Editor’s Note: These photos were taken during the reporting of the story on Santolina that ran in New Mexico Political Report on Monday. Look for a video talking about the Santolina Master Plan from those in support of the plan and those in opposition of the plan on Tuesday.
Look for a video talking about the Santolina Master Plan from those in support of the plan and those in opposition of the plan on Tuesday.
Rio Rancho’s sprawling Loma Colorado master planned community by Pulte Homes is one of several referred by Santolina representatives as a recent success development story. Photo by Margaret WrightHowever, infrastructure needs in rapid growth areas like Rio Rancho remain intense, particularly when it comes to flood control. The Rio Rancho Observer’s editorial board wrote in 2013 that the city’s “problems after severe stormy weather aren’t going to go away soon, being that we sit atop a sandy, easily eroded mesa with miles of natural, unimproved arroyos that carry enormous amounts of rushing water bound for the river through populated areas.” Photo by Margaret WrightLoose sand and construction debris fill empty lots along the westernmost edge of the Loma Colorado development in Rio Rancho. Photo by Margaret WrightThe Alegria gated community in Bernalillo for adults ages 55 and older opened three years and is nearly sold out. It’s also ringed by a slew of new commercial activity, mostly national fast food chains, banks, drug stores and a Walmart. Aging baby boomers are an increasingly coveted demographic for residential real estate developers. Photo by Margaret Wright The Rio Grande Bosque habitat at Rio Bravo upstream of where the Westland Development Land Holdings meet the river valley is both resilient and highly vulnerable to human interference. On Thursday, April 2, an arson suspect was arrested near here. Photo by Margaret Wright“Lowland riparian bosques are adapted to disturbance,” writes Lisa Ellis, a biology professor at UNM, in an essay for the New Mexico Natural History Museum’s “Bosque Education Guide.” Photo by Margaret WrightEarly spring runoff courses through an acequia just north of the planned Santolina development. Photo by Margaret WrightDense new construction has sprung up in a neighborhood immediately adjacent to the northern edge of Western Albuquerque Land Holdings. Albuquerque’s southwest quadrant also has the highest number of homes at risk of being foreclosed upon. Photo by Margaret WrightAcres of earth tones characterize a cookie-cutter development in Albuquerque’s Westgate neighborhood. Photo by Margaret WrightRow upon row of indistinguishable “townhomes” have gone up in the middle of a ring of still-vacant lots near Westgate Community Park. Photo by Margaret WrightAlbuquerque’s iconic downtown skyline looks drastic different from certain Westside vantage points marked by new development. Photo by Margaret Wright
We're ad free
That means that we rely on support from readers like you. Help us keep reporting on the most important New Mexico Stories by donating today.
The Dec. 4 politics newsletter includes Legislative Finance Committe revenue tracking report, countdown to the legislative session and Meanwhile on the Hill.
A judge upheld the congressional maps that Republicans alleged included illegal gerrymandering, particularly in the case of the state’s 2nd Congressional District. Ninth Judicial…
Former New Mexico House Democratic Campaign Committee finance director Heather Berghmans announced her run for state senate District 15 on Thursday. She is running…
Panel topics discussed were legislative successes and failures, the Energy Transition Act, Gaming Commission reform, the state budget and its reliance on oil and…
The National Defense Authorization Act conference report leaves out a key provision that would have provided assistance to New Mexico “downwinders” who have become…
Luna County Commissioner Ray Trejo has witnessed first hand the economic challenges his community faces. Born and raised in Luna County, Trejo remembers when…
Public education is still recovering from the effects of COVID-19 lockdowns. The state Legislative Finance Committee’s Public Education Subcommittee released a report Wednesday detailing…
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham tested positive for COVID-19 for a third time. The governor’s office said that Lujan Grisham is experiencing mild symptoms and…
Health officials from hospitals throughout the state encouraged New Mexicans to get vaccinated against three respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. After the U.S. Food and…
Representatives from the abortion fund provider Indigenous Women Rising told members of the Interim Indian Affairs Committee on Monday that their monthly abortion fund…
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary and Trends Report shows upward trends in the nation’s high schoolers expressing they felt hopeless, considered suicide…
Representatives from the abortion fund provider Indigenous Women Rising told members of the Interim Indian Affairs Committee on Monday that their monthly abortion fund…
Tuesday marked the beginning of early voting for local elections throughout the state. It also marked the beginning of a voter education public service…
Panel topics discussed were legislative successes and failures, the Energy Transition Act, Gaming Commission reform, the state budget and its reliance on oil and…
The National Defense Authorization Act conference report leaves out a key provision that would have provided assistance to New Mexico “downwinders” who have become…
Luna County Commissioner Ray Trejo has witnessed first hand the economic challenges his community faces. Born and raised in Luna County, Trejo remembers when…
