A Principle to Guide Residential Density

If there are only a few homes, they bear the cost of all the infrastructure for the entire project. This leads to higher priced lots (and therefore homes). If there are more units, the unit cost for each parcel can come down.

At Yellow Hills Ranch we determined the density by considering first what the fabric of the community should look like. The number and type of homes needs to accommodate the various kinds of residents needed to allow the community to function as intended. You might also want to review our definition for a "sustainable community" for a complete picture.

Density Defines Who Participates

Imagine the fabric of a sustainable community. What daily activities go on there?  Who participates? The goal is to create housing for the people the community needs to function. This requires prices that allow them to be included. Here are some people we'd like to include to create a functioning community:

  • Trades people to build and maintain improvements. It is fundamentally different if they are residents providing that service for neighbors rather than outside contractors on a schedule who come and go as quickly as possible.
  • People to organize small scale agriculture and small businesses. Small ranchers and farmers engaged in a breeding program; raising livestock; managed grazing; cheese production; raising wool for crafts and more.
  • Knowledge workers who choose to live in an appealing natural environment, but who can function in their profession if they are connected to a network.
  • Teachers, master craftsmen and other skilled people to help create a web of learning within the community to transfer knowledge and skills that a community needs.
  • Second home buyers who come to the area seasonally, or full time residents.

Our Conclusion on Residential Units

After considering what the community needs, defining the number and configuration of the homes is easier. The above thought process led us to the following conclusions.

  • AFFORDABLE HOUSING: The community benefits from affordable housing in that trades people can afford to live there. We propose 25% of homes be in this range, or 82 units. ("Affordable" in Rio Arriba is defined on this page in the sidebar.) The "workforce housing" community within the Ranch will contain 100 acres or so, and be located in the northeast area of the property adjacent to the Talavera Subdivision (See Development Area Aerial Photo). Each home will consist of between 1,000 and 1,500 square feet. It will include a total of 1.25 acres, including the cooperative land, and each parcel will have water and electric. This 100-acre community will have its own park or commons. We are considering using a block system and timber to construct this community designed in character with the local style.
  • ENTRY LEVEL: The next 98 parcels will also priced affordably to appeal to people with a moderate income. Building parcels will be in the range of 2 acres, including the cooperative land.
  • SMALL RANCH: The next 94 building parcels will step up in price. Each parcel will include one acre builiding site for the home, plus another 5 acres of cooperative land, so a total of 6 arcres. These parcels offer more agricultural land and are more like a small ranch or farm.
  • MEDIUM RANCH: The next 21 parcels include a 2 acres homesite plus another 10 acres of cooperative land, so a total of 12 acres. This ranch configuration provides a larger building site for more infrastructure, plus a larger piece of cooperative land for agricultural pursuites. These ranch may border the large open range.
  • LARGER RANCH: The final 30 parcels will be include a 5 acre building site plus either 15, 20 or more acres of cooperative land. These properties will all border the larger rangeland or open space and provide more area for a serious ranch property within the overall Yellow Hills Ranch property.

Lot Configuration Summary

  • WORKFORCE HOUSING                82 units, total area 1.25 acres
  • ONE ACRE + COMMON                 98 units, total area 2 acres
  • ONE ACRE + COMMON                 94 units, total area 6 acres
  • TWO ACRES + COMMON              21 units, total area 12 acres
  • FIVE ACRES + COMMON              17 units, total area 20 acres
  • FIVE ACRES + COMMON              13 units, total area 25 acrs or more

These units will be built in four phases with a mix of each configuration in each phase.

Subdivision Ordinance

The Rio Arriba County Land Subdivision Regulation Ordinance.

What's Allowed

Under the Subdivision Ordinance Yellow Hills Ranch can be divided into more than 325 units.

The Surrounding Area

Most lots in the above subdivisions are un built and unoccupied and have no infrastructure except road access.  They have been that way for more than 20 years.

Community Covenants

Residential property covenants:

  • Fee simple ownership of their lot and building pad of between 2-5 acres;
  • An exclusive right of use to cooperative land for agriculture around their parcel;
  • Access rights throughout the open range portion of the Ranch, subject to good faith rules.
  • Architectual convenants to keep improvements in character with the area and development.

The Surrounding Area

In surrounding developments lots were divided into approximately 20 acre parcels, but most are undeveloped. 

More than 25 years after being subdivided, only a fraction of the lots in either Talavera or El Vado are improved because there is only land with access, but nothing else that would support a community forming.