Andrew Oxford
A special governing body meeting Saturday was the third to deal with the proposed rezoning of about 10 acres on Old Pecos Trail.
7 days, Jan. 25: “Old Pecos Rezoning”
Do better
The Reporter can do better. No, the opposition to the proposed development on Old Pecos Trail had nothing to do with “poors” or even “working folks” living nearby—please review the developer’s proposal and the voluminous public comment and filings on this issue. Many people seem to assume that allowing developers to build more housing developments will somehow trickle down to working people. But note the city’s year-end report: “3,554 housing units approved, of which 185 are affordable.”
I’d like to understand housing issues and would appreciate the good efforts of your journalists. What is the effect of the proliferation of Airbnbs? What have other cities done to restrict short term rentals? Has the zoning change to allow two casitas (ADUs) per property made a difference in housing for working people? Should we increase our investment in public housing? There’s money for capital projects in the state Legislature, or we could do property tax bonds (remember that wealthier people have more property—let’s protect the elderly poor, but not base tax policy on them), or we could revive the idea of a transfer tax on property above $500,000.
All voices should be heard through the long overdue effort to develop a comprehensive plan. We need to hear from those who care about housing for poor people and for working people, from those who care about their parks, about scenic corridors, about traffic, about wildlife and all of the other values that must be taken into account as the city makes these important decisions. The notion that every development is a good one doesn’t accord with the views of the citizens of the city.
Denise Fort, Santa Fe
Online, Jan. 25: “James Beard award semifinalists”
World Class
We all know that New Mexican cuisine is world class. Felicitaciones to all the nominees and thank you for your hard work and dedication to creating delicious food we all get to enjoy
US REP. Teresa Leger Fernandez, Via Twitter @TeresaforNM
