District 2 Newsletter

Hello Neighbors,

The next City Council meeting is Monday, April 17 at 5:00 pm in the Vincent Griego Chambers, basement level of City Hall:  Agenda. 

Legislation of Interest

• R-17-171 Petroglyphs Monument Management Plan (Benton) reaffirms the existing  agreement between the City and the US Park Service for the management and protection of the Petroglyph National Monument and calls for the creation of a Joint Visitor Use and Resource Management Plan.  The management plan will include new requirements for security and cultural preservation of the Monument, better protect it from vandalism/urban incursions, and provide appropriate low-impact educational/cultural points of interest and tour routes.  R-17-171 is on Monday’s agenda.

Upcoming Events

• Downtown Growers’ Market is back! Saturdays 8 am – noon thru November 4 at Robinson Park
• BICI Bike Share Pop-Up Meeting:  Saturday, April 22, 8:00 – 11:00 am
• Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO) EPC Hearing: The Environmental Planning Commission (EPC) held the first and second hearings on the Integrated Development Ordinance on April 6 and 10 to take public comment.  A third hearing will be held to focus on response to comments and recommended Conditions of Approval on Monday, April 24 at 1:00 pm at Plaza del Sol, 600 2nd Street NW, Basement Hearing Room.  You are encouraged to attend, but there will be no additional verbal comment/testimony.  Written comments will be considered by the EPC if submitted by April 20th at 1 p.m. Written comments received after that time will be forwarded to the City Council for consideration at the next stage in the review/approval process.
• Keep Albuquerque Beautiful’s 2017 Great American Clean Up: Saturday, April 29, 9:00 am – noon.  If you have any questions, call or email Mila Romero at 505-761-8167 or [email protected].
• Duke City All Stars Gallery Nights:  Every Friday night 5:00 – 9:00 pm, a weekly fund raising event for a public mural project focused on beautifying Albuquerque while empowering youth.
• Free Classical Music Performances Downtown:  First Wednesday of the month at 12:05 pm, September – May
• ABQ365 Events:  Year-round events in Albuquerque!
• ABQtodo:  More year-round events in Albuquerque!

Community Announcements/Resources

• Free ABQ Images Library hits 5,000 downloads. This is an online collection of professional photos and videos of the Albuquerque area that can be downloaded and used by anyone for free.  
• Air Quality Awareness:  The Environment Health Department has announced an awareness campaign.  Sign up to get Air Quality alerts.
• ART Construction: Get updates on the construction schedule. 
• ARTBeat on the Street Events:  Please support our Central Avenue businesses!
• The Children's Grief Center of New Mexico provides specialized peer support for young people ages 5 - 25 after the death of a loved one. All services are provided at no charge to bereaved families.  CGC also has meaningful volunteer opportunities and community education programs.  Visit www.childrensgrief.org for all the details.
• Behavioral Health Initiative: Stay updated on the progress of this important initiative and read the ABCGC Behavioral Health Newsletter online.

Project Updates

• Project List:  We have updated the project list with new projects and will be working to get pages up for each of them.
• Rio Grande Boulevard Complete Street Concept Plan (south of I-40):  The final report has been completed and is available online.  We are planning another public meeting in June to present the recommendations.  Stay tuned for details!
• Alameda Drain and Trail Master Plan:  I secured funding in the capital budget (GO bonds) for design and engineering of the first phase (within the city) of this project.  GO bond questions will be on the ballot in October’s municipal election.  The City is also pursuing federal funding.
• Coronado Skate Park:  I also secured funding in the capital budget for design and engineering of renovation and expansion of the Coronado Skate Park.
• Rio Grande Boulevard/Rose Avenue Intersection & Bicycle Improvements:  We have finally received approval for use of state grant funds for this project.  I will be contributing additional District 2 set-aside funds for improved bike lanes north to approximately Matthew Avenue where the Rio Grande Boulevard Pilot Project was striped last fall.
• 14^th & Lomas Bike Blvd Crossing:  I’ve used District 2 set-asides to fund the design of this project, identified in the Downtown Neighborhoods Area Traffic Study.
• Downtown Walkability:  We continue to make progress in implementing the recommendations of this study.  New striping plans for Lead and Coal Avenues between 2^nd and 8^th Streets are currently being designed.  Bike lanes will be placed between a parking lane and the curb.

Sincerely,
Isaac Benton
City Councilor, District 2