Taos County

Taos County, located in the northern most portion of New Mexico bordering Colorado, was one of the 9 original counties that formed the territory in 1852. The county has grown to become home to over 34,600 residents scattered throughout its primarily rural landscape. This project will be located in the County seat, the Town of Taos, which is the most densely populated in the County, home to over 6,400 residents and thousands more tourists year-round. Home to growing aging populations, both the County and the Town of Taos have relied on developing large retirement communities to encourage growth. Over the decades this trend has resulted in concentrated pockets of accumulated wealth and an acute increase in home values, making it difficult for newly established, younger families to purchase homes and settle in the area. Though access to outdoor recreation opportunities may seem abundant throughout the County’s rural landscape, rigorous physical activity might be required to access and enjoy areas. Therefore, County leadership has identified the need to accommodate the outdoor recreation needs of its aging population by bringing these opportunities closer to home, especially within the densest areas of the Town of Taos. Simultaneously, the County has recognized that the Town of Taos has been subject to rapid population growth and attendant displacement which disproportionally affects the workforce. The proposed project is in a highly trafficked centrally located area of the Town that serves as its civic center with several local businesses, government offices, and the Town’s senior center clustered together.