Attention Santa Fe County residents: Speak now or lose the right to complain later. If you have opinions about sprawl, water use, affordable housing, open space, transportation or roads, now is the time to make them known.

Santa Fe County is conducting a sweeping revision of its growth-management and land-use code. Plans made now will affect decisions made by the county for the next two decades.

As a first step in the process, Santa Fe County is asking residents to help paint a picture of what they want Santa Fe to look like in the future.

"What we want to know, is how do you view yourselves?" said Santa Fe County Land Use Director Jack Kolkmeyer.

To this end, county planners have divided the county into four "growth-management" areas. They'll conduct public meetings in each of the four areas over the next few months to allow residents to discuss their visions for the future.

The county's general plan was last revised in 1999. County staff members have been working toward updating it for the past four years. But the process is about to be accelerated because Santa Fe County has decided to hire land-use attorney Robert Freilich and the Planning Works firm — who also wrote the new oil-and-gas regulations — to finish the job.

"We have a real expert on our team now," Kolkmeyer said.

According to county spokesman Stephen Ulibarri, Freilich's approach to planning for growth is more "holistic" than what has been done in the past.

"What happened before was planning had been done almost by accident, piecemeal," Ulibarri said. "A developer would come in and propose a development, and we'd go in and write an ordinance to deal with that type of development. We were being reactive, and we don't want to be reactive. We want to be able to be strategic in the way we plan for growth."

One of the tools used in writing the oil-and-gas regulations that will be used in updating the land-use codes is suitability maps.

Dozens of factors will be considered to decide the suitability of a certain area for development. Depending on the results, areas will be designated as belonging to a certain "tier" — for example a growth tier, communities tier or agricultural tier — which will help determine issues such as allowable lot sizes.

The county's existing code — which attempts to tie lot size to water availability — hasn't been entirely successful because allowances like density bonuses and family transfers have allowed lots to be divided into smaller parcels than intended in many areas. The result, according to Kolkmeyer, is that Santa Fe County now has an "abundance" of single-family, approved undeveloped lots (about 15,000), many of which are not in areas considered suitable for growth.

The new process will still consider water, Kolkmeyer said, but also will consider proximity to roads and water systems. Robert Griego, county planning and zoning supervisor, said the pre-existing community plans county residents already have been working on will be considered when writing the new plan.

An interim development ordinance that would have put a halt to most land divisions in the county while the plan is being written was tabled at the last commission meeting. Ulibarri said county staff has not yet decided if or when the moratorium will be reconsidered.

There will be three-day public participation "charrettes" in each of the four growth-management areas over the next few months.

The county has also created an information center about growth planning in the second-floor hallway at the County Administration Building at 102 Grant Ave. It includes maps detailing some of the criteria being considered in this process.

EL NORTE

Santa Fe County from the Rio Arriba County line to just north of Tesuque as been designated as El Norte. Meetings to gather public input in this area will be held at the County's Pojoaque Satellite Office, 17839A U.S. 84/285:

Feb. 2: Kickoff, 6 to 8 p.m.
Feb. 3: Open house, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.
Feb. 4: Workshop, 6 to 8 p.m.

Issues of interest in the El Norte area include:
• Water and wastewater systems
• Relationships with Española and the pueblos
• Fire protection
• Transportation
• Economic development
• Housing

EL CENTRO

Santa Fe County south from Tesuque to just south of La Cienega, including the city of Santa Fe and Rancho Viejo, has been designated as the El Centro area. Meetings to gather public input in this area will be held in the Jemez Room at Santa Fe Community College, 6401 Richards Ave.

Feb. 9: Kickoff, 6 to 8 p.m.
Feb. 10: Open house, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.
Feb. 11: Workshop, 6 to 8 p.m.

Issues of interest in the El Centro area include:
• Annexation, relations with the city of Santa Fe.
• Transportation
• Economic development
• Film studios
• The Downs at Santa Fe
• Road connections
• Water and wastewater

GALISTEO

Santa Fe County south of La Cienega — including Eldorado, Cañoncito, Cerrillos, Lamy, Galisteo and Golden — has been designated the Galisteo area. Meetings to gather public in put in this area will be held at the Galisteo Community Center, 35 Avenida Vieja.

Feb. 23: Kickoff, 6 to 8 p.m.
Feb. 24: Open house, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.
Feb. 25: Workshop, 6 to 8 p.m.

Issues of interest in the Galisteo area include:
• Ranching
• Mining
• Traditional communities
• Home businesses
• Eco-tourism
• Road connections
• Water and wastewater

ESTANCIA

The southern tip of Santa Fe County — including Cedar Grove, Stanley, White Lakes and Edgewood — has been designated as the Estancia area. Meetings to gather public input in this area will be held at the Edgewood Senior Center.

March 2: Kickoff, 6 to 8 p.m.
March 3: Open house, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.
March 4: Workshop, 6 to 8 p.m.

Issues on interest in the Estancia area include:
• Clarifying the Edgewood boundary
• Planning for the arrival of a racetrack in Moriarity
• Preservation of agricultural land
• Potential growth