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Santa Fe County unveils $153M facilities plan and a new green stormwater infrastructure guide
Summary
Architects estimated roughly $153.4 million in prioritized capital improvements across 103 county facilities and urged a 10-year funding plan; sustainability staff also presented a practical green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) guide with pilots and code changes to capture runoff, improve groundwater recharge and reduce erosion.
Santa Fe County leaders received two planning documents intended to shape capital spending and sustainable construction across county properties.
Architectural Research Consultants (ARC) presented a countywide facility condition assessment that evaluated 103 facilities (roughly 900,000 square feet) and identified about $153.4 million in needed capital improvements. The largest categories of need are facility renewal (roofs, mechanical systems, finishes) and public-safety investments, including prioritized upgrades at fire stations and a recommended expansion to address detention-center medical and treatment space. ARC recommended adopting the plan, funding immediate ADA and critical repairs and developing a multi-year funding strategy to address longer-term needs.
Sustainability staff and consultant Ring Catcher presented a new Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) master plan and a companion practitioner-oriented guide. The guide catalogs existing county GSI assets, provides plant lists, construction and maintenance specifications, and proposes five pilot sites (including designs for the public-works campus, the county safety building, and an affordable-housing site on Camino de Hakobo). "Without a healthy soil, it's very difficult to get water to infiltrate," one consultant noted, underscoring the guide'9s emphasis on soils, vegetation and maintenance to ensure infiltration, pollutant removal and groundwater recharge.
Commissioners were encouraged to use the GSI manual as both a design reference and a code reference for future SLDC updates, and ARC urged the board to identify a stable revenue stream and use the web-based project portal to prioritize investments.
Next steps: Staff will use the assessments to populate capital plans and will return with recommendations for funding strategies and prioritized pilot projects for GSI implementation.
(Reporting note: figures and project lists are taken from the consultant reports presented to the commission.)
