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Santolina development on the agenda for Tuesday’s Bernalillo County Commission meeting
A microwave communications tower stands near the center of the proposed Santolina development in Southwest Bernalillo County in this 2015 photo. The view is from Shelly Road looking east. The Bernalillo County Commission is holding a special zoning meeting on the revised Bernalillo County Comprehensive Plan on Tuesday, March 19, at 3 p.m. The Santolina Master Plan is repeatedly referenced throughout the comprehensive plan. The special zoning meeting will be held hybrid, in person at 415 Silver SW and remotely. Those wishing to make a public comment must sign up by 2 p.m. on Tuesday.
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A community known as the Santolina development that is planned for southwest Bernalillo County may produce less revenue and attract fewer residents than county officials anticipated.
Bernalillo County commissioners are set to hear about the potential impacts of the development at their Tuesday administrative meeting. The commissioners are scheduled to discuss the report during a regular meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday at 415 Silver SW.
The Santolina development would cover 13,000 acres west of Albuquerque. In 2015, county commissioners approved the first level of planning for the community and in 2022 approved the next level master plan, which allows developers to haul in water in lieu of executing a development agreement with the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority.
The Santolina development’s target population and job growth are likely overstated, according to a University of New Mexico Bureau of Business and Economic Research report.
Bernalillo County approved a tax increment development district for Santolina, which would allocate some of the future tax revenues to reimburse the developers for infrastructure costs. Under that scenario, the BBER report found that the Santolina development may cost New Mexico governments more money than it generates. But the researchers said they did not have enough data to estimate ongoing costs for providing public services and maintaining public facilities.
The report recommends additional research on the potential cost of the development.
