Former SITE Santa Fe director's bed-and-breakfast and artists' retreat approved

Apr. 20—A power couple in the world of contemporary art found themselves wanting "to do something meaningful and inspiring for the field we love." They think they will have the chance after being given the green light to to turn their property near Santa Fe into a luxury bed-and-breakfast and artists' retreat.

The Santa Fe County Planning Commission gave former SITE Santa Fe director Irene Hofmann and her husband, Max Protetch, a longtime contemporary art dealer, the go-ahead Thursday to create the four-bedroom retreat.

Their hope is income from operating a B&B throughout most of the year will cover expenses for the property and support a larger mission. They plan to host museum curators and leaders, writers and other artists for three- to five-day "intimate retreats to support and inspire their work," Wayne Dalton, an agent with Santa Fe-based developer New Mexico Land Solutions, told Planning Commission members.

Hofmann said she would personally invite people to participate in the retreats.

At any time, the inn or retreat programs could host a maximum of eight guests and would not be occupied more than 275 days per year to conserve water, according to conditions county staff imposed on the business's conditional use permit.

The couple bought the 5-acre property on Apache Ridge Road, off Old Las Vegas Highway, in summer 2023. It has a 7,000-square-foot main residence, 1,140-square-foot additional residence and 46,000-gallon pool.

Hofmann said the property had been vacant for seven or more years and was in a state of disrepair.

She and her husband already have done "significant work" to renovate the interior of the house, she said. They will also dramatically reduce the size of the pool to 6,000 gallons and truck in water to fill it, addressing a concern of some neighbors.

Many residents of Apache Ridge Road expressed opposition to the B&B in public meetings leading up to the Planning Commission's approval of the permit, citing concerns including traffic, water use and fire hazards.

"We know some of the neighbors are concerned and some very passionately oppose our application," Hofmann told planning commissioners. "I hope you will see that we have worked hard to address their concerns that are within the scope of our control."

Several neighbors lamented that short-term rentals already have increased traffic on Apache Ridge Road, a privately owned and poorly maintained dirt road.

Hofmann said minimal traffic from the B&B will not contribute to the problem. Rather, she added, she and Protetch "share the neighborhood concern about the road" and will continue paying annual, voluntary dues to improve it.

The couple will not live on the property but in another home about 10 minutes away, she said.

The business will comply with state and county regulations restricting water use to 0.75-acre feet — roughly 240,000 gallons — per year and comply with conditions imposed by the Santa Fe County Fire Department, such as installing an automatic fire suppression system, Dalton said.

Multiple colleagues of Hofmann and Protetch lauded both their idea for an artist hub and their neighborliness.

"Please stay open to considering that Irene and Max will absolutely be the best kind of neighbor that could be hoped for," a friend, Jill Fineberg, told the commission Thursday.

Commissioner Carl Trujillo said given the property has been vacant, "this is a great use moving forward."