The Santa Fe Planning Commission on Oct. 2 heard summaries of two “livability series” talks that commissioners said helped shape thinking on the city’s land development code rewrite, and staff described Phase 1 provisions including an affordability incentive that would allow up to four housing units on a 1‑acre lot if at least one unit is affordable.

Commissioners said the presentations — originally given to a small cohort that included commissioners and county representatives — emphasized how zoning shapes transportation, housing types, climate resilience and neighborhood form. The commission’s recap named speaker Sarah Bronin, who reviewed Hartford’s reforms, and architect Daniel Paralek, who discussed “missing middle” housing types (duplexes, triplexes, four‑plexes, bungalow courts and courtyard apartments) and visual approaches to community engagement.

Why it matters: Planning commissioners will vote on recommendations to the governing body as part of a multi‑phase code rewrite. Changes to the land development code determine which housing types can be built by right, whether applications require public hearings, and which incentive programs apply — decisions that affect affordability, walkability and project timelines.

Commissioners summarized several examples given in the presentations. According to the meeting recap, Bronin described efforts in Hartford that made some multifamily housing “as‑of‑right” within form‑based areas, reduced or removed separate public hearings for certain housing types by building standards into code, legalized urban agriculture and reduced parking mandates. The commission said those steps were presented as ways to increase housing options while preserving neighborhood character.

Paralek’s remarks — as recounted by commissioners — focused on the missing middle as a suite of house‑scale multiunit types that can add “gentle density” without large vertical apartment blocks. Commissioners said Paralek emphasized using photographs and visuals, rather than abstract numeric measures, to show residents what new housing would look like in their neighborhoods. The recap attributed a direct quote to Paralek: “The worst thing in my mind is density without amenity.”

Staff described how Phase 1 of the land development code update would introduce specific incentives and clarifications. According to planning staff, the “enhanced affordability incentive” in the Santa Fe Homes program would allow a vacant 1‑acre lot to have up to four units if at least one unit is designated affordable; the incentive can also apply to existing large houses converted into multiple units. Staff said accessory dwelling units (ADUs) remain exempt from density calculations under current rules, and that the affordability incentive would be processed administratively (not as individual planning commission hearings) for qualifying projects. The meeting transcript records staff explaining that whether units are separately deeded is “up to the owner.”

Commissioners and staff also discussed parking and street design guidance raised in the presentations. Commissioners reported Paralek recommended curb‑to‑curb street widths of about 28–30 feet to support walkability and suggested limiting required off‑street parking to roughly one space per development in some contexts; staff cautioned that reducing parking minimums can shift review burdens (for example, requiring parking demand studies) and that changing parking rules can affect application timelines and costs.

Several commissioners said the presentations underscored the need to work closely with legal counsel on public‑engagement practices and the Open Meetings Act so the commission can pursue outreach and code recommendations without triggering procedural violations. Commissioners also discussed phased implementation: Phase 1 adds incentives and basic allowances (for example, missing‑middle types), while later phases would develop detailed form‑based or area‑specific standards.

Staff said a disposition report (a crosswalk that shows existing code text, new code text and where changes moved) will accompany any proposed legislation and will be shared with commissioners once finalized. Commissioners and staff discussed timing for an introduction to the governing body and noted that, if introduced, subsequent public hearings would follow the introduction. The transcript shows staff agreement to circulate the disposition report when it is ready.

Commissioners said they plan additional study sessions and community outreach to illustrate how the changes would look at block and street levels before voting on formal recommendations to the governing body. Several commissioners urged using images and neighborhood examples to frame the discussion for residents and neighborhood groups.