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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — In a 3-2 vote, Bernalillo County commissioners on Tuesday approved the Santolina Level B.I Development Agreement between Western Albuquerque Land Holdings and Bernalillo County.

Commissioners Debbie O’Malley and Maggie Hart Stebbins voted against the measure while Commissioners Steven Michael Quezada, Lonnie Talbert and James Smith voted yes.

More than 20 people spoke out during public comment against the Santolina development, which at full 50-year build-out could see a population of 96,000 people, about the size of Rio Rancho. Water usage was a consistent topic of concern.

Some speakers asked for a delay in the vote while others asked individual commissioners to recuse themselves from voting on the agreement.

The agreement provides a more specific framework for the development of 4,243 acres within the Santolina property, about one-third of the entire property.

The Level B.I Plan covers in greater detail such topics as land use, transportation; parks, open space and trails; water, wastewater and drainage; along with public services, such as utilities, schools and public safety.

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According to county officials, the plan includes a maximum of about 9,400 households and the possible creation of 31,000 jobs in the plan area at the time of full build-out. The phase will include residential/commercial uses in village centers, along with a portion of a large town center, a business park, and an industrial park, together with open space and recreation facilities.

The plan area is bounded by Interstate 40 to the north, 118th Street and the escarpment open space to the east, Dennis Chavez Boulevard on the south, and the escarpment area adjacent to the Rio Puerco Valley on the west.

Commissioners approved Santolina’s first Level B Master Plan in August 2017.

The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority recently informed developers of the proposed 13,700-acre Santolina planned community that new water capacity and infrastructure will be needed to provide water and sewer services at the site – at an estimated cost of $600 million to the developer over the build-out.

Water Utility Authority officials have told developers that groundwater is available on the property, but no additional water capacity within the Water Utility Authority’s current infrastructure is available for the area.Commission OKs next step in Santolina development