With The Fork calling in bent and unpolished this week, here's another edition of Not The Fork; let’s start with some local news about the Shelby Street Footbridge.
Bridge Replacement Project Crosses Threshold
Happy to report work is under way to replace the historic rocky bridge that crosses the Santa Fe River at East Alameda and Shelby Street by January of 2026.
Parks and Open Space Division Director Melissa McDonald, project administrator Scott Overlie from the city of Santa Fe joined Tyler Ashton of Wilson & Company to lead a meeting last week at the State Lands Building where public input was given by a couple dozen residents.
Those who attended saw a couple of design options that offer modern conveniences but maintain the historic style.
McDonald called the meeting informative and an important step towards restoring the much-loved walkway that’s been out of commission since December of 2022.
“We received state funds in November of 2024,” McDonald tells SFR. “Then we started the design process in January of 2025. It’s a small project but an important one, so we gave it an aggressive one-year timeline.”
McDonald tells SFR the meeting showed the city’s “concepts align closely with what the public wants” in a replacement. She says maintaining the classic rock-facing was a high priority for residents and given the choice between a narrow replacement and one that complies with the American Disabilities Act, the public chose ADA.
City staff next face the Historic Design Review Board, where they will be able to show designs and convey the public’s input. One option maintained the bridge’s rocky facing, the other did not. Residents in attendance showed a preference for the rocky design. With any luck, a final design will be ready by the end of August and construction can begin in November when the riverbed is likely to be bone dry.
County Commission Next to Thicken Rancho Viejo Plot
The next chapter in the Rancho Viejo solar power megastation saga will play out on Aug. 11 and 12 at the downtown meeting chambers of the Santa Fe County Commissioners, 102 Grant Ave. Hearings are expected to go long on day one with county staff presenting the application of Virginia-based global energy titan AES Corporation. Commissioners will also see presentations from parties granted standing in the case, and AES.
Parties besides AES expected to present include the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter, whose representatives tell SFR it supports the project. Opponents include the Clean Energy Coalition of Santa Fe and New Mexicans for Responsible Renewable Energy. The fun starts at 9 am and likely won’t end before 5 pm.
On Aug. 12, hearings begin at 10 am and residents will be given two minutes each to speak their minds. Advanced registration at the commission chambers is encouraged.
AES wants to build a solar panel structure some 680 acres strong on about 800 acres near Eldorado and Rancho San Marcos. The promise is 96 megawatts of power and roughly 45 megawatts of battery storage, which would light up Santa Fe County and more. The concern is a handful of pesky fires associated with previous iterations. Thermal runaway is the term folks who attend the meeting will hear.
AES’ proposed solar project has been cussed and discussed for well over a year now, and looks likely to go at least another. Whether or not the Commission votes to give AES its permit, the outcome can be appealed in state district court. AES is far too invested not to appeal if denied, and CEC co-founder Lee Zlatoff told SFR in February that his group has every intention of fighting the installation until all legal avenues are exhausted or an alternative site is found.
“We like solar energy,” Zlatoff told SFR at the time. “We just think there’s a safer place to install it.”
Tesuque meeting to prep for Bishop's Lodge bout
As the New Mexico Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments in the landmark Protect Tesuque v. NMED case on July 8, locals plan to gather today (July 1) at 5:30 PM at the Church of San Ysidro in Tesuque. The fight is over protecting Little Tesuque Creek and the aquifer that serves hundreds of local wells and how it faces potential contamination from Bishop's Lodge's proposed wastewater plan. This is the first public gathering since the Supreme Court issued a rare and unanimous stay of NMED’s permit process.
Residents will share updates, organize next steps ahead of oral arguments, and participate in a grassroots effort to collect community video and written testimonials for public and legal advocacy.
From the Governing Body Meeting
- Back in October, SFR reported the Santa Fe Regional Airport was eyeing direct flights to Los Angeles. Well, at last week’s Governing Body Meeting, we learned American Airlines will be offering just that. Starting Oct. 6, look for American Airlines to offer a daily direct flight to Los Angeles International Airport for the first time since the pandemic. Santa Fe now flies direct to Phoenix, Denver, Houston and the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex. …
- City Councilors voted to create a Metropolitan Redevelopment Area. Its boundaries are essentially the same as the Midtown Local Innovation Corridor but drops Tres Santos apartment complex and adds Franklin E. Miles Park. The vote followed months in and out of committees since its introduction in March to stay in compliance with the New Mexico Metropolitan Redevelopment Act. Executing the plan will be a partnership between the Metropolitan Redevelopment Commission, which is regulated by state statute, and the City Council.
Still Hungry?
Since this is usually the space reserved for The Fork, SFR assumes you brought your appetite so it would be wrong if we didn’t offer at least little food for thought. This week, SFR's Alex De Vore has patios on his mind, which you'll definitely want to check out tomorrow. The piece reminded me how often I've eaten on patios lately, including one place Alex De Vore wrote about a couple weeks ago about. His description of Lago was so convincing, I followed up on my own and found a shady seat outside.
Tried a dish called Guajiro simply because I’d never heard of it. When the plate arrived, following a frothy tall glass of pineapple juice, I was happy to find it topped with roasted pork, plantains and the Moro rice I chose over just beans or just rice. It also came with what was described as a chimichurri barbecue sauce. All of it worked.
Dave Cathey
Guajiro isn’t a traditional Cuban dish, but it’s very much a style. Guajiro means farmer, but it’s a term ascribed to rural life in Cuba. The pork was moist, the plantains lush and the Moro rice dabbed up whatever of the sauce spilled over nicely.
The service was a little slow, but it was a lovely summer afternoon on the patio so I didn’t mind at all.
Dave Cathey
The other standout patio stop I made in June was in the Plaza at Torogoz. All I can say is Salvadoran-style tostadas and a house margarita are all the friends you need to enjoy the sun for an hour in Santa Fe.
Dave Cathey
On a jaunt to the Capitol last week, I happened by a notice on the door at El Charro. Looks like they’re about halfway through a renovation of the saloon. According to the sign, management is opening up some of the other space in the restaurant to accommodate guests. Look for it to all be over by July 18.
I've passed El Charro a number of times never stopped in. If any of you have experiences there spanning between sublime and ridiculous you'd care to share, please do.
Just because The Fork away doesn't mean your email won't play. Send your feedback on local eats to thefork@sfreporter.com
