The Major Subdivisions You Don't Know About
The Issue
On one hand, Taos County's Subdivision Regulations are overburdening contractors and developers. On the other hand, there is an old loophole (Family Transfer Exemption, FTE) that developers are using to subvert all regulatory requirements and avoid public process for major housing developments.
The result?
An inflated housing market, dry wells, overburdened roads, and lack of public process and oversight.
Did you know that Major Subdivisions in Taos County need to also generate a large percentage of affordable housing? If developers use an FTE, they don't need to provide any affordable housing. One development in Taos, that has plans to build houses on 200-acres, is selling homes at a median price of $670,000, more than double the requirements for affordable housing in Taos. Additionally, the vast majority of these home sales are for out-of-state owners.
The exemption involves transferring parcels to family members for the intent of supporting generational wealth among traditional land-owning families. This is being misused to develop land, build homes, and sell to third party out-of-state owners. While other counties in New Mexico have put certain restrictions on this exemption, Taos County does not have any such restrictions in place, meaning the exemption can be, and has been, misused to fast-track development without the opportunity for public oversight or comment. We feel it is imperative that our input be taken into consideration with all new development proposals, as anything less would undermine the very foundation of representational governance.
In 2025, a small group of neighbors were successfully granted the first ever right to appeal an FTE approval by the county. The goal is to ensure that FTE's serve and honor those the exemption was designed to benefit, instead of benefiting a select few wealthy developers, inflating our local housing market and establishing the opposite of the historic rule's intent: pricing out locals from the housing market and damaging the preservation of generational cultural ties and land ownership.
The hearing will take place on January 14, at 9:00 AM at 105 Albright St. in the Commission Chambers (right building, first floor).
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The Issue
On one hand, Taos County's Subdivision Regulations are overburdening contractors and developers. On the other hand, there is an old loophole (Family Transfer Exemption, FTE) that developers are using to subvert all regulatory requirements and avoid public process for major housing developments.
The result?
An inflated housing market, dry wells, overburdened roads, and lack of public process and oversight.
Did you know that Major Subdivisions in Taos County need to also generate a large percentage of affordable housing? If developers use an FTE, they don't need to provide any affordable housing. One development in Taos, that has plans to build houses on 200-acres, is selling homes at a median price of $670,000, more than double the requirements for affordable housing in Taos. Additionally, the vast majority of these home sales are for out-of-state owners.
The exemption involves transferring parcels to family members for the intent of supporting generational wealth among traditional land-owning families. This is being misused to develop land, build homes, and sell to third party out-of-state owners. While other counties in New Mexico have put certain restrictions on this exemption, Taos County does not have any such restrictions in place, meaning the exemption can be, and has been, misused to fast-track development without the opportunity for public oversight or comment. We feel it is imperative that our input be taken into consideration with all new development proposals, as anything less would undermine the very foundation of representational governance.
In 2025, a small group of neighbors were successfully granted the first ever right to appeal an FTE approval by the county. The goal is to ensure that FTE's serve and honor those the exemption was designed to benefit, instead of benefiting a select few wealthy developers, inflating our local housing market and establishing the opposite of the historic rule's intent: pricing out locals from the housing market and damaging the preservation of generational cultural ties and land ownership.
The hearing will take place on January 14, at 9:00 AM at 105 Albright St. in the Commission Chambers (right building, first floor).
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Petition created on January 6, 2025