Document History
Sanchez Property Development by D. Branch
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Overview Development of the 19 acre lot previously owned by the Sanchez Family is being planned by Dennis Branch. The property is zoned R-1, and the preliminary plans are for a 21 unit subdivision with 19 lot sizes similar to those of the adjacent properties, varying between .7 and 1 acre each, and two "affordable housing" units on smaller lots to meet the City's Housing Opportunity Program (HOP) requirements. The key elements of the proposed development are; maximum allowable zoned density with 21 lots (19 R-1, plus 2 HOP lots), and a 'two entrance' street design separating Calle de Leon and Cristobal Lane. Developed lots are expected to sell for $250k-350k with the average built home value in the $800k 'and up' range. During our discussions, several elements have been brought up over and over which Mr. Branch indicates he "is not interested in", which we find most distressing and insensitive to the local resident concerns.
Revised plans were submitted as of August 15, 2005 with a completely different lot and street design than was presented at the last ENN, but Mr. Branch has refused to hold another official ENN to notify all neighbors and discuss the changes in an official public forum. There has been some change and improvement through discussions and three 'small' meetings held in Branch's office. We are happier with two separated entrances than the previous 'thru-street' plan, but there are still some serious concerns that neighbors have voiced, and that the current plans do not address to our satisfaction. Keys issues are still: density, traffic, drainage, water, lighting, and casitas. When additional information is available, we will revise or add a new article with the available details, so stay tuned! (use the ChangeDetection signup button) Concerns/Suggestions Concerns include both construction traffic and additional residential traffic. The volume, noise, dust and weight of construction traffic through existing neighborhoods and several already-dangerous intersections at either end are an issue, and would have an effect on residents along access routes, adjoining lots and especially those near the planned entrances. Intersections that would probably need to be upgraded to handle added volume are:
There is also some concern about the routing of construction traffic, and whether they would comply with the recent closure of Camino Lejo to heavy trucks. The Calle de Leon end could be serviced via Sebastian->Zia->Old Pecos... although East Zia prohibits heavy trucks there are no residences at the end before Sebastian, but the access to the Cristobal end would most likely have to be via Camino Corrales->Old Santa Fe Trail->??? which may be problematic for trucks over 5 tons. Current design plans are for NARROW streets with barely room for two cars to pass each other, and in fact the Calle de Leon entrance is designated a 'Shared Driveway'. Any street-side parking for the occasional party would pose severe restrictions to access for neighbors and emergency equipment. We (the SeNA Board) oppose the 'Shared Driveway' designation at the Leon extension as it would put future maintenance burden on the residents, and not provide a reasonable level of service for the anticipated multi-modal use in this neighborhood. The combination of narrow pavement next to the existing arroyo, with no sidewalk, would make the 'Driveway' unsafe for kids and pedestrians. The largest concern would be that without curb+gutter there would be significant ongoing maintenance that the residents would be forced to absorb as 'Shared Driveways' are not maintained by the City. Additionally, the proper maintenance of the culverts and drainage control devices should be handled by the City, so it needs to comply with code to be designated a City Street. The configuration of the Cristobal extension being a long straight street invites 'elbow-to-elbow' house design and possible drag racing that we would suggest could be avoided with a design including curves, which would also fit the topography and neighboring street design better. We suggest that paving minimum City-standard width streets with curb+gutter and storm drains to ponds and arroyos on both entrances would be strongly indicated on this lot to comply with current City guidelines, offer reasonable occasional streetside parking for future residents, and help control the runoff as there is significant slope. There may be alternate naturally colored materials such as "sand-seal", natural aggregate, or brown asphalt that would satisfy City requirements. Sidewalks may not have to be concrete, but should be hard level surfaces to comply with ADA guidelines and provide space for pedestrians out of traffic. With wider streets it may be acceptable for the design to drop the requirement for standard concrete sidewalks. The current plat proposal presents a host of issues for a number of the lots which we feel may make them 'unbuildable' without special variance for setbacks and easements as well as better planning for driveway accesses that need to cross significant arroyos. When considering unbuildable areas reserved for drainage ponds, utility/trail easements, and setback from significant arroyos... a number of the lots appear to have a very limited building envelope. Taking into consideration that the anticipated price per lot will be quite high, we feel that it is a disservice to the future potential residents to create lots that will not be able to site reasonable homes. We ask that building site envelopes be carefully considered before approving the plat. Noise during construction is a big concern. A project of this size and scope could easily take several years, during which time local residents are subject to the sound of heavy equipment moving dirt, large delivery trucks, and all the pounding, sawing, and other noises associated with construction. Initiating a large development like this in the middle of an established, mature, and quiet neighborhood, will have a large impact that should be minimized as much as possible. Suggestions to minimize impact include:
Concerns include the fact that there are several arroyos thru the property that carry significant water. Water flow should not be impeded, increased, or course changed such that it affects adjoining lots. There some concern that changing the flow and drainage may negatively affect some local private wells and/or add to drainage problems of Arroyo Chamiso crossing Conejo. Specific areas of concern raised by neighbors are:
We also now have the report on this Preliminary design from our Hydrologist. The conversion to web format added underlines, and associated arial images have not been scanned. The text of the report is readable by clicking [here]. A major concern of ANY additional development includes increased water use. Suggestions include:
Concerns include the fact that there are a number of trails that have been used by local residents for many years to access the larger arroyos to the South and East. The current plat indicates 'water and utility' easements, but it needs to be clarified that these easements will be designated public trail access as well. Specifically including the easements connecting to the Cristobal cul de sac and the Leon entrance. Additionally, the easment connecting the end of Leon to the top of the cul de sac needs to be extended to allow legal pedestrian access from the end of Leon between lots 6-7, then between 8-9, to reach the main easement allowing access to Arroyo Chamiso. Concerns include the visual impact of above-ground poles and distribution boxes for power, phone, and TV cable. The developer has promised buried utility lines, but we would like a written agreement in the Plan to also 'hide' the distribution boxes, meters, etc. behind natural features or decorative fencing/flora. Of particular concern is the powerline that is currently above ground across the proposed Calle de Leon entrance as it is low, and crosses a significant arroyo that will require a significant box culvert/bridge. We would like to see the plans include an elevation drawing showing a cross section of the arroyo, culvert/bridge, and overhead powerline clearance to verify 20' vertical clearance for trucks. Additionally, there have been questions concerning the peak capacity of electric, gas, and water with the additional demands; residents would like to see capacity estimates and approvals from all utilities PRIOR to final project approval. Concerns include the visual impact possible designs inconsistant with the neighborhood in size, style or color. In addition to design and construction, people are concerned about guest houses and Casitas raising the effective residence density. Suggestions include requiring the formation of a Homeowners Association and appropriate Covenents to control Architectural design, development and land use. Specific language should be included in the Covenants to control the look, feel, and use of the property. Items that should be specified include:
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Some of the development planning information on this page was provided by the Developers so that residents can review and prepare comments. The "Concerns/Responses" section was prepared by combining a number of concerns and issues brought forward by the public. After public meetings, we will make an effort to obtain official responses from the Developers, or attempt to paraphrase from meeting notes.