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Santa Fe ARC delays approval for 425 Camino Don Miguel after members demand deeper trenches to reach sterile deposits
Summary
Property owners sought approval to proceed after inventory/testing at 425 Camino Don Miguel, but the ARC postponed the item to July 23 after members pressed for deeper trenching and clearer documentation to determine whether disturbed layers extend to sterile deposits.
The Santa Fe Archaeological Review Committee postponed action on an inventory and testing report for 425 Camino Don Miguel on June 25 after lengthy discussion over whether the trenches excavated for testing reached sterile deposits.
The applicant's representative, Ron Winters, presented the report and said test trenches and units produced a scattered set of artifacts, many described in the report as shallow or disturbed. A property owner who said he and his wife purchased the lot in August 2024 asked the committee, "can we now look forward to your approval so that we can move ahead with the design and permitting of our new home. Please say yes." He also said foundation footings for the proposed house would disturb soils to a depth of about 3 1/2 feet on the east side of the site.
Several committee members pressed the reporting archaeologist on depth and documentation. One member summarized the committee's concern: "We haven't learned it. City code expects that you will learn it. It hasn't been done. Therefore, you need to do it," and said they would not vote on the matter because they remained unconvinced. Committee members discussed whether artifacts recovered from the trenches were from disturbed contexts attributable to past blading, leveling or demolition and whether deeper test units would clarify the sedimentary sequence and show if undisturbed cultural deposits exist below the recorded disturbance.
Committee members offered a pragmatic compromise used in past cases: deepen one trench in the area most likely to yield intact deposits, document the stratigraphy, and provide photos and drawn profiles to demonstrate whether sterile ground was reached. The transcript records exchanges about safety and trench widths (OSHA compliance), and members emphasized documentation requirements (photographs, drawings) rather than entering deep trenches.
After debate the committee voted to postpone the item to its July 23 meeting to allow the applicant to deepen a selected trench, clarify the report language about disturbance and soil zones, and provide corrected figures and photos. The committee instructed staff to docket the case as the first item on the July 23 agenda.
What happens next: The applicant may withdraw and return with additional trenching and documentation or proceed with the requested test deepening so ARC members can evaluate whether preservation in place is appropriate. The committee did not deny the application; members asked for specific additional evidence to meet the expectations of city code and ARC practice.
