LOCATION & SIZE

The subject property is a 2.53 acre parcel located in Wild Horse Mesa, a sprawling and largely undeveloped rural subdivision situated just outside San Luis and within close proximity of the Sanchez Reservoir and State Wildlife Area.

This particular property sits at the top of the mesa in Unit D. Given its position close to the edge, it boasts stunning, unobstructed views of the surrounding San Luis Valley and Sangre De Cristo Mountains.

LEGAL INFORMATION

When we speak of property we typically use an address — 123 Main Street for instance.

As most vacant land does not have a physical address, however, county governments will identify it in other ways, such as a “legal description”, a parcel number or a tax code. The information provided in the table above are the ways in which the various state and county agencies will identify this specific parcel of land. These signifiers are important to have when speaking with these agencies – whether they be the assessor, the zoning office, or even the local utilities – and may prove invaluable when initiating conversations about whatever research a buyer intends to do.

Whenever one exists or has been assigned to the land, the physical address will be included in this table.

ACCESS & UTILITIES

Roads & Access: The subject property is located on Canyon Court along the western rim of the mesa. Like most roads in this region, this one boasts a dirt and gravel consistency. While most any vehicle type can manage this terrain with little difficulty, it’s worth nothing that getting to the top of the mesa may prove challenging depending on the path you take. Because of this, a larger truck or off-road capable vehicle is recommended when visiting the property.

Roads & Access, Cont’d: The subject property is located on a road which some maps identify as Canyon Court, while some identify it as Canyon Drive and others as Green Canyon Court. Anyone scouting the property should be aware of this discrepancy.

Power & Utilities: Despite its location at the top of the mesa, residential power lines have a surprising presence here, specifically running the length of Mesa Drive. This road, which crisscrosses the top of the mesa from north to south, sits one block – or roughly 1,000 feet – east of the subject property. Because of this, it may not be difficult to get service extended to and connected on the land. Anyone looking to investigate the costs associated with connecting power on the subject property is encouraged to contact the San Luis Valley Rural Electric Cooperative, the utility company which services this region.

Water Service: While some of the properties in this subdivision have wells, holding tanks seem to be a common option. Given this property’s location at the top of a mesa, however, drilling for water is likely infeasible or prohibitively expensive. Because of this, anyone looking to develop the property is encouraged to investigate alternative water sources or bulk storage methods.

ZONING & RESTRICTIONS

Zoning: Properties in Wild Horse Mesa are zoned E-R or Estate Residential, a designation which allows for residential areas developed at a higher density and where agricultural use is of incidental value. To learn more about the ER Zoning Designation, please see the attached PDF.

No HOA: The Wild Horse Mesa subdivision has no HOA and there are no annual dues associated with land ownership here.

Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions: When the Wild Horse Mesa subdivision was created in the early 1970’s, the developer drew up a set of covenants and restrictions to run with the land. While most of these are what we like to refer to as “reasonable, good neighbor restrictions” dealing primarily with the disposal of trash and prohibitions on excess noise, there are a few covenants that deal with acceptable structures for the region as well as minimum square footage requirements of those structures. Because of this, anyone considering purchasing the land is encouraged to review the Wild Horse Mesa Covenants and Restrictions document found here.

Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions, Cont’d: Notable restrictions enumerated in the above linked document include: Minimum square footage requirements are 600 sqft for a one-story dwelling and 800 sqft for a two-story dwelling.

Short-Term RV Use: It should be noted that short-term camping, meaning up to fourteen days per three consecutive months, is allowed within this region. Anything longer than that will require a “long-term camping permit” which can be obtained from the Costilla County Planning & Zoning Department.

Long-Term RV Occupancy: Long-term RV Occupancy, typically done during construction of a permanent dwelling, generally requires both a hookup to an approved On-Site Wastewater Treatment System (OWTS) as well as a well permit or cistern installed. The cost for the Long-Terms permit is $350, is valid for 90 days and may be renewed for up to 18 months. It should also be noted that RV inspection is required before this permit will be issued.

HELPFUL LINKS

The Hemingway Land Company does our best to represent the properties we list as accurately as possible. Our research, however, will always be limited.

Because of this, included in the table to the right is a list of the relevant state and county governments, agencies and authorities as well as local utilities (and all their respective websites and contact information) which should help to answer any questions a buyer may have about developing this specific property.

Whenever possible it is best to speak with these agencies first as they will always be a far greater source of information about the local region and the regulations which govern it.

Costilla County Assessor’s Office (719) 937-7670 (Click Here)

Costilla County Planning and Zoning (719) 937-7668 (Click Here)

Costilla County Comprehensive Plan (Click Here)

San Luis Valley Rural Electric Cooperative (719) 852-3538 (Click Here)

Colorado Division of Water Resources (303) 866-3581 (Click Here)

Beginners Guide To Well Permits (Click Here)

MISCELLANEOUS

Sanchez Reservoir & Wildlife Area: Located on the eastern end of this subdivision within only a five minute drive of the subject property is the 1,462 acre Sanchez Reservoir and Wildlife Area (see photos in the gallery at the bottom of this page). While hunting is prohibited here, visitors will have plenty of opportunities to take their boats and fish along the shores of this pristine lake. Species of fish native to the area include walleye, carp, channel catfish, northern pike, perch, white suckers and more.

Wild Horses: It should be noted that this subdivision gets its name from the numerous wild horses that roam this area freely. While those horses were camera-shy during the time our photographer was visiting the subject property, they have developed the reputation of being otherwise omnipresent and easy to observe.

Elevation: The elevation at this property, as well as along the western side of the mesa is approximately 8,500 feet. To get a sense of the views from this region, the valley below is roughly 600 feet lower than where the subject property is located.

NEARBY TOWNS

Nearby Towns: The small town of San Luis – the oldest town in Colorado – sits within a five minute drive from the subject property and will afford you easy access to some groceries, supplies, restaurants, cafes and some medical and government services.

Nearby Towns, Cont’d: Also close by, but with far more to offer, is the town of Alamosa. Located forty-five minutes northwest along Highway 285, the nearby town of close to 10,000 people not only features big box stores such as Walmart and Ace Hardware, but is also home to the San Luis Valley Health Center Hospital, Adams University and Trinidad State Junior College. A number of fast food restaurants have a footprint in Alamosa, and the region boasts a thriving downtown including bars, restaurants and nightlife. Additionally, there’s plenty of schools, churches and medical practices for anyone planning on raising a family in this region.

Alamosa, CO: 49 miles (52 min)

Taos, NM: 56 miles (1 hr)

Walsenburg, CO: 71 miles (1 hr 8 min)

Trinidad, CO: 108 miles (1 hr 44 min)

Colorado Springs, CO: 164 miles (2 hr 36 min)

Denver, CO: 233 miles (3 hr 40 min)

Telluride, CO: 302 miles (5 hr 37 min)

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS

Situated in Southern Colorado’s picturesque San Luis Valley, you’ll find plenty of great outdoor activities to take advantage of, all within close proximity of the subject property. Nearby bodies of water such as the Terrace Reservoir and the La Jara Reservoir are within a short five to ten minute drive of this parcel, each offering even greater opportunities for fishing and hunting. The Great Sand Dunes National Park is just forty five minutes north of this parcel and features the tallest dunes in North America – perfect for sand boarding and sand sledding. Animal lovers can explore both the Monte Vista and Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge. And of course, skiing enthusiasts can take advantage of the slopes and trails in the world-famous Taos Ski Valley, just south of this region in neighboring New Mexico.

Terrace Reservoir (Click Here)

La Jara Reservoir (Click Here)

Great Sand Dunes National Park (Click Here)

Trinidad Lake State Park (Click Here)

Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge (Click Here)

Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge (Click Here)

Smith Reservoir (Click Here)

Mountain Home Reservoir (Click Here)

Taos Ski Valley (Click Here)

Things To Do in Taos (Click Here)

Bosque Del Oso State Wildlife Area (Click Here)

Spanish Peaks State Wildlife Area (Click Here)

Lathrop State Park (Click Here)