To: Connie Chavez, Linda Barbour, Joe Chavez, Francine Suarez, Yvette Chavez, Lonnie Talbert, Wayne Johnson, Debbie O'Malley, Art de la Cruz, Maggie Hart, Commissioners, Javier Martinez, and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham

Another 'Zombie Development?' Vote NO on the Santolina Master Plan!

Vote no on the building of the proposed 13,700 acre Santolina Master Plan! We don't need or want another massive development on the West Mesa that will pose many long-term negative impacts on our communities and the entire City of Albuquerque.

Why is this important?

The Santolina Master Plan is a massive 13,700 acre development that is being proposed to be built on the West Mesa. At build-out, it will have over 37,000 housing units with a population of over 95,000. There are many factors that should concern us regarding the Santolina Master Plan:
• The hefty price tag that taxpayers will have to cover (schools and roads alone are already estimated at over $1 billion!)
• It proposes an exorbitant level of water use - over 19 million gallons of water per day - these amounts of water required to support the Santolina Master Plan are concerning and are simply not viable in our times of drought
• It would increase aquifer depletion in the Rio Grande Basin
• It poses a subsequent de-watering of wells in both the North and South Valleys
• The “retirement” or transfer of acequia Pre-1907 water rights from irrigated lands in the Middle Rio Grande Administrative Area (MRGA) to satisfy the conditions of approval for the ABCWUA ground water permit RG-960, thus if the Santolina Master Plan is approved, it is likely that Acequias who have ‘vested’ pre-1907 water rights would be threatened.
• It would be built on a highly erodible area of large sand dunes
• Bottom line, the Santolina Master Plan poses a threat to the cultural, historic and natural tapestry of our Acequias and our precious green belt along the Rio Grande.

The Santolina Master Plan WILL negatively impact the well being and livelihood of our city and our communities.