Plans are underway for the construction of up to 65 new homes off a creek and near a rural village to the southeast of Santa Fe.
A Santa Fe businessman has purchased around 1,200 acres near the Cow Creek, eight miles to the east of the village of Pecos, with the idea of building the residences in phases over a period of two decades, with the first 19 to go up in the next four years.
The two to three-bedroom houses will be built on 2 to 7-acre sites, with water well and septic system connections.
The project has sparked some opposition among area residents who have expressed concerns that the development will attract too much traffic in a decidedly rural part of the state, while also putting pressure on the area’s groundwater supply.
In response, project owner and developer Gerald Peters has maintained that his goal is to preserve the waters of the wooded Cow Creek, which is a tributary to the Pecos River.
In a statement to the Santa Fe New Mexican, Peters asserted that the proposed development “does not threaten the quality of lifestyle or the environment that currently exists.”
An environmental analysis is currently underway regarding the project, which is also expected to be the subject of an upcoming Miguel County Zoning Commission.
By Garry Boulard
