Sense of Community remains in plan for Corrales

Editor’s Note: This story is the second in a series on the Corrales Comprehensive Plan. Each month, a different part of the plan will be featured on the Corrales page. This month, the topic is community.

CORRALES — After a heated discussion erupted at an April 22 Corrales council meeting, a close look at the 2027-31 comprehensive plan became necessary.

The second value of the village is the sense of community.

"Corrales retains a strong rural community identity born from its traditional farming heritage and the continuing participation of descendant families whose roots extend back hundreds of years," the plan reads.

One of the big challenges the plan lists is the descendant families losing their sense of belonging in the village and feeling excluded from village government. This has been a topic brought up by founding families at village council meetings in the past.

It also lists the unknown nature of Corrales to people new to the area and the younger generations. The desirability of the village as a place to live and general affordability also pose issues. It adds that as the community grows, ideals and opinions grow further apart. There is also a need for support for the aging demographic, it states.

The plan calls out the public comment section of the village council, stating that there is little to no response to concerns raised by residents.

Recommendations to ease some of these issues are broken down into four parts:

Preservation of Community History

The plan states that the village should work with its committees to support work from inside the municipal government. A large part of that works with the organizations geared toward historical preservation, such as the Corrales Historical Society, Corrales MainStreet and others.

It also suggests establishing incentives and regulations to protect prehistoric and historic sites, structures and places to "ensure their preservation."

It also suggests that reassessing property values when homes and land are inherited as the economic diversity in housing is threatened. It recommends the village make a change to preserve historic roots and economic diversity.

Encouragement of Events and Gatherings

It is also recommended that the village provide more spaces, such as an expanded community center, for public meetings, events and gatherings.

It also asks for enhanced emergency responses for such events as well as events in support of the village's fire and police departments, such as National Neighborhood Night Out.

As with anything, the plan adds that the village needs funding for such programs and events.

Communication Between Village and Residents

This section of the plan is a call to action for village government. It asks for better coordination between volunteers and staffers, more town halls for better communication with residents and more access to volunteer opportunities on the website.

It also suggests a single point of contact for resident concerns but recommends training for staff and council to better handle conflicts and communicate.

Supporting local arts

This section focuses on Corrales MainStreet's efforts to establish an Arts and Cultural district in the village.

Corrales has an abundance of local artisans and crafters that the plan recommends the village supports.