Position on Old Pecos Trail Development, Joe Arellano, City Council Candidate District 2
January 12, 2018
Each of my campaign’s chief concerns for the City of Santa Fe relates to the elements of Resolution 2015-92, which directed city staff to complete an Old Pecos Trail Scenic Corridor Plan. That was almost two and a half years ago, and there is no plan completed.
That resolution is important not just because it calls on us to preserve and protect this ”iconic and irreplaceable” corridor, but it reflects on efforts over two decades to set standards for protection of the character of our city—or, as I have said—restore the foundation of our city. The need for the resolution and repeated failures to act on its principles are endemic of wider problems in our city government.
First, my platform demands that we take the steps necessary to ensure that our city looks and functions like a world class city, where historic areas that serve tourists and our economy, some potentially imperiled by thoughtless planning, are identified and protected.
Second, all Santa Feans should be concerned about the state of city operations. The resolution was passed in 2015, relying on a General Plan nearly 20 years old, has not been implemented. It reminds us that deadlines need to be set, and adhered to, for each project the city may undertake.
Third, my campaign is demanding that all major decisions in the city be structured to incorporate community input. The “public participation process” related to Old Pecos Trail took place in the early 2000s, and the commitments made at that time and as part of this resolution have not been followed through.
Everyone says “not in my backyard” when we're talking about making changes. But in the case of Old Pecos Trail we have heard from the citizens. The General Plan of 1999 specifies the principles that must guide development in the corridor. City planners have been directed how to act, and we must act. Development does need to take place in the city if we're to improve our economy, but it must be in the right place, and with the proper protections.