At the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) Board Meeting on December 4th, both County Commissioner Steven Michael Quezada and City Councilor Klarissa Peña spoke out about preserving South Valley agriculture. Councilor Peña said she “fears” the impact that the Santolina development would have in “densifying” the South Valley and losing the “ruralness” that makes the Valley so unique. John Stomp, Chief Operating Officer of the ABCWUA, responded to Councilor Peña and confirmed that developing Santolina would change how the South Valley looks. However, while Commissioner Quezada spoke at length about his fights to keep developers from buying up farmlands from South Valley residents he still supports the massive Santolina development. According to an article in the Albuquerque Journal, his campaign benefitted from $25,000 put into a political action fund by a half-dozen individuals with ties to the Santolina project.
