The Santa Fe Planning Commission on Nov. 6 recommended that the City Council approve three linked land-use applications to allow Girls Inc. of Santa Fe to build a new youth center campus at 252904 Rufina Street.

Senior planner Alexa Hempel told commissioners the applicant is seeking a general plan amendment to change the future land-use designation for Lot 3 from industrial/business park to community commercial, a rezoning of Lot 3 from I-1/I-2 to C-2 to match Lot 2A-2-2, and approval of a master plan for a campus that would include a roughly 55,000-square-foot main building, a two-story caretaker residence and a single-story teen entrepreneurship center.

The proposal calls for classrooms, a gymnasium, administrative offices and extensive outdoor programmed open space: about 2.7 acres of forested pathways, gardens, a greenhouse and play areas. Because youth centers are not permitted in I-1/I-2 zoning, Hempel said the rezoning is needed to allow Girls Inc. to proceed. She said the master plan meets C-2 dimensional standards and outlined development plan-level requirements that must be satisfied prior to building permits, including a parking study, grading and drainage plans, water and wastewater review, landscaping and architectural drawings.

The applicant estimates demand for about 68 parking spaces and submitted a traffic impact analysis recommending a suite of off-site roadway improvements to mitigate project traffic. Those recommendations include a southbound left-turn lane into the property from Rufina Circle, an eastbound right-turn lane at Rufina Street and Siler Road, a westbound left-turn lane at Rufina Circle and Calle de Cielo, median modifications at Cerritos Road and Calle de Cielo, and restriping at several intersections. Hempel said the public infrastructure improvements would be carried forward into development-plan and public-infrastructure plan approvals and implemented by the applicant; staff said no city financial participation was anticipated for those specific turn-lane works.

Representatives said the site was previously used as a plant nursery and is heavily vegetated. Applicant team members said most new buildings would be sited on already disturbed nursery areas, while the larger tract of forested open space would be preserved and used for outdoor programming. The applicant also said fire and emergency access will comply with the 2021 International Fire Code and that the project will add a new fire hydrant and provide two remote exits and fire apparatus access.

Public comment at the hearing was overwhelmingly supportive: Girls Inc. staff, board members, alumni, current participants and neighborhood organizations described the nonprofit''s programming and said the site''s central location and forested character would allow Girls Inc. to expand services and provide secure outdoor programming for more students. Speakers included current youths who described after-school activities and an alumnus who credited Girls Inc. with career and leadership opportunities.

Commissioner McGee moved the three separate recommendations: to approve the general plan amendment (case 2025-11028), approve the rezoning (case 2025-11029) and approve the master plan (case 2025-11030) subject to conditions and technical corrections in staff''s attachment A; each motion passed on roll-call votes. Staff noted that the applicant must include a phasing plan at time of development-plan submittal if the project advances in phases.

Planning staff and the applicant said additional, detailed engineering reviews will be required during subsequent development-plan review to finalize parking, drainage, architectural design and any required traffic-safety measures.

Speakers quoted in this article are recorded in Planning Commission public hearing minutes and the hearing transcript. The planning commission''s recommendation will be forwarded to the governing body for final action.