There have been conflicts, some of them more memorable than others, over land-use policy in Santa Fe County. If one is standing on the sidelines trying to see things fairly, there are always sound arguments for the rights of land owners. After all, it's the West and individualism reigns.

However, in few of these situations do we ever seem to give over our priorities and needs to those who will follow us — like our grandchildren and great grandchildren. Can't we as a community step back and imagine a future that includes the same beautiful, undeveloped mountains that embrace us now? How dare we dig into these elegant reminders of our brief, insignificant time on the planet and forsake their beauty for the rights of an individual family or group of developers.

This community provides a rich upbringing of cultural heritage that informs the creativity that has blessed some people with great financial rewards. What will they leave our community as their legacy, a big house in an historic or formerly pristine area?

I find it so hard to understand why we get bogged down in these issues about the rights of oil-and-gas developers or real-estate developers or wealthy designers and our own self-interest in gaining financial rewards now, while we eliminate these vistas and special places for our kids. What does it take to embrace a sense of responsibility for and to those who will follow? Why isn't this the central part of our conversation? Why don't these issues trump the here and now? Why can't we have clear, explicit ordinances around land use that place a high priority on the future and the kind of world we should and must leave to those who will experience our place in 2050 and beyond?

I have to say that I am, once again, sympathetic to the Watson family and their need to sell their land on Sun Mountain, and to the developer who has been eloquent and willing to cooperate with the neighbors from the beginning. Even so, can't we look down the road? Can't we find a way to keep this beautiful backdrop on our city protected? Sun and Moon mountains are sacred places for those of us in the Museum Hill area. Their beauty extends well beyond our neighborhood to many of the folks to the south. They are the graceful sentries that welcome drivers headed into Santa Fe on our last undeveloped portal, the Old Pecos Trail, a portal that itself was once threatened by the battle over a gas station. Thank God for the good folks who fought that battle and won.

As we begin to engage in the Save Sun Mountain conflict, how about placing all of our immediate interests aside and focusing on legacy. Let's focus on how we want our children and future visitors to see our unique place. What will we leave them? More big electrical boxes on our Plaza? More sliced and diced mountains? When can we have land-use policies that place the highest priorities on those who will follow? Please, let's be the generation that rearranges the current value system of greed and indifference to a set of values about legacy and how we want our grandkids to see Santa Fe.

Jan Brooks is a consultant to philanthropic foundations and co-owner of Coulter-Brooks Art and Antiques. She lives in Santa Fe.