Morningstar Goes Back to the Drawing Board

Mayor Javier Gonzales has decided to ask the City Council to send the Morningstar senior living development back to the drawing board—or at least, to the Planning Commission.

The development was approved after the mayor cast a tie-breaking vote during a July 8 City Council meeting that stretched into the wee hours of the morning, following lengthy public testimony from area residents opposing the change the development would bring to the Old Pecos Trail area.

Mayor Gonzales announced that he intends to move for the Planning Commission to discuss how the proposed development might be adapted to become better compatible with surrounding properties. He specifically suggests the commission consider the height, massing, floor stepbacks, color, windows and visual buffering.

Opponents pointed out during the meeting that the site sits atop a ridge and would greatly affect the sense of Santa Fe for those who arrive in the city via the historic Old Pecos Trail route.

"I remain concerned about the design, and I am also deeply troubled by the divisiveness this case has revealed in our community," the mayor said in a press release. "As divided as this community is right now, doing our honest best to find common ground is the least we can do, and I will never slam the door shut on that chance. I've reached out to stakeholders in this project, and I'm asking for their earnest participation in solving this problem."

He continued to express that the process had not allowed those involved to find a compromise. During the City Council meeting, the Southeast Neighborhood Association, which had appealed the Planning Commission's initial approval of the development, was given the chance to negotiate with the developer on the size of the proposed 104-bed housing project. The developers offered to reduce the size of the development from 73,550 to 70,550 square feet, but the neighborhood association would not budge in their desire to see the area developed per existing zoning, which allows for one dwelling per acre.

"I'm not happy with the way this process played out," the mayor said in a press release. "This motion gives us a chance to find a better solution, and I am hopeful that's exactly what we will get."

During the July 8 meeting, the council was split on the development based on concerns over whether it fit the definition of a "continuing care facility," which could receive the zoning exemption requested, as well as how it would affect the nearby historic transportation corridor. If Gonzales' motion carries, the Planning Commission will revisit the development, and if not, construction will move forward as planned.

Santa Fe Reporter