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| Photo ©2005, Esha Chiocchio |
The Galisteo Basin Preserve is a 12,800-acre conservation development project located 15 miles southeast of Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the central Galisteo Basin. An area of exceptionally fragile and ecologically significant land and water resources, the Galisteo Basin is internationally celebrated for its spectacular scenic, cultural, and wildlife habitat values. Commonweal Conservancy, a nonprofit conservation-based community development organization, is spearheading the initiative.
In collaboration with representatives of Santa Fe County, conservationists, archaeologists, professional planners, and neighborhood groups, Commonweal Conservancy is working to purchase the Preserve, previously known as Thornton Ranch. The approximately 20-square-mile property is considered a "high risk development area"—one whose subdivision into widely dispersed "ranchettes" would threaten the scenic, wildlife habitat, water, public service (e.g., schools, fire fighting and police), historic, cultural, and traditional economic resources of the central Galisteo Basin.
To protect the property's most significant environmental and cultural resources, Commonweal Conservancy negotiated an agreement to purchase the Preserve in five phases. Rather than allowing the property to be subdivided into 12.5-acre and 40-acre home sites, a carefully sited, environmentally sensitive village development will accommodate a rich variety of mixed-income residential and community-serving land uses within a "development envelope" of approximately 300 acres. Village design and construction standards will exemplify the values and principles of low-impact, resource efficient, sustainable development.
The vast majority of the property—approximately 12,000 acres—will be protected and restored as publicly accessible open space.
In the Preserve's first phase of development, Commonweal Conservancy has marketed home sites in three environmentally responsible conservation neighborhoods: Southern Crescent, West Basin, and New Moon Overlook. Property sales in these neighborhoods help to support the Village development process and the acquisition, conservation, and stewardship of the Galisteo Basin Preserve's thousands of acres of public open space. |
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