FAQ

What is Tierra Contenta?

Tierra Contenta is a Planned Residential Community located in southwest Santa Fe intended to encourage the creation of affordable housing and sustainable growth. The land comprising Tierra Contenta was originally annexed by the City of Santa Fe in 1985. In 1994, the Santa Fe City Council approved the following documents that initiated the development of Tierra Contenta:

1. The Restated Annexation Agreement, “Tierra Contenta, Wolgamood Subdivision and Contiguous Lands (East)” which outlines the obligations of each property owner and the City for the development of the property, including the affordable housing obligations on the TCC-owned property.
2. The Tierra Contenta Master Plan, which included 1,331 acres of property rezoned to Planned Residential Community (PRC), plus 90 acres of property outside the PRC zoning, for a total 1,421 acres. Of this total land area, the City owned 860 acres, which it deeded to the Tierra Contenta Corporation.
3. Purchase agreement and promissory note to the City conveying 860 acres from the City to the Tierra Contenta Corporation.

What is the Tierra Contenta Corporation?

The Tierra Contenta Corporation (TCC) was created by the City of Santa Fe in 1994 for the purpose of implementing the Tierra Contenta Master Plan on its behalf.  The Corporation’s Board of Directors is made up of volunteers from the Santa Fe area representing a wide range of expertise.  TCC’s primary objective is to support the creation of high-quality, livable, sustainably-built neighborhoods and to incentivize builders to provide homes to lower-and-middle-income families.

What does the Tierra Contenta Corporation do?

Since its creation in 1994, the Tierra Contenta Corporation has provided land in Phases 1 and 2 to homebuilders at below-market costs that enable them to build a mixture of affordable and market-rate homes. TCC has also provided land for open space, schools, and community facilities. Its Architectural Review Committee reviews plans for each new subdivision or development in Phases 1 and 2 to ensure that the design standards for each phase are followed. All revenues from land sales are reinvested in TCC operations, Tierra Contenta community improvements, and repaying the City’s original loan for the land purchase.

What is the Tierra Contenta Master Plan?

The Tierra Contenta Master Plan outlines land uses and densities for all properties covered by the Annexation Agreement. Each phase of the plan requires approval of a Master Plat by the Santa Fe Planning Commission, which creates the development tracts and associated Design Standards. Following this, Subdivision Plats and Development Plans for individual tracts within each phase must also receive Planning Commission approval. Before City review, the Architectural Review Committee evaluates each Subdivision Plat and Development Plan to ensure compliance with the Master Plan, the approved Master Plat, and the Design Standards specific to the phase. Except where otherwise specified in the Tierra Contenta Master Plan, Annexation Agreement, or phase-specific Design Standards, all development in Tierra Contenta must adhere to the City of Santa Fe’s land development regulations.

What is the 2021 Tierra Contenta Master Plan Amendment?

In October of 2021, the Santa Fe City Council approved an amendment to the Tierra Contenta Master Plan, focused on approximately 216 acres of land referenced as Phase 3A. The remainder of land in Phase 3 is owned by the New Mexico School for the Deaf (NMSD), and there are no plans to develop Phase 3B at this time. The purpose of the 2021 Master Plan Amendment was to respond to shifting market conditions, to provide more housing diversity, to improve pedestrian connectivity, and to implement design changes to address lessons learned from previous phases. The following is the resulting land use summary for Phase 3A:

In response to City and neighborhood feedback on previous phases, the design standards for Phase 3A take a form-based approach aimed at promoting housing type diversity and affordability. All residential tracts are designated as “Mixed Residential” to emphasize that a mixture of housing types is a desired goal. An overall increase in density to 1,500 units is intended to encourage and facilitate the creation of a diversity of housing types, incorporating sustainability measures, and increasing the level of affordability where possible.

What is the status of Phase 3A development?

In December 2024, after 30 years of pioneering affordable housing and community development on Santa Fe’s Southside, Tierra Contenta Corporation (TCC) partnered with Homewise, a leader in affordable homeownership, to complete the third phase of the Tierra Contenta. As with previous phases, forty percent of the homes will be reserved for affordable housing – a standard set by TCC since the community’s inception. TCC’s legacy is one of inclusivity and transformation. Through its dedication to affordability and careful planning, the corporation shaped Tierra Contenta into a thriving, mixed-income community that will continue to meet the needs of Santa Fe’s most diverse populations.

Homewise will develop the infrastructure for Phase 3 of Tierra Contenta and sell land to other builders, ensuring a mixture of housing options, from single-family homes to apartment flats, with incentives to develop “missing middle” housing types such as duplexes, triplexes, and casita courts. Homewise will also establish an Architectural Review Committee to ensure that all developments adhere to the Phase 3A Design Standards, which focus on sustainability, pedestrian-friendly streetscapes, and diverse housing options​.