City Councilor, Michael Cadigan will host a meeting of District 5 Neighborhoods and residents on Thursday, November 30 at 7:00 p.m. in the City’s Open Space Visitor’s Center. In addition to a tour of the newly renovated facility, Councilor Cadigan will have an open discussion on the following items:

Modern Streetcar
General update on Westside roads
2007 Capital Implementation Program
Coors Corridor Plan update
Proposed Wal-Mart at Coors and La Orilla
Proposed Costco at Cottonwood
Possible joint use facility with YMCA and APS

The Open Space Visitor’s Center is located on Bosque Meadows Road:

From Montano and Coors:
Go North on Coors past traffic signals at Montano Plaza and La Orilla. Go ½ mile and the next right will be Bosque Meadows Road. Turn east and go to the end of the gravel road/ parking lot.

From Paseo del Norte:
Go South on Coors past traffic signals at SIPI and Eagle Ranch Rd. Go ½ mile and the next left will be Bosque Meadows Rd. Turn east and go to the end of the gravel road/ parking lot.

Holiday refreshments will be served. For more information call Diana Trujeque at 768-3101.

ALBUQUERQUE – Tonight the Albuquerque City Council unanimously approved a contract with De Anza, LLC, a re-development company, to investigate the renovation of the De Anza Motor Lodge, a historic motel located on Central Avenue near Washington SE. The motel has long sat vacant and has posed a blight to the surrounding neighborhoods of Nob Hill and Highland. De Anza, LLC plans to restore the majority of the property into an up-scale, historically intact motel, much like the El Rey Inn in Santa Fe, NM.

The De Anza Motor Lodge's significance as a vintage historic landmark motel along Albuquerque's portion of Route 66 is considerable. The motel was partly built by members of Zuni Pueblo and inside the motel's basement are various Zuni murals that have been noted for their historical significance, requiring the motel to be given a historical designation.

"This project has been designated by the surrounding neighborhoods as an important potential catalyst for re-vitalization of the area, in tandem with the many other efforts to improve the Central Avenue corridor eastward," said Heinrich. "I am so excited to see this private and public partnership moving forward in the heart of Albuquerque's Southeast Heights." The recently completed Central/Highland/Upper Nob Hill Metropolitan Redevelopment Area Plan lists the De Anza Motor Lodge as not only holding the potential to be a catalyst for the east end of Nob Hill and the Highland neighborhood, but also encouraging the continuous re-development of the Central Avenue (Route 66) corridor from downtown Albuquerque to San Mateo Boulevard.

De Anza, LLC hopes to renovate the motel's rooms commensurate with up-scale accommodations and to reduce the number of rooms to between 50 and 60 rooms by creating several suites out of two or more adjoining rooms.

For further information, please contact Javier Benavidez, Assistant to Albuquerque Council President Martin Heinrich at 768-3152 / TTY 768-2474.

ALBUQUERQUE – Tonight the Albuquerque City Council’s Finance and Government Operations Committee unanimously approved R-06-136, a resolution sponsored by Albuquerque City Council President Martin Heinrich. The resolution moves on to the full City Council and if approved, will appropriate $8.4 million to the Department of Family and Community Services to develop ownership-based affordable housing in the Trumbull Village neighborhood of Albuquerque’s Southeast Heights.

Funding for the project comes from the sale of two “surplus” properties owned by the City of Albuquerque. The two tracts of land being sold for the project were originally purchased for the purpose of expanding affordable housing initiatives within the City of Albuquerque. The appropriated funding can be used for the purchase of land, structure acquisition, relocation, demolition, project management, new construction and renovation of existing properties used in affordable housing development.

“I am extremely excited about this project and the many others aimed at bringing new, ownership-based housing to the Trumbull Village neighborhood,” said Heinrich. “Trumbull has been challenged by a disproportionate percentage of rental housing units; this appropriation will contribute to the number of families invested in the well-being of their surrounding community because they own their homes there and are there to stay,” said Heinrich.

The Trumbull Village Neighborhood, built during the middle of the 20th Century, has seen significant drops in criminal activity over recent years and many residential and commercial revitalization efforts including this project. The Talin International Marketplace, a vibrant locally-owned grocery store forms the neighborhood’s northwest corner and a mixed-use redevelopment project (commercial and housing) will soon be built next-door upon the former Blue Spruce Lounge lot. Traffic diverters built to address criminal traffic during the 1980s have now been beautified with the help of neighborhood input and funding from Councilor Heinrich’s capital set-aside. The Trumbull Village Neighborhood Association’s “Neighbor to Neighbor” program regularly helps to keep streets and properties throughout the neighborhood clean, through employing neighborhood residents for day-to-day work.

Councilor Heinrich is also moving forward an update of the Near Heights Metropolitan Redevelopment Area Plan, the community-driven plan which originally helped initiate planning for many of the revitalization efforts now realized in the Talin International Village Marketplace development and its unique surrounding landscape. For further information, please contact Javier Benavidez, Assistant to City Council President Martin Heinrich at 768-3152 / TTY 768-2474.

ALBUQUERQUE – Albuquerque City Council President Martin Heinrich is pleased to announce the approval of a measure requiring the City of Albuquerque to purchase and protect a vulnerable 67-acre property, known as the Hawkwatch property, in the Sandia Mountain Wilderness overlooking the City of Albuquerque.

Scott Wilber, Executive Director of the New Mexico Land Conservancy, stated “This effort demonstrates the power and effectiveness of public-private partnerships. The joint effort of the New Mexico Land Conservancy, the Tijeras Canyon Safe Passage Coalition, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, the New Mexico Department of Transportation and the City of Albuquerque have helped move this proposed project one step closer to reality.” He also noted “the acquisition of the Hawkwatch Property will be a great asset for the City of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County. It ensures the movement of wildlife between the Sandia and Manzano Mountains, provides safe travel to motorists in the canyon, protects the scenic viewshed for the gateway to the City and provides extensive recreational opportunities.”

Because the canyon serves as a natural funnel for wildlife in between two large mountain ranges, many mule deer have been hit by vehicles at the location as they attempt to access a permanent water source in Tijeras Creek between NM 333 and I-40. Hawkwatch International, the previous owner of the property, had expressed its intention to sell the property, potentially to develop the area into residential housing lots. Such development of the property would have modified wildlife movement and also undermined efforts to protect motorists by moving wildlife safely across both highways at the location.

The Hawkwatch property is one of the most important and imperiled wildlife connections in New Mexico and has been recognized recently as one of North America’s five most important wildlife linkages. Council President Heinrich’s measure commits the $650,000 of City Open Space funding necessary to purchase all 67 acres. During public comment upon the measure, several speakers praised the significant value of the land for its price tag.

“This is a wonderful open space acquisition for Albuquerque,” said Heinrich. “I’m thrilled that when my sons are my age they will be able to enjoy the Hawkwatch site and the wildlife that live there.”

For further information, please contact Javier Benavidez, Assistant to City Council President Martin Heinrich at 768-3152 / TTY 768-2474.

ALBUQUERQUE – Last night City Council President Martin Heinrich shepherded a major land protection measure through the Finance and Government Operations Committee and on to the full City Council for final action. The bill aims to protect 67 acres of open space property that is one of the most important and imperiled wildlife connections in New Mexico, and that has been recognized recently as one of North America's five most important wildlife linkages.

The corridor connects wildlife habitats in the Sandia Mountains to those of the Manzano Mountains. Because of its passage through a busy freeway corridor, the area has also become a hotspot for wildlife collisions along Old Route 66. Currently wildlife are funneled down via a drainage to the north and are crossing Old Route 66 in attempts to access food and water in Tijeras Creek below. The New Mexico Department of Transportation and New Mexico Game and Fish have been working with a host of community groups represented by the Tijeras Safe Passage Coalition to reduce this conflict. Protecting the Hawkwatch site will help leverage their considerable efforts.

Heinrich is excited that the proposed purchase of the Hawkwatch property will also provide new recreational opportunities for Albuquerque residents. The area is adjacent to the existing Tres Pistolas Open Space and to the Sandia Mountain Wildeness. One of the benefits to the citizens of Albuquerque will be potential for improved public access from Old Route 66 to the Sandia Wilderness by hikers, bird watchers and sportsmen. The property is part of the scenic view-shed along the I-40 corridor through Tijeras Canyon.

"Protecting this land will leave a legacy to our children. Not just of open space, but also healthy wildlife populations in the Sandia and Manzano Mountains," said Councilor Heinrich.

The Finance and Government Operations Committee, Chaired by Council Vice-President Don Harris and comprised of Councilors Sanchez, Benton, Heinrich and Loy, passed the measure unanimously. For further information, please contact Councilor Martin Heinrich at 768-3152 / TTY 768-2474.