Saturday, September 22 -- “This is what we need,” said Mayor Bobby Duran, after seeing a preview of the PlaceMakers’ final presentation on Friday night.

“Of course, not everyone will agree with everything,” he continued. “But we need to grow, and the county needs to grow.

“This is my 28th year in public office,” said the mayor, “and I’m at the point in my life where I want to get stuff done. I want to get it right for future generations. Let’s do this the way it should have been done years ago.”

What the audience saw last night was a draft of the new Land Use Master Plan and Development Code, based on principles of the form-based SmartCode. Among the proposals:

• Roundabouts for two intersections where Paseo crosses Kit Carson and Placitas;
• Affordable living ideas, including sketches of a neighborhood-friendly Motor Coach Village and a one-story, multifamily complex where each family could have a private courtyard;
• And a plan to move traffic more efficiently through the most congested corridor of Taos.

“It’s shockingly simple,” said PlaceMakers principal Susan Henderson of the traffic management plan.“ It’s a matter of timing and coordinating the lights.”

As for expectations moving forward, the process will likely proceed like this: Over the course of the next six to eight weeks, town planning staff will further present the ideas in consideration to various neighborhood groups and others seeking more details, and will be involved in back and forth discussions with the consulting team on particular aspects of the plan. Thereafter, PlaceMakers will issue their finalized report summarizing the whole of their recommendations.

"The charrette was an intense, five day operation," notes long range town planner Matthew Foster, "during which the bulk of issues was considered. But it's impossible to dot every i and cross every t in a five day period. PlaceMakers' final report will be the definitive source."

At that time, the proposal will enter Taos' existing political process, including the normal opportunities for public comment and review, and ultimately become subject to the decisions of the Planning and Zoning Commission and Town Council.

The PlaceMakers presentation included research on economic trends in the town and county. One category of that research, an analysis of supportable retail space, suggested that the kind of market that attracts most big box retail to a region does not exist. That should put to rest some fears of locals that the big box retailers are poised to pounce and destroy the character of the city. There was also the suggestion in the economic study that trends over the next five years favor small-scale retail, bars and restaurants that can serve both the locals and tourists -- provided the community sets rules that cluster new businesses in appropriate ways in keeping with the look and feel of Taos.

The proposals were developed after weeks of study of the community’s Vision 2020 Plan and the charrette’s concentrated engagement with citizens, elected officials, town staffers, developers, and interested folks from throughout the region. At least 250 visitors made their way through charrette sessions and open-house visits during the week, including all of the town’s elected officials.

“We’ll have to see how the final version turns out and how the community responds,” said Councilwoman Erlinda Gonzales after the presentation. “But from everything I’ve heard so far, this week went well.”

Several locals became instant fans of both the charrette process and its goals. “I spent 13-plus hours at the charrette this week,” said bicycle advocate Rose Bauhs, “and I’m proud of the town and the consultants for making this happen.”

Daisy Coles, a recent transplant to Taos, said, “I’m so excited. I want to be a part of this whole effort. I want to go to City Hall and make sure this happens.”

Developer Dave DiCicco, who also attended many of the charrette meetings, said, “I’m especially impressed that the PlaceMakers team was able not only to demonstrate what Taos can be but also to put it in visual terms that everyone can understand.

“The thing I’ve always liked about the SmartCode approach,” DeCicco said, “is that if you have a code like this everyone knows what to expect. Now, everything ends up in a public meeting. The few things that get through can require years of judicial processes. If we adopt this kind of system, it will be easier on everyone.”

The PlaceMakers consultants returned the compliments to Taos. “For a place to be this small and attract so many people from around the globe is really a tribute to Taos,” said Henderson.

“The building types here are unique to the world,” said PlaceMakers planner Howard Blackson. “They are as unique as the famous types you see in San Francisco or New Orleans or Osaka. So we felt an obligation to invest the time and energy into helping Taos preserve this special character. If we needed any reminder of how important that effort was, citizens showed up everyday to remind us.”

Henderson ended the Friday night presentation with a request to Taos residents to take the message from the charrette into their communities and associations. Those who have put so much time into learning about the SmartCode during the week are officially appointed SmartCode “deputies,” said Henderson. And the PlaceMakers created a graphic image of a SmartCode Deputy badge to underline the point.

“Now it’s up to you,” Henderson told the attendees. “You have to keep the conversation going with the people who did not attend the charrette meetings. You have to make them feel comfortable that their interests were represented and that they’ll be proud of the results, as well.”