City councilors continue to disagree concerning a plan to build an assisted living facility in southeastern Santa Fe next to the Elks Lodge on Old Pecos Trail. Members of the governing body are divided along geographic lines. For the time being, they have decided to postpone talks until September 9th in order to give representatives from MorningStar Senior Living and the Southeast Neighborhood Association time to discuss mediation. Hopes are relatively low that mediation between the two bodies would amount to much.

Those against the facility claim the two-story complex would be out of character with the nearby neighborhood and they believe it will detract from the Old Pecos Trail corridor. Santa Fe’s mayor was originally in favor of the project, but recently voted against it after hearing from constituents.

Those against the project say the meetings and discussions can be postponed forever – they will never change their mind. MorningStar is hoping that’s not the case and believes there might be common ground in the matter.

The neighborhood association said it would agree to mediation only if the City Council sends the entire application back to the city Planning Commission, which had previously recommended a series of approvals intended to clear the way for the development. The commission’s membership has changed since then.

The mayor is still hopeful a compromise could be reached between now and September 9th. He stated publicly he plans to keep his faith and that there can be a solution to the dispute that does not lead the groups to court.