frameworks for the "Santa Fe Forward" general plan update at the Quality of Life Committee meeting on March 4, outlining next steps and soliciting council feedback and public input.

Janice Biletnikoff of the Land Use Department led the presentation, describing the project as a multi-stage effort that has completed an assessment phase and is now seeking reactions to draft mission, vision and scenario frameworks. "We have boiled down what the community is basically asking for," Biletnikoff said, reporting more than 8,000 pieces of public input and four top priorities: housing and affordability; community facilities including parks and public safety services; environmental stewardship and resilience; and transportation and mobility.

The packet staff presented separates the policy "general plan" from an "implementation plan" that officials said will assign responsibilities, identify funding sources and set timelines. Staff told the committee they expect to move to a preferred-plan drafting phase after closing stage gates for mission, vision and scenario frameworks, with a preferred plan anticipated in mid-to-late summer and an implementation plan to follow in mid-fall.

Councilors used the discussion to press for operational detail. One councilor asked for explicit fiscal-impact information tied to the implementation plan, noting past ordinances that added park acres without parallel staffing or maintenance funding. Staff agreed fiscal impacts will be part of implementation planning and said the implementation document will link priorities to the capital-improvement program and other funding sources.

The committee also discussed specific code tools and guidance to implement the plan’s values. Staff described a proposed street-design guide and an amendable manual intended to allow more flexible, innovative designs when reviewing developments; the guide has been vetted by the Metropolitan Planning Organization and public works, staff said. Biletnikoff said green-infrastructure requirements and low-impact-development approaches are being considered for the land-development code update and that Midtown demonstration projects will help test maintenance and functional requirements before broader code adoption.

Several councilors emphasized transit-oriented development as a priority, calling out Zia Station as a potential proof-of-concept for concentrated density and reduced vehicle dependence. Staff said many policy tools—carrots and sticks such as incentives, floor-area limits and minimum lot sizes—will be evaluated during the code update, but cautioned that specific tools are premature until community values and strategies are finalized.

Interjurisdictional coordination with Santa Fe County was also flagged. Staff said they are sharing data and considering alignment in areas just outside the corporate limits (county-designated areas such as "SD 1" and Rancho Viejo) to pursue joint infrastructure and transit-node opportunities.

No public commenters participated in person or online during the meeting. After the presentation, the Office of Economic Development provided event and program updates: a March 12 outdoor-recreation meetup, a March 19 "Santa Fe Open For Business" session, and the March 24 business-boroughs kickoff; staff also reported near-complete grant paperwork for a pending SAFE grant and ongoing demand for small-business support programs.

The committee approved the meeting agenda and consent agenda by voice vote and adjourned to reconvene on April 1. Staff said they will return with further presentations as the scenario frameworks and implementation plan progress and asked councilors to help circulate public-survey links to constituents.

What’s next: staff will solicit additional public input on the draft mission, vision, strategies and scenario frameworks, refine the scenario elements into a single framework and advance a preferred plan in the coming months; an implementation plan with prioritized actions and funding guidance is expected after that.