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Neighbor complaints may hinder local venue from hosting scheduled weddings

SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – Hacienda Doña Andrea, located in Los Cerrillos, is now facing heat from its neighbors and the county. “A few parties is fine but once you’re doing 8 weddings a month, that’s a nightclub. We didn’t come here to live next to a nightclub,” Ken Perlow, a neighbor.

When residents moved to the remote Santa Fe County area, near Madrid, the Hacienda Doña Andrea was a quiet bed and breakfast, with a maximum capacity of just 18 people. But when someone complained and a county official went to investigate, they discovered the Hacienda Doña Andrea was actually a wedding venue that allows up to 180 people on the premises at a time.


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Neighbors say it gets really loud and the number of guests creates a fire hazard and some are concerned about all the water people are using on the property. “We started having problems with the hacienda last summer when the music got louder and louder and more frequent it made it impossible actually during the hours of the weddings to get any work done,” said Mary Springfels, a nearby resident.

The owners of the hacienda admit they have had more weddings booked than usual this year because of the pandemic. They say their events average 50 to 60 people maximum. They submitted an application to expand the use of the property, which was denied. They now have a chance to appeal.

“We have our lawyer filing any appeal he can file. We’ll take it as far as we can in the justice system and if we have to we’ll go outside of it and we’ll just hold a darn wedding. If they want to come arrest us they can do that,” said Britt Contreras, the owner of Hacienda Doña Andrea.

She said they are being quieter now and are moving all music inside by 9 p.m. The owners of the property have filed a lawsuit against county officials as they work to keep their commitment to 40 couples scheduled to have a wedding at the venue. County officials will continue issuing special use permits for weddings at the Hacienda, on a case-by-case basis.