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Santa Fe County, City to end phase three of Area 1B annexation in joint resolution
Summary
The county commission voted to direct staff to amend settlement and annexation phasing agreements to terminate Phase 3 of Area 1B annexation, preserving private owners' rights to petition separately and signaling a coordinated city‑county approach after lengthy community engagement.
Santa Fe — The Board of County Commissioners voted April 28 to adopt a joint resolution directing staff to amend settlement and annexation phasing agreements and effectively terminate Phase 3 of annexation for Area 1B.
Commissioner Lisa Kakari Stone told the board the action follows months of working‑group meetings with the City of Santa Fe, community forums and legal review. She said the agreement preserves existing landowner rights to pursue voluntary annexation while halting the multidecade, contested phase‑three plan for the area known as Agua Fria/Area 1B.
“From day one the mayor engaged with us,” Kakari Stone said, thanking city and county working‑group members and community leaders who attended forums. Commissioners on both sides described the resolution as a reset in city‑county collaboration, balancing village preservation with individual owners’ options.
The board approved the joint resolution by voice vote; a parallel city council action was scheduled for the following day. The resolution directs staff to prepare amendments to the settlement and annexation phasing agreements, to waive the city’s right to challenge the county’s designation of a traditional historic community for Agua Fria and to reconvene the extraterritorial land‑use authority for any needed ordinance updates.
Commissioners praised community members and long‑term participants for sustained engagement over an 18‑year process. There was no formal dissent. The resolution is intended to expedite a negotiated, community‑driven outcome rather than protracted litigation.
