The following questions will be addressed by Santa Fe’s mayoral candidates at our next Lunch Presentation.
Sprawl and Land Use Policy
1. Sprawl along St. Francis Drive, St. Michael’s Drive, and Cerrillos Road are among the major contributors to resource depletion and pollution. Sprawl and annexations increase personal and public services costs. However, sprawl also offers a great economic opportunity when you consider its potential for conversion to sustainable ‘green’ communities like you saw in the six submissions for ideas about converting St. Michael’s Drive into a boulevard.
a. Would you support measures to make ‘green’ land use policy and urban design a priority in your administration, have the City’s Long Range Planning Division spearhead this effort and engage local architects to assist?
b. What measures would you take to make ‘green’ land use policy a reality in Santa Fe?
c. How would you address urban sprawl and land use planning as a ‘green’ economic development priority?
Chapter 14 Code Restructuring
2. In a recent meetings about developing a ‘green commercial building code’ lead by City Staff, at which some of our members participated, it was determined that the IBC was about to release a ‘Green Commercial Code’ and that perhaps it was best to see it before embarking on the creation of one specifically for Santa Fe. Upon hearing that announcement, the group realized that CHAPTER 14 of the Santa Fe Development Code is in dire need of revamping to include ‘green’ initiatives. Secondly, the architects and engineers in this group pointed out to City Staff members the value of a ‘form-based’ Development Code with bonuses incentives for greater density, mixed-use and accelerated approvals for projects that include pre-ordained City ‘green’ components.
a. Would you support reconstructing CHAPTER 14 utilizing a form-based process and incentives “carrots” to achieve a higher degree of sustainable development in Santa Fe?
b. What relationships do you see between a CHAPTER 14 restructuring and economic development in Santa Fe?
Infill Development
3. ‘Infill’ development is a common ‘green’ strategy around the country. Santa Fe’s new Green Code advocates ‘infill’ development. Yet, the political reality of ‘infill’ development proposals, especially in center-city has at best encountered great resistance or seriously delayed or compromised by historical or community group interests.
- What is your position on ‘infill’ projects as a ‘green’ land use planning strategy?
- Are you willing to publicly support ‘infill’ projects as being in the public interest and consistent with the City’s ‘green’ strategy?
- Are you willing to set term limits on HDRC members?
- Are you willing to appoint more architects to the HDRC?
The Role of Architects in City Government
4. You have all heard about the successes of Jeremy Harris, former Mayor of Honolulu, and how he worked with local architects and appointed 8 architects as top city department administrators.
a. How can architects and AIA Santa Fe work with you as Mayor to help solve the challenges the City faces?
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