SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – The City of Santa Fe is opening up public comment for the community to voice their concerns through a platform called Santa Fe Forward. The city will then use this to update its new general plan, which hasn’t been updated in 25 years. It’s a chance for residents to tell the city what they want to see in the next decade.
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“This creates the framework for all the decisions that city council makes when they decide to invest in a park or build a new community center,” Santa Fe Planning and Land Use Department Assistant Land Use Director Maggie Moore said. “The general plan sets the foundation for those decisions and where we invest our limited public dollars.”
One example of community input turning into action from the city is the Santa Fe Teen Center. Residents asked the city for this 15 years ago, and it recently opened in September 2023. “The teen center was targeted in the last general plan,” Moore said. “As far as, we need a new teen center, now here we are standing in one. That’s the arc of this type of work. It’s a long process but we do see the results when we get feedback from the community about what’s important to them.”
They can share their input online through the Santa Fe Forward website or in person at designated town halls. Beginning September 1, there will be specific targeted surveys for the public on the Santa Fe Forward website to help direct the growth of the city. “Another way to get involved is we have an interactive map on our website where people can add comments directly that are related to them,” Moore said.
For example, if someone wants a slide added to a park or an improved crosswalk at an intersection.
To prepare for this, Santa Fe collected data and found some challenges that they’d like to address, such as creating more affordable housing. “If we prioritize making affordable housing the top priority in the city of Santa Fe, what does that look like? What do we need to invest in to achieve that goal?” Moore said.
They also found through their data collection that their average population is aging, meaning their goals may shift. “We know also from the assessment report that our population continues to age, and do we want to address that? How do we support our aging population? Is it better and more access to healthcare,” Moore said.
The surveys will open up to the public from September 1 through the end of October.
