Santa Fe Standard

Santa Fe County's Growth Management Department is set to host a series of community meetings focused on the conditional use permitting (CUP) process for commercial renewable energy projects and hazard mitigation. This initiative comes in response to concerns raised by residents regarding the AES Clean Energy Solar project application. The aim is to provide information and education to the public before the formal quasi-judicial hearings mandated by the Sustainable Land Development Code.

The first meeting, scheduled for October 22, 2024, will be led by staff from the Growth Management Department. It will cover the development review process and criteria used to assess whether proposed uses are permissible. An overview of the CUP process and criteria employed during quasi-judicial public hearings will also be provided. As stated in Chapter 4 of the Sustainable Land Development Code, this meeting allows public commentary on proposed projects before a hearing officer and the Santa Fe County Planning Commission.

Residents are encouraged to submit their questions by October 16, 2024, at 5:00 p.m., using a provided link for pre-meeting questions.

The community meeting will take place virtually via Webex on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. Stakeholders are urged to attend as it presents an opportunity to understand the permitting process thoroughly, learn about public participation roles, and gain insights into the specific AES project under review. A second meeting led by fire staff and third-party hazard mitigation experts is planned for November 5, 2024. Both meetings will be held online.

For further details on the AES project application or any inquiries related to these meetings, interested parties can contact Building and Development Manager Jordan Yutzy at 505-992-9866 or via email at Jyutzy@santafecountynm.gov.