"SANTAFE (2008-07-18) -- Work on Santa Fe County's new zoning and drilling ordinance is moving at a fast pace. The County's moratorium freezing drilling activities in the Galesteo Basin will expire in February 2009 and planners are using this as a target date to complete work on proposed zoning changes affecting growth and oil drilling activities in the basin.
Consultant Bruce Peshoff, from the Kansis-based growth management planners engaged by the county, says they expect to have first drafts of proposed regulations by early September. Regulations will be proposed as alternatives and will be presented to the public in workshops around the 2nd week in September
He said his team is presently amassing data about the Galesteo Basisn from experts in a number of fields to substantiate recommendations to be presented by his team.
Peshoff notes that his team has received a number of comments from the public at workshops and focus groups. About 90 people attended the most recent work shops held Monday and Tuesday of this week in Santa Fe to identify sensitive areas in the Basin and to express their concerns about drilling and future growth and land uses.
When questioned about the adequacy of public involvement in the planning effort, Peshoff said that their goal is to maintain an open relationship with the public. He feels that the workshops, while sparsely-attended, did provide valuable insight to the team. And, they plan additional focus group meeting here in Santa Fe in an effort to identify more comments.
Peshoff feels that strong stances and opinions about what should occur in the basin can be softened with more engagement and discussion with the planning team, particularly once people learn that tools exist to control growtyh and oil and gas activities. He notes that the most effective way to reach the planners with comments is to use the website set up by the team for communication purposes and that it is highly important that they hear from people. The site is OurPlanningWorks.Com/SantaFe.
© Copyright 2008, KSFR"
Consultant Bruce Peshoff, from the Kansis-based growth management planners engaged by the county, says they expect to have first drafts of proposed regulations by early September. Regulations will be proposed as alternatives and will be presented to the public in workshops around the 2nd week in September
He said his team is presently amassing data about the Galesteo Basisn from experts in a number of fields to substantiate recommendations to be presented by his team.
Peshoff notes that his team has received a number of comments from the public at workshops and focus groups. About 90 people attended the most recent work shops held Monday and Tuesday of this week in Santa Fe to identify sensitive areas in the Basin and to express their concerns about drilling and future growth and land uses.
When questioned about the adequacy of public involvement in the planning effort, Peshoff said that their goal is to maintain an open relationship with the public. He feels that the workshops, while sparsely-attended, did provide valuable insight to the team. And, they plan additional focus group meeting here in Santa Fe in an effort to identify more comments.
Peshoff feels that strong stances and opinions about what should occur in the basin can be softened with more engagement and discussion with the planning team, particularly once people learn that tools exist to control growtyh and oil and gas activities. He notes that the most effective way to reach the planners with comments is to use the website set up by the team for communication purposes and that it is highly important that they hear from people. The site is OurPlanningWorks.Com/SantaFe.
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