1. 925 Canyon Road Staff Report

Extracted text

City of Santa Fe, New Mexico
DATE: September 22, 2026
TO: Historic Districts Review Board Members
VIA: Heather Lamboy, AICP, Planning & Land Use Department Director
Maggie Moore, Assistant Land Use Director, MRM
FROM: Lani McCulley, Senior Planner, Historic Preservation Division, LJM
2026-012488-HDRB. 925 Canyon Rd. Downtown & Eastside Historic District. Non-
contributing. Grant Alexander, agent for Lithe LLC, owner, proposes to construct a 2,301 sq. ft.
residence to a height of 14’-0” where the maximum allowable height is 17’-10” and construct a
6’-0” high coyote fence.
REFERENCE ATTACHMENTS (Sequentially):
CITY SUBMITTALS
District Standards & yard wall
& fence standards.
x Historic Inventory Form
x Zoning Review Sheet
x Other: previous case documents, stucco
guidelines
APPLICANT SUBMITTALS
x Proposal Letter
x Site Plan/Floor Plan
x Elevations
x Photographs
Other:

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STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the proposed project and finds that the application complies with Section 14-4.6(E)
General Design Standards for all Historic Districts and Section 14-4.6(G)(2) Downtown and Eastside Design
Standards.
Sample motions:
a. In case 2026-012488-HDRB, for 925 Canyon Road, approve or deny the application as submitted.
The property lies within the Historic Downtown Archaeological Review District. See Chapter 14, SFCC, Article
14-3.13(B)(1). There may be archaeological concerns associated with this project, and archaeological clearance
may be required.
Figure 1: Property Location
BACKGROUND & SUMMARY:
Background:
This case was scheduled to come before the HDRB on June 9, 2026, with a request to remodel the existing
structure and construct a new building. However, after reviewing staff’s recommendation, the applicant chose to
postpone the case for a redesign before presenting it to the Board. The Applicant has chosen to remove the request
for the remodel of the existing structure and concentrate solely on the new structure at this time.

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Streetscape:
The streetscape for the property is defined as extending from the intersection at Acequia Madre to just past Palace,
approximately halfway to Camino del Monte Sol. The streetscape consists of a park and a combination of
residential and commercial properties. The street has a sidewalk on the north side of the road at the eastern end,
and a walking path along the side of the road through the remaining streetscape. There is no walking area on the
south side of the road. Fencing is a combination of styles, with a wood fence at the park, rock walls, stucco walls,
combinations of stone and stucco, wire, and non-stuccoed CMU walls, coyote fencing, and some walls with
latillas on top. There are some taller walls and fences at 87” to 188” in height, as well as some very low walls and
fences at 35” to 40”. The street average is 60”.
The lots vary in size. The buildings are set back from the street by three to ten feet, with most of them within five
feet of the street. The commercial structures are located at the western end of the streetscape, with the residential
structures at the eastern and central ends. The south side of the road is mostly Spanish Pueblo Revival style
buildings with a few Territorial style buildings. The north side is mostly vernacular with a few pitched roofs and
a few Spanish Pueblo Revival style buildings.
Figure 2: Street View of Residence
Site Description:
The residence at 925 Canyon Road is a non-contributing vernacular-style two-story structure in the Downtown
and Eastside Historic District. The 1,558 sq. ft. home was constructed sometime between 1950 and 1958 and is
on 0.203 acres.
The residence sits at the front of the lot abutting Canyon Road. The residence is constructed of a combination of
concrete block and adobe with block massing, crisp edges, a pronounced seamed metal fascia, deep inset
windows, which are mostly aluminum slider windows, three exterior single-leaf doors, and a flat asphalt roof.
The north elevation holds the two-story portion of the structure, as this is the lower portion of the sloped lot,
which was constructed sometime between 1958 and 1966. A non-historic 1984 plywood porch with a shed roof
is located on the south elevation and wraps around to the west elevation. The west and south elevations of the
residence are obscured by a concrete masonry unit wall at a height that ranges from 5’-9” to 6’-10”. This wall
was constructed sometime before 1973, but after 1966.

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The rear of the lot is mostly dirt and is used for parking. There is a non-historic open shed at the very rear of the
lot.
PREVIOUS CASE SUMMARIES:
ARC:
No Archaeological clearance has been issued for this property.
HDRB:
On October 28, 2025, under case 2025-011227-HDRB, the HDRB retained the status of the residence as non-
contributing.
ADMINISTRATIVE:
No previous cases are on file in the Historic Preservation Division.
APPLICANT’S REQUEST:
The applicant requests to:
1) Construct a 2,301 sq. ft. freestanding recent Santa Fe style residence to a height of 14’-0” where the
maximum allowable height is 17’-10”.
a. The roof will be flat with parapets.
b. The windows will be wood-clad with simulated divided lite where publicly visible and single lite
where not, in a dark bronze.
c. The doors will be glass doors in dark bronze.
d. Stucco the residence in synthetic “Suede,” which is an allowed color per “Stucco Styles, Material,
and Color Guidance in the Historic Districts.”
e. The wood trim and elements will be stained in Old Masters “Weather Wood.”
2) Demolish the shed. The shed was previously removed from the property. It was a metal shed of recent
construction which leaned to the side and had no door in the opening.
3) Construct a 6’-0” high coyote fence along the north and west property lines.
4) Construct yardwalls and gates to the west and east of the new residence to define its yard space.

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Figure 3: Proposed Floor Plan with Yard Walls
RELEVANT CODE CITATIONS:
14-4.6 HISTORIC DISTRICTS
A. General Provisions
Purpose
In order to promote the economic, cultural, and general welfare of the people of Santa
Fe and to ensure the harmonious, orderly, and efficient growth and development of
the City, the Governing Body deems it essential to preserve the qualities relating to
the history and culture of Santa Fe, maintain a harmonious outward appearance to
preserve property values, and attract residents and tourists alike. The specific
purposes of this section are to preserve qualities relating to the history of Santa Fe,
such as the following:
I. Continue the existence and preservation of historic areas and buildings;
II. Continued construction of buildings in Santa Fe's historic styles; and

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Ill. General harmony as to architectural style, form, color, height, proportion, texture,
and material between buildings of historic design and those of more modern
design.
C. Buildings with Significant or Contributing Historic Status
3. Review by Historic Districts Review Board Required
I. Except where this chapter provides for review by staff, the HDRB shall review all
applications for new construction, alteration, or demolition in the historic districts
and of landmark structures throughout the city, based on the standards set forth in
this section.
II. The historic board shall judge any proposed alteration or new structure for harmony
with adjacent buildings, preservation of historical and characteristic qualities, and
conformity to the standards for architectural style set forth in this section.
Ill. The HDRB may approve, deny, approve with conditions, or, with the consent of the
applicant, postpone an application.
a. For applications approved with conditions, no permit shall be issued until the
HDRB conditions have been met.
b. An application that is postponed shall be heard at a date agreed upon by the
HDRB and the applicant.
IV. No permit shall be issued until the time for appeal to the Governing Body has
expired.
4. Compliance with General and Specific Design Standards Required
All development located within the historic districts and subject to this section shall
comply with all applicable general development standards set forth in Section 14-4.6E,
General Design Standards for All Historic Districts, as well as any applicable specific
development standards set forth in Section 14-4.6G, Additional District-Specific
Design Standards.
E. General Design Standards for All Historic Districts
These standards shall apply to all additions or alterations to existing structures in the
Historic Districts. Contributing, significant, and landmark structures may be subject to
specific additional restrictions and district-specific standards in Section 14-4.6(G).
l. General
I. The historic status of a property with a historic status designation of significant,
contributing, or landmark structure shall be retained and preserved. If a proposed
alteration will cause a property to lose its significant, contributing, or landmark
status, the application shall be denied. The removal of historic materials or

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alteration of architectural features and spaces that embody the status quo is
prohibited.
II. If a proposed alteration or new construction will cause an adjacent property to lose
its significant, contributing, or landmark status, the application may be denied.
Ill. For the regulations of this subsection, all facades of a significant structure
are primary facades.
2. Building Additions
I. Design
a. Building additions that meet the standards of Section 14-4.6G.2),
Downtown and Eastside Historic District, shall continue to meet those
standards, in addition to the standards set forth in this section.
b. Building additions shall have similar materials, architectural treatments and
styles, features, and details as the existing structure, but shall be
distinguishable from and not attempt to duplicate the existing structure.
II. Size and Location
a. Building additions are not permitted on primary facades.
b. All building additions shall be set back a minimum of ten feet from the
primary facade.
c. Building additions shall not exceed 50 percent of the square footage of the
building's historic footprint and shall not exceed 50 percent of the historic length
in linear feet of the primary facade.
d. To the extent architecturally practicable, new building additions shall be
attached to any existing non-primary facade of a structure rather than
attaching them to the primary facade of a structure.
Ill. Height
a. The maximum height of building additions to significant and landmark
structures shall be at least six inches lower than the parapet or equivalent roof
feature of the existing adjacent connecting facade.
b. Building additions to contributing structures shall be no more than one
additional story higher than the existing structure. To the extent
architecturally practicable, two-story additions shall be set to the rear or the
side rear of the structure. When an additional story is to be placed upon an
existing contributing structure, that footprint may be no greater than fifty
percent of the footprint of the existing structure, subject to the provisions of
Subsection A(1) above. For the purposes of this paragraph, an additional story
shall not exceed twelve (12) feet from the existing rooftop to the highest point
of that story.
IV. Remodeling to Increase Height
a. For remodeling of an existing significant or landmark structure, no increase in
height of the structure is permitted.
b. For remodeling an existing contributing structure, a height increase may be
permitted through approval of an exception, as described in Section 14-4.6D.

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V. Rooftop Equipment
Rooftop equipment, including but not limited to solar collectors, clerestories,
decks, or mechanical equipment, may only be installed on contributing and
noncontributing structures and shall not be publicly visible, nor shall a parapet be
raised to conceal such equipment.
3. Porches and Portals
Existing porches or portals on significant and landmark structures, and on primary
facades of contributing structures, shall not be permanently enclosed.
4. Windows, Doors, and Other Architectural Features
I. For all facades of significant and landmark structures and for the primary
facades of contributing structures:
a. Historic windows shall be repaired or restored wherever possible. Historic
windows that cannot be repaired or restored shall be duplicated in the size, style,
and material of the original. Thermal double-pane glass may be used. No
window opening shall be widened or narrowed.
b. Window depth and other characteristics of window and door fenestration shall
be preserved.
c. No new opening shall be made where one presently does not exist unless
historic documentation supports its prior existence.
d. No historic opening shall be closed.
II. For all facades of contributing, significant, and landmark structures:
a. Architectural features, finishes, and details other than doors and windows shall
be repaired rather than replaced.
b. In the event replacement is necessary, the use of new material may be
approved. The new material shall match the material being replaced in
composition, design, color, texture, and other visual qualities.
c. Replacement or duplication of missing features shall be substantiated by
documentation, physical, or pictorial evidence.
5. Roofs
The existing historic roof styles and materials shall be maintained or replaced in kind
if necessary. The addition of dormers or other roof features should only be considered
when they are an existing historic feature of the structure.
6. Surface Cleaning
The surface cleaning of structures shall employ the gentlest means possible. Chemical
or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials are
not permitted.
7. Archaeological Resources
Discovery of archaeological resources made during the development of a historic
property shall be referred to the Archaeological Review Committee. See Section 14-
2.1G.1.V.c, Unexpected Discoveries.

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8. Signs
9. Murals
10. Pedestrian-Oriented Areas
F. Height, Pitch, Scale, Massing, and Floor Stepbacks.
The height, pitch, scale, and massing of any structure in a historic district, as defined in this
section, shall be limited as provided for in this section, unless further restricted elsewhere
within this chapter.
l. Applicability
The following sections identify specific areas and specific projects subject to this
section. The Planning and Land Use Director shall determine whether or not properties
are included within this section.
I. Specific Areas
The height limitations in this subsection F apply:
a. Within the following historic districts:
1. Downtown and Eastside;
2. Don Gaspar Area;
3. Historic Transition; and
4. Westside-Guadalupe.
b. In the Historic Review district, as specified herein.
II. Streetscape Standards
Ill. Project Location
Planning and Land Use Department staff shall determine the applicability of this
section to individual projects and the applicable streetscape
2. Height
I. Official Map of Building Heights in the Historic Districts - Procedures
II. Height Limitations
The HDRB shall limit the height of structures as set forth in this section.
Heights of existing structures shall be as set forth on the official map of
building heights in the historic districts.
a. If a proposed building has a parapet, the façade shall not exceed two feet of the
average height of the façades in the streetscape.
b. If the proposed building has a pitched roof, the ridge height of the
proposed building shall not exceed two feet of the average of the ridge
height of the pitched roofs in the streetscape.
c. Yard walls and fences shall be limited to a height that does not exceed the
average of the height of other yard walls and fences in the streetscape.
d. The height of any other structure shall be limited to the allowable building
height within the applicable streetscape, as defined in this section.
e. The height and dimensions of signage are as set forth in Section 14-7.61.

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Sign Regulations in the Historic Districts.
f. The HDRB may increase the allowable height for proposed buildings and
additions located on a sloping site where the difference in the natural grade
along the structure's foundation exceeds two feet. In no case shall the height of
a façade exceed four feet above the allowable height of the applicable streetscape
measured from natural or finished grade, whichever is more restrictive. This
increase in height shall be constructed only in the form of building setbacks from
the street.
Ill. Height Measurement
a. In historic districts, height shall be the vertical distance measured between the
highest part of a structure and the existing grade or finished grade, whichever is
more restrictive, at the midpoint of the street-facing facade, excluding rooftop
appurtenances, the increased height of walls or fences over pedestrian and
vehicular openings, and gates (either in open or closed position).
b. For structures that do not have street frontage, height shall be determined by the
facade that contains the tallest vertical distance measured between the highest
part of a structure and the existing grade or finished grade, whichever is more
restrictive. The height of walls and fences is measured from the street-facing
side of the wall or fence.
IV. Pitch
If the determined streetscape includes over 50 percent of buildings with pitched
roofs, the proposed building may have a pitched roof. A pitched roof is defined as
a gable, shed, or hipped roof. The pitch of the roof shall match the predominant
pitch extant in the streetscape.
V. Scale
The height of a proposed building or addition, its façade length, and its roof form
and pitch shall appear to be in proportion to the height, façade length, and roof
form and pitch of buildings in the applicable streetscape, or the building on which
the addition is proposed.
VI. Massing and Floor Stepbacks
The HDRB may require that upper floor levels be stepped back to carry out the
intent of this section; provided that the HDRB in making such determinations shall
take into account whether the height of the proposed building, yard wall, fence, or
proposed step back of upper floor levels is in harmony with the massing of the
applicable streetscape and preservation of the historic and characteristic visual
qualities of the streetscape. The HDRB shall also require that the publicly visible
facades of the structure be in conformance with Section 14-4.6G, Additional
District-Specific Design Standards, and, in meeting those requirements, may
require that different floor levels be stepped back.
G. Additional District-Specific Design Standards

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2. Downtown and Eastside Historic District
The governing body recognizes that a style of architecture has evolved within the city
from the year 1600 to the present, characterized by construction with adobe, hereafter
called "old Santa Fe style", and that another style has evolved, hereafter called "recent
Santa Fe style", which is a development from, and an elaboration of the old Santa Fe
style, with different materials and frequently with added decorations.
I. Old Santa Fe Style
Old Santa Fe style, characterized by construction with adobe, is defined as
including the so-called "pueblo" or "pueblo-Spanish" or "Spanish-Indian" and
"territorial" styles and is more specifically described as follows:
a. With rare exception, buildings are one story; a few have three stories, and the
characteristic effect is that the buildings are long and low. Roofs are flat with a
slight slope and surrounded on at least three sides by a firewall of the same color
and material as the walls or of brick. Roofs are never carried out beyond the line
of the walls except to cover an enclosed portal or porch formed by setting back
a portion of the wall or to form an exterior portal, the outer edge of the roof being
supported by wooden columns.
Two-story construction is more common in the territorial than in other sub-
styles, and is preferably accompanied by a balcony at the level of the
floor of the second story. Facades are flat, varied by inset portales, exterior
portales, projecting vigas or roof beams, canales or water-spouts, flanking
buttresses and wooden lintels, architraves and cornices, which, as well as
doors, are frequently carved, and the carving may be picked out with bright
colors. Arches are almost never used except for nonfunctional arches, slightly
ogival, over gateways in freestanding walls.
b. All exterior walls of a building are painted alike. The colors range from a light
earth color to a dark earth color. The exception to this rule is the protected space
under portales, or in church-derived designs, inset panels in a wall under the
roof, in which case the roof overhangs the panel. These spaces may be painted
white or a contrasting color or have mural decorations.
c. Solid wall space is always greater in any façade than window and door space
combined. Single panes of glass larger than thirty (30) inches in any dimension
are not permissible except as otherwise provided in this section;
d. The rules as to flat roofs shall not be constructed to prevent the construction of
skylights or installation of air conditioning devices, or any other necessary roof
structures, but such structures other than chimneys, flues, vents, and aerials,
shall be so placed as to be concealed by the firewall from the view of anyone
standing in the street on which the building fronts;
e. True old Santa Fe style buildings are made of adobe with mud plaster finish.
Construction with masonry blocks, bricks, or other materials with which the
adobe effect can be simulated is permissible, provided that the exterior walls are
not less than eight (8) inches thick and that geometrically straight façade lines
are avoided. Mud plaster or hard plaster simulating adobe, laid on smoothly, is

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required; and
f. It is characteristic of Old Santa Fe style commercial buildings to place a portal
so that it covers the entire sidewalk, the columns being set at the curb line.
II. Recent Santa Fe Style
Recent Santa Fe style intends to achieve harmony with historic buildings by
retention of a similarity of materials, color, proportion, and general detail. The
dominating effect is to be that of adobe construction, prescribed as follows:
a. No building shall be over two stories in height in any façade unless the façade
shall include projecting or recessed portales, setbacks, or other design
elements;
b. The combined door and window area in any publicly visible façade shall not
exceed forty percent of the total area of the façade except for doors or windows
located under a portal. No door or window in a publicly visible façade shall be
located nearer than three (3) feet from the corner of the façade;
c. No cantilevers shall be permitted except over projecting vigas, beams, or wood
corbels, or as part of the roof treatment described below;
d. No less than eighty percent of the surface area of any publicly visible façade shall
be adobe finish or stucco simulating adobe finish. The balance of the publicly
visible façade, except as above, may be of natural stone, wood, brick, tile, terra
cotta, or other material, subject to approval as hereinafter provided for building
permits;
e. The publicly visible façade of any building and of any adjoining walls shall,
except as otherwise provided, be of one color, which color shall simulate a light
earth or dark earth color, matte or dull finish, and of relatively smooth texture.
Facade surfaces under portales may be of contrasting or complementary colors.
Windows, doors, and portals on publicly visible portions of the building and
walls shall be of one of the old Santa Fe styles, except that buildings with portals
may have larger plate-glass areas for windows under portals only. Deep window
recesses are characteristic
f. Flat roofs shall have no more than thirty (30) inches of overhang.