On May 28, the chair of the Corrales Comprehensive Planning Committee presented the interim comprehensive plan to the council.
During the presentation, Chairwoman Chris Allen highlighted the values and goals the committee had gathered from Corraleños during 50-plus public meetings.
“We’ve identified six values that we feel the residents of Corrales really treasure and want to maintain,†Allen said. “We have also identified challenges, opportunities and goals under each of those values.â€
The committee identified the following core values toward building a plan for the future of the village: rural character, a sense of community, sustainable development, environmental stewardship, public health and safety and responsive government.
Committee member Steve Levine created ten panels. Some of the panels provide background information and an explanation of the plan, while others focus on each core value, outlining the goals, challenges and opportunities associated with each value.
The panels have been available for viewing at the Old Gym for community feedback, with committee members on hand to answer questions. The last day to view them is Friday, June 14, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. They are also accessible on the village website at www.corrales-nm.org/media/22131.
According to Village Clerk Melanie Romero, once the committee has gathered all the feedback from the community and identified the issues, they will create an action plan. The committee will collaborate with village administration and department heads to discuss the feasibility of the recommendations.
The final stage of the comprehensive plan is the writing phase, and they aim to have a final version ready for adoption by the end of the summer.
The goals for the values
According to the panels, residents prioritize rural values as the foremost consideration for village officials when enacting legislation or taking action. This involves preserving and safeguarding open spaces, farmland, and natural habitats, while also promoting farming and animal husbandry practices to enhance local food resilience.
Corraleños want to foster a strong sense of community by preserving their history and heritage, organizing community events, enhancing communication channels, and offering meaningful volunteer opportunities.
To achieve sustainable development, respondents said they want to align zoning and land use regulations with the village’s core values. This includes preserving historic buildings and open spaces, supporting local businesses and addressing infrastructure and maintenance of public roads and paths.
Environmental stewardship involves improving irrigation, safeguarding water quality, preserving trees, managing light, air and noise pollution and conserving native plants while promoting their use.
The committee reported that the community also values public health and safety. Associated goals include developing a community master plan to support emergency services with improvements in forest fire suppression, flood safety and communal wastewater systems. They also aim to enhance safety for walking, bicycling and horseback riding throughout the village and to provide services that support the community’s health, economic and housing needs.
The community’s final priority is a responsive government. They want a dedicated community planning department to prioritize proactive community planning, spend taxpayer money wisely, advocate for community values and improve communication with the community.
Community input
The public will have an opportunity to leave comments for the committee at the Old Gym or can email them to Compcomvoc@gmail.com.
Residents are encouraged to give input during the next regular council meeting at 6:30 p.m. June 11 at 4324 Corrales Road, or via Zoom.