Minutes For October 27, 2005

Des Montes Neighborhood Association Meeting October 27, 2005A good turn out of the community attended a meeting on Oct. 27 in a show of interest and support as we approach the task of developing land use regulations which will protect and preserve the Des Montes area in the future. Taos County officials were present to explain the proposed ordinance 2005-10 which will come before the county board on November 7. Substantial support exists for creating a process to allow neighbors to have a say in how this area will develop. It is vitally important for citizens here to clarify the needs of the community, as presently we have no jurisdiction at all, and no strict limitations in place. County Commissioner of District IV, Nick Jaramillo explained that Ordinance 1997-4 has many loopholes that we need to address if the Des Montes area is to remain a residential and agricultural community. Des Montes is an unincorporated town and there is no legislature in place to prevent condos from coming in.The proposed condominiums on Hondo Seco Road may have opened the door for more development of Des Montes. A work force is needed to gather input from the people who live here, and then put into writing precise restrictions based upon the desires of our community. Alan Vigil, Taos County Planning Director, stressed that we cannot stop growth, but we can hope to control growth to best meet our needs by establishing a legal document which will give the County Board “standing ground to prevent over-development”. Standards to govern issues such as population density, infrastructure, water policy, liquid waste (septic and sewer), shared wells, architectural guidelines regarding building height and size, and setbacks from roads and neighbor’s property lines need to be specified in writing in a legal format. We need to craft the language that will protect our needs here in Des Montes, otherwise the County Planning Board will have no recourse but to approve development. Gerald Nichols, Taos County Assessor, explained reassessment and future tax base “reshuffling” as a result of development and land use. The 3% cap remains in effect except for those undergoing rezoning or upon the sale of property. However, reassessment is coming to us all anyway. We are now appraised at only 50%, but the Governor of New Mexico is stating he wants statewide reassessment which will result in taxes to reflect 85% of resale value. Nichols also shared maps and aerial photographs to clearly define the Des Montes area for a survey of property owners in Des Montes. Gary Ferguson, a key member of the Upper Las Colonias Neighborhood Association, was present to answer questions about how that community went about creating regulations to govern development. Surveys to gather information from the community, discuss the needs and desires of the people, hash it out, then set the specifics down and adopt the regulations and bring it before the County Planning Board requires commitment.Taos County does not want to restrict property owners. County officials want us to let them know what we want and how we want our community to develop in the future. We now have ineffective land use regulations which need updating. Effective land use regulations need to be “on the books” soon, before more requests for development permits come in. Immediate steps can be taken. Write letters to Taos County Commissioners, 105 Albright, Taos, to support public review of plans and special use permits for development and condos. Be at the Taos County Board Meeting on November 7, to show support and urge Commissioners to pass Ordinance 2005-10.Respectfully submitted, Kathleen McGinty