EGWC NEWSLETTER 2 - 4/ 2010

East Gateway Coalition of Neighborhoods Newsletter
February-April 2010
(Publication date: May 1, 2010)

Revitalization of East Central Avenue. The East Gateway Sector Development Plan is under consideration by the City Council Land Use, Planning, and Zoning committee. The council’s attention is on the budget, so it may be June before the next scheduled LUPZ hearing occurs. The plan can be found at http://www.cabq.gov/planning/long-range/eastgatewaysdp.html. Following the LUPZ review, the plan will be forwarded to the full City Council. Review the plan and provide comments to dharris@cabq.gov or testify at the LUPZ or Council hearings. I urge you to participate in the process—this will set the future appearance of our corner of Albuquerque for a long time to come.

Metropolitan Redevelopment. There will be a public meeting on MRA along East Central Avenue on May 4, 2010, at 6:30, at the Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center. Contact Gabe Rivera at jgrivera@cabq.gov for further information. Better, participate to see what projects might receive stimulus funding along Central.


Coalition Meeting April 22—Presentations.

Crime Prevention—Steve Sink, APD Crime Prevention Manager
· Who’s primarily responsible for your personal safety? You are! You can control your environment at that critical, unpredictable moment in time when you’re threatened.
· Report suspicious activities to 242-COPS, file a police report on www.cabq.gov/police/, or visit your Area Command. For crimes in progress, clearly threatening situations, or other serious activities, call 911.
· Be aware of your surroundings, and trust your instincts. You know what’s “normal” and what’s suspicious.
· A Crime requires a Target, Opportunity, and Motivation.
o Targets include women’s purses, someone carrying packages, open garage door, or other “valuable” source of valuable items.
o Opportunities include unlocked cars, open garage door, and people who are apparently unaware of their surroundings and potential threats.
o Motivation is that perception by the criminal that he/she has the opportunity to acquire the target. This is usually fueled by a way-of life, an attitude disregarding laws and rules, past history of criminal activity, need to steal to support a drug, alcohol, or criminal addiction.
· Auto Theft
o Albuquerque is always high on the list due to location.
o Auto burglary is often the goal to steal a car and its contents
o Thieves fence stolen cars to “chop shops” to be disassembled and sold as “off market” repair parts.
o Don’t keep your vehicle registration and insurance documents in the glove compartment. Carry them with you, provide copies (with original signatures) to other drivers, or put them in a secure, hidden location in the trunk.
o APD conducts free VIN etching on all car windows on the last Saturday of each month, except in May it will be on May 22. Call 311 or look for notices in the newspaper for times and place.
· ID Theft
o Often methamphetamine driven. Addicts need drugs, steal wallets/purses, and sell the identification documents and credit cards to wholesalers.
o Theft of a wallet is a short-term crime; recovering from ID theft can take many months.
o Scams abound to capture personal information; they are always externally initiated. Don’t provide account numbers, PINs, social security numbers, or other “private” information to anyone unless you initiated the call or request and know and trust whoever you’re dealing with.
· Homeless and Vagrants—Panhandling
o There are more than 3,000 homeless people in and around Albuquerque. They are in need of cash for a variety of reasons (often to support drug or alcohol problems), but DON’T give panhandlers cash—that will only perpetuate the problems.
o Some panhandlers consider asking for cash (for gas, for baby food/diapers) as their employment.
o See it; sense it; report it! Call 242-COPS, notify store managers.
o Avoid panhandlers, loiterers in parking lots, and suspicious people—don’t respond to please, ignore them, walk around a row of cars; go back to your car; ask someone to walk with you.
o You know what’s normal, so act on your instincts to avoid confrontations.
· Safety at Home
o Locks, lights, 4-inch dead bolt plate screws.
o Make it look like someone is home.
o Ask a trusted neighbor to pick up mail and newspapers, park a car in the driveway at times, take out trash, return the trash container from the street.
· Door-to-Door Solicitation
o These days, there probably aren’t any “legal” solicitors.
o A solicitor may be searching for a vacant house—as a burglary target. So DON’T hide and fail to let the solicitor know that someone is home; you might be surprised by someone crashing through your back door or patio door, leading to a violence—property crimes progress to violent crimes.
o Respond to a knock on the door or doorbell, but DON’T open the door. Let the solicitor know someone is home, but you don’t want that person on your property—tell him/her to leave.
o Solicitors must have a city permit issued and WITH THEM; ask to see it. If there is confusion or hesitation, immediately tell the solicitor to leave the premises (failure to do so is TRESPASSING), and tell him/her that you are going to call police.
o Watch the departing solicitor; if he/she continues to your neighbor’s house, call police.
o Political, religious, and youth-associated solicitation does NOT require a city permit, but you can tell the person to leave your property—you’re not interested.
· Home Invasion
o Rare, but it happens. And it can be violent.
o The 2:00 AM frantic knock on the door. You respond, look, and sleepily assess the situation. It might be an apparently injured non-threatening gal asking for help after “an accident.” But DON’T open the door to express your sympathy, because you might then see two really scary dudes appear from the shadows and bulldoze their way into your home. Without opening the door, assure the non-threatening person that you’ll immediately call 911—and DO THAT while the visitor can hear you. He/she may miraculously disappear, but should be checked on before another neighbor opens a front door.
· Neighborhood Watch
o An effective crime prevention program along a block, where you know the neighbors.
o Get to know your neighbors, their vehicles and habits, and watch for suspicious variance from normal.
o Look out for your neighbors; ask them to look out for you.
o Call Steve Sink (924-3600) for information on establishing a Neighborhood Watch program on your block.
· Who’s primarily responsible for your personal safety? You are!


Albuquerque Public Schools—David Robbins, APS Board of Education
· APS has about 14,000 full-time employees, 1,000 plus part-time employees, and 140 schools (plus other support facilities). Costs have increased about 18% per student over the last 13 years.
· APS gets the vast bulk of its resources ($600 million in operating funds) from the State. Revenues have dropped. So there are severe budget issues facing the Superintendent.
· The School Board has three functions: set policies (not programs or plans); advise the APS Administration; and hire/fire the Superintendent. The Board can’t demand or order any actions outside those activities.
· Finance staff and managers have experienced an unfortunate personnel rotation/loss for the last several years. Inexperience and sometimes weak capabilities created problems; there have been four Budget directors in the last four years.
· APS “found” $16 million recently. The situation was that financial personnel had misidentified $8 million in FY09 funds as “restricted” [reserved for a particular budgeted purpose] rather than “unrestricted” [available for other uses]. With staff inexperience, that same error was made in FY10, so there was a total of $16 million misidentified, but actually “in the bank.” Someone finally caught the error.
· Due to lower revenues and unforeseen expenses, there is a $43 million shortfall.
· Capital budgeted moneys can’t be used for operational expenses—so the choices under consideration are difficult and will adversely affect administrators and teachers. Firing “double dippers” could cost more than the potential savings in salaries, since APS receives more funding for well-experienced teachers—the additional funds probably exceed the projected salary savings.
· Financial problems have included under-budgeting, barely qualified staff, inexperience, and accounting systems issues (the “new” system was not calibrated against the “old” system; software doesn’t work as predicted).
· In the past, budgeting and financial procedures were NOT documented. Each new person had to reinvent a method to budget, pay bills, and account for LOTS of money.
· In the past, APS only reported monthly costs. The Board has now required that monthly reports include projected budget amounts for that period, actual costs, variances, and explanations of over/under spending so that managers and the Board (and the public) can be aware of the financial health of APS and act to correct errors and adjust to changes.
· Fixes are underway. A better-qualified manager is in place; procedures are being documented. Transparency and public notice of newly discovered problems will become the appropriate method of reporting.
· Questions on Vandalism.
o Vandalism costs APS about $1 million per year.
o APS is installing many cameras to document damages and vandals.
o Seeking to recoup repair costs from offenders and parents.
o More costly to hire sufficient APS Police or guards for all the facilities 24/7/365 as prevention measure.
· Questions on Management
o Teachers get promoted to department heads, then Principals, then APS Staff managers without having managerial expertise.
o Some programs to train managers, but the culture promotes “educators” into management.
David Robbins can be reached at 252-2375.

Joint Land Use Study. Kirtland AFB and the Mid Region Council of Governments (MR COG) are coordinating a study of:
· collaborative land use planning among military installations (KAFB), planning authorities (presumably Albuquerque’s Planning Dept and Bernalillo County’s Zoning and Planning Dept), and regional governments;
· intended to provide technical assistance to help understand, assess, and control the impacts on civilian and military populations of potential implications on each other from their respective activities and land uses;
· method to provide for long-term preservation of Kirtland AFB and foster compatible community development and growth.
There have been (poorly publicized) public meetings, and the report is being assembled over the next 2-3 months. I virtually stumbled into the last public meeting that was held next to the meeting place for the County Capital Improvement Program, so I have very limited information at this time. More later on this subject.

Coalition Meetings
· The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for July 22, 2010, at the Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center, beginning at 7:00 pm.
· Please provide your recommendations for speakers, forums, or meeting themes to Roger Mickelson, 332-9273 or fhvharoger@aol.com.

EGWC NEWSLETTER 11/2009-1/2010

East Gateway Coalition of Neighborhoods Newsletter
November 2009-January 2010
(Publication date: January 30, 2010)

Revitalization of East Central Avenue. The East Gateway Sector Development Plan is under study by the Environmental Planning Commission; the next public hearing is scheduled for March 4 at 3:30 pm in the Basement hearing room of the Planning Department, 600 Second Street NW. The draft plan can be found at http://www.cabq.gov/planning/long-range/eastgatewaysdp.html. Following the EPC review, the plan will be forwarded to the City Council and referred to the Land Use, Planning, and Zoning committee prior to reaching the full City Council. Review the plan and provide comments to pdonahue@cabq.gov or testify at the EPC, LUPZ, or Council hearings. I urge you to participate in the process—this will set the future appearance of our corner of Albuquerque for a long time to come.

Mitigating I-40 Closures. The January 14, 2010, East Gateway Coalition meeting was convened at 6:45 pm, with President Roger Mickelson outlining the intent of the panel presentations and participants’ questions concerning closures of I-40 in the Tijeras Canyon [outside the Albuquerque city limits] due to severe weather and due to accidents; the resultant traffic congestion on the Interstate, along adjacent roadways, and throughout major and residential streets within Albuquerque city limits; and, especially, what actions have been or will be taken by responsible governmental agencies to minimize the dangerous effects of closures. He noted that there are about 50,000 vehicles transiting the Tijeras Canyon stretch of I-40 every day—the problems are long-standing, complex, and more than difficult. Primary responsible agencies involved in responding to closures include:
· New Mexico Department of Transportation (NM DOT)
· New Mexico State Police (NMSP)
· Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department (BCSD)
· Albuquerque Police Department (APD)
Many other governmental bodies are involved, all the way from long-range planning (Mid-Region Council of Governments—MR COG) to emergency responders (e.g., Bernalillo County Fire Department—BCFD, Albuquerque Fire Department—AFD), as well as other support agencies and those that are affected by closures.

· State Representative Jim White summarized the situation, noting that he had lived in the SE corner of Albuquerque for 30 years and has sought resolution of these long-term problems for 15 years. He emphasized the two diverse situations causing closure—weather and accidents, each with differing durations (longer closures for snow; shorter for accidents), separate responsibilities, and tailored mitigating actions. An example—a closure due to snow [or other weather] closes both eastbound and westbound lanes, while an accident usually closes only one travel direction, and maybe not all lanes in that direction. He noted the NM State Law that assigns authority to close I-40 to the NMSP, and pointed out the need for law enforcement agencies to investigate accidents. In the case of a snow closure, NM DOT and NMSP decide when to open the highway. He asked, “Who’s in charge?” “Is it the first responding officer?” and “Who makes the decision?” He asked that the responsible agency representatives address such questions and provide operative solutions regarding a complex solution.

· Bernalillo County Commissioner Michael Brasher followed by noting that there will always be such incidents, especially those due to weather. Much has been done because of the Four Hills Village Homeowners’ Association. He has had several meetings with people involved to explore the issue of need which he considers a need of absolute public necessity—the need to get emergency and needed equipment into surrounding areas. He noted that law enforcement agencies had full responsibility in the case of accidents. Having hosted many discussions among elected officials, responsible agencies, other involved agencies or organizations, and concerned citizens, he reported on the progress among agencies and stated that a coordinated response plan would probably be agreed to and published within about two weeks [end-January]. He urged panel participants to let the audience know about past, current, and proposed activities to alleviate the traffic problems resulting from closures. He stated that the solution is for DOT to have a procedure in place in case of road delays.

· Tony Abbo, NM DOT District 3, the first panelist, stated that the overall goal of the NMDOT is “keeping the freeway open.” He reiterated that law enforcement agencies are the only agencies that can close the roads; NM DOT can’t. He then cited projects accomplished to date, including:
· rebuilding of I-40 in the Canyon
· installation of four monitoring video cameras to alert agencies of accidents and building weather problems
· installation of gates to close eastbound access to I-40 at major entrances [Four Hills Road/Tramway, Juan Tabo, Eubank, and Wyoming – 2 more within the Canyon]
· openings in the median separators to permit turnarounds—We have built all the opening. If changes to the design of the openings are needed, then it may be considered
· establishment of a coordinating group [NM DOT, NMSP, BCSD, APD, and others] specifically formed to address closure issues
· the series of coordinating group meetings, about every three months, seeking to revise a response plan to create a “seamless” process
· expansion of the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) of informational electronic warning signs as far west as Gallup
· activation of the 511 telephone information number; upgrades to the http://www.nmroads.com/ web site
· text alerts for those who sign up for transportation information notices within the http://www.nmroads.com/ web site
· purchase [Federal Highway Administration funded] and use of extensive camera-based technology for the photogrammetric investigation of accidents to reduce on-scene measurements and open the freeway back to traffic in a reasonable time frame. All calculation and measurements can be done in an office setting
· putting appropriate response staff on call in advance of expected severe weather events
· have snow plows, sand trucks, and personnel ready for deployment prior to anticipated severe weather

He noted that I-40 is NM DOT’s priority in this region, but that the agency had limited manpower and had to concentrate appropriate people based on the individual situation. He briefly discussed the Traffic Management Center [downtown] through which NM DOT coordinates their activities during emergencies.

· NMSP Captain Andy Montoya noted that District 5 has about 40 officers to patrol and respond to situations in this multi-county area all the way to Santa Rosa. He reaffirmed the priority to “keep roads open,” keeping public safety ever in mind. At any given time, there are only 1-2 NMSP officers in the East Mountain/Tijeras area, so BCSD is generally the law enforcement agency patrolling this stretch of I-40. He responded directly to one of Representative White’s questions—the first responding officer at an accident retains jurisdiction [there are legal issues involved, particularly in the case of casualty-causing accidents and subsequent litigation; every investigation must be accurate and thorough]. He reinforced the cooperative nature of response by noting that other agencies work with the first responder to keep traffic flowing—they decide how many lanes can remain open and whether the road must be closed.

· BCSD Chief Deputy Sheriff Dave Linthicum stated that the closure issues are taken very seriously―that responsible agencies seek mutual aid; are aware of protocols; and try to improve response actions. “We understand and are dedicated to make the protocols work.” NMSP is professionally excellent, and BCSD works well with NMSP and APD. We [on behalf of NMSP] won’t hesitate to close I-40 if that is necessary, but “it’s like shoving an elephant through a straw” [considering the huge volume of Interstate traffic]. BCSD stays in communication with everyone [involved in responding to closure].

· APD Foothills Area Commander Levi Anaya noted that his area includes all of the city east from Eubank [east, north, and south] to the city limit, and the city gets the brunt of traffic resulting from closures. APD is concerned and working on coordinated plans. A major success changed the previous policy of closing I-40 at Tramway [the exit farthest east in the city], which can’t handle that volume of traffic, at APD’s request; so now we collectively push the closure back to Eubank and Juan Tabo—diverting traffic from I-40 and directing traffic north and south onto Central and other areas instead of concentrating the traffic jams in the narrow areas near Tramway—preventing 18-wheelers from waiting along Wenonah or Four Hills Road. The area around Tramway and Central cannot handle [diverted] traffic in case of road closure. APD works to prevent such congestion. Is closure inconvenient? Yes, but we learn from each situation—meeting afterwards to discuss events. We’ll continue with the business of keeping roads open. Is it perfect? No, but we’re working on it. If it’s working on accidents on I-40 in the city, that’s APD’s job. We want to “keep highways open.” Our tools include proper investigation, particularly when fatalities close roads. We use APD wreckers to move disabled vehicles, and we try to keep the public informed with Twitter and our web site [http://www.cabq.gov/police/]. APD takes the problem seriously.

· Q and A Discussion provided the audience with the opportunity to ask about details or to enquire about related matters. It was clear from the outset that panelists were eager to respond, that they didn’t object to critical remarks, and that there was an impressive attitude of cooperation among the responsible agencies. Without attribution, the topics covered included:
· The keys to mitigating the effects of closure are controlling eastbound traffic and concluding the pending agreement, which is not looked at as a temporary measure.
· NM DOT has the keys to the gates that can block eastbound access to I-40 at Wyoming, Eubank, Juan Tabo, and Four Hills Road entrances.
· The ITS is not limited to the Albuquerque area. There are electronic signs as far west as Gallup and, within Albuquerque, at 9-mile hill. There are some areas without camera coverage at the present time. There is a need to improve traffic information received (e.g., from cameras, from TV/radio reports, from truckers on CB radios).The Traffic Management Center is expected to work better within about 12 months as improvements are made.
· The plan is to divert interstate traffic [especially 18-wheelers] to Expo and to the Balloon Fiesta Park.
· Turning I-40 traffic around at Tramway [to send trucks back to the west] didn’t happen in 2006/2007; APD hadn’t anticipated the 3-foot snowfall. And truckers don’t want to turn left at that exit intersection, since trucks weighing more than 5 tons are prohibited from driving on Tramway. Note also that APD vehicles are not four-wheel-drive and have difficulty in deep snow situations—some are unable to respond quickly.
· The Albuquerque Emergency Operations Center can be opened with an expanded staff that may be needed. APD calls in additional officers during any closure emergency.
· It’s necessary to adjust any plan to fit the circumstances, but it’s good to have a plan.
· NM DOT is adding [ITS and other] signs. There’s a sign at 4th Street that would direct eastbound I-40 traffic onto I-25. There are now four ITS signs in Albuquerque to inform tourists and truckers.
· The 3-foot snow is what really triggered formation of the interagency group to cooperate on a response plan.
· There is an emergency plan in place; the fully coordinated plan will be completed in January. The plan is implementable.

· CONCLUSIONS
· This series of presentations, questions, comments, and answers provided an unusual opportunity for residents affected by closures of the very high traffic volume stretch of I-40 to (a) learn what responsible government agencies had accomplished to mitigate the traffic congestion resulting from closures, (b) hear about the interagency cooperation in revising response plans and formally meeting as a group to discuss lessons learned from emergency responses, and (c) understand the serious concern and commitment of responsible agencies.
· Closures will happen due to severe weather and serious accidents.
· With 50,000 vehicles transiting the Tijeras Canyon stretch of I-40 every day, closures will create extensive traffic congestion on I-40 due to blockage, on alternate routes (really only NM 333), along nearby major roadways (e.g., NM 14, Tramway, Juan Tabo, Central), in shopping center and other parking lots, and often on adjoining residential streets in Albuquerque as diverted traffic spills over from major roadways and parking lots.
· There is a commendable spirit of cooperation and coordination among the responsible government agencies; this positive attitude has resulted in the preparation of an interagency response plan that should be finalized in January 2010.
· The interagency planning group meets quarterly and following every closure to discuss lessons learned from each situation, to improve response times, and to modify the processes to better mitigate the effects of closure.
· Is it perfect? No. Any plan seeking to respond to an emergency of such a large scale must provide sufficient flexibility for responsible on-scene managers to adapt to specific situations at the time.
· What else needs to be done?
o The public should be informed of the significant progress made by responsible agencies.
o The interagency response plan should be presented to the public to reassure residents affected by closures of I-40 that response actions are focused on opening roadways and protecting public safety.
o Consideration should be given very early in the decision processes to activate the Albuquerque Emergency Operations Center (or the Bernalillo County EOC) to assemble representatives of many organizations who might (a) need information about the closure and response and (b) assist in the response operations.
o The interagency planning group should be formalized, with a Charter to ensure sustainability of the group and its purposes; consider the inclusion of representatives of nearby residential associations or organizations to provide public concerns and inputs to the government agency representatives.

Coalition Meetings
· The January 14 meeting was our Annual Meeting. Elections were deferred to e-mail nominations and votes; Rose Sena was elected as Vice President, and Zach Hahn was elected as Treasurer.
· The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for April 22, 2010, at the Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center, beginning at 6:30 pm.
· Please provide your recommendations for future meeting themes to Roger Mickelson, 332-9273 or fhvharoger@aol.com.

EAST GATEWAY COALITION OF NEIGHBORHOODS NEWSLETTER

East Gateway Coalition of Neighborhoods Newsletter
September-October 2009
(Publication date: November 12, 2009)


Revitalization of East Central Avenue. The Sector Plan boundaries are Virginia Street on the west, Copper Avenue and I-40 on the north, the City limit on the east, and KAFB on the south as shown below; the smaller Metropolitan Redevelopment Area is a darker shade.

(East Central MRA and Sector Plan Map included in original Email).

The East Central Sector Development Plan is in final edit, with reviews by the Planning Department and most other city agencies that will be affected by the many design and zoning proposals from Wyoming on the west, I-40 on the north, and the city limit on the east and south. These reviews seek to produce a cohesive, readable plan that would be submitted to the Environmental Planning Commission (EPC) early in December. There are no further public meetings scheduled, although there is a possibility that narrowly-focused discussions could be held to resolve concerns of groups of residents and business operators according to Paula Donahue, the Planning Department coordinator. Paula can be reached at 924-3932 or PDonahue@cabq.gov.
General information and the draft plan can be found at http://www.cabq.gov/planning/long-range/eastgatewaysdp.html. Note that this posted draft plan is being reviewed, although the changes may be moderate in some regards—the contents will follow a similar outline.
The EPC will likely examine the plan application in January, and we anticipate that at least one closed “study session” and two public hearings will be conducted. Following the EPC review, the plan will be forwarded to the City Council and referred to the Land Use, Planning, and Zoning committee prior to reaching the full City Council. The entire process may result in a decision (to approve the plan) in the March-April 2010 timeframe, depending on the plan’s relative priority amidst other legislative issues.
Public review of the plan can therefore begin about December 3, and public comment (testimony) can be offered at the two EPC hearings, the LUPZ hearing, and the City Council meeting. We should all stay involved, read the plan in December, and prepare and present any formal comments early next year. Remember, if you don’t participate, you shouldn’t gripe about the final results.
In parallel, work continues on the Metropolitan Redevelopment Plan that is based on a narrower area along Central Avenue. A summary of the process can be found at http://www.cabq.gov/planning/amra/currentprojects.html. According to Gabe Rivera, the Planner, the contractor is conducting additional economic and market research this month. Gabe will conduct a “walk-around” survey of businesses over the next month, planning for a third public meeting in December. Gabe can be reached at 924-3479 or JGRivera@cabq.gov.

Mitigating I-40Closures
Winter storms, icy roads, and accidents have created incredible traffic backups in the East Gateway area for many years. Senator Sue Wilson-Beffort, Representatives Kathy McCoy and R.J. Berry, and local officials have tried to ensure that responsible authorities (e.g., NM Department of Transportation, State Police, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department, Albuquerque Police Department) are planning to divert the heavy traffic from I-40 onto parking areas without impeding residents’ necessary movement to and from homes and stalling emergency service response vehicles.
Gates blocking access to eastbound I-40 have been installed. Electronic warning signs have been set up and tested. Ideas have been proposed for turnarounds or temporary exits from I-40. Discussions have been held—far too many discussions—without preparation of a coordinated plan to cope with the hundreds of 18-wheelers that frequently have filled shopping center parking lots, clogged major collector roads (like Central Avenue), and completely halted local residential traffic, including emergency vehicles responding to accidents, medical emergencies, and fires.
Recognizing that I-40 carries an enormous volume of traffic, that winter storms will happen, and that major accidents will occur, it is apparent that more planning needs to be done. To that end, we’ll ask our elected officials to demand that responsible agencies create and test plans to minimize the negative effects of I-40 closures. Additionally, the East Gateway Coalition of Associations will ask those officials and responsible agencies to provide relevant information and to summarize emergency plans early next year—at the Coalition meeting at 6:30 on January 14 at the Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center (Southern and Elizabeth SE).

Coalition Meetings
· The January 14 meeting is our Annual Meeting. In 2010, representatives of member associations need to elect the Vice President and the Treasurer for a two-year term. As noted above, we hope to have a panel presentation of solutions to the long-standing I-40 closure problems.
· Please provide your recommendations for future meeting themes to Roger Mickelson, 332-9273 or fhvharoger@aol.com

EAST GATEWAY COALITION OF NEIGHBORHOODS NEWSLETTER

Revitalization of East Central Avenue. The City’s consultant contractor has been hard at work to revise and expand the contents of the draft East Gateway Sector Development Plan. The Sector Plan boundaries are Virginia Street on the west, Copper Avenue to I-40 on the north, the City limit on the east, and KAFB on the south as shown below; the smaller Metropolitan Redevelopment Area is a darker shade.

(JPG posted in outgoing email).

Draft reports can be reviewed at http://www.cabq.gov/planning/long-range/eastgatewaysdp.html. Paula Donahue, the city’s Senior Planner for the Sector Plan, can be reached at 924-3932 or pdonahue@cabq.gov. The contractors and planning staff should have a more polished draft available for public review by the end of May 2009.
Tijeras Arroyo.
1. There is a proposal initiated by the Trust for Public Lands to purchase approximately 60 acres of undeveloped property just east of the City-County boundary south of NM 333 (old US 66), including a portion of the arroyo, and further south, connecting to the Manzano Open Space. Councilor Don Harris sponsored legislation to earmark $400,000 toward this purchase. This could provide an important link between open space north of I-40 and potential open space in the Tijeras Canyon for a wildlife corridor. Issues include overall costs within fiscally-constrained budgets, policing of the arroyo (a favorite “camping” area for homeless people), and maintenance of the extended open space.
2. Public dumping and intrusive activities further west in the arroyo continue to be an irritant to residents. The developer of Juan Tabo Hills has been asked to install locked gates to limit access to trash dumpers, and both the City and County have been asked to participate in a cleanup operation to remove accumulated trash from the area north of Juan Tabo Hills.
3. Non-native trees and other growth continue to proliferate in the arroyo. There is a Council bill pending to remove these unwanted plants to preserve native vegetation.
Form Based Zones. The Environmental Planning Commission dedicated hundreds of hours to revise a comprehensive proposed addition to the Zoning Code establishing five (seven if you count the sub-categories) new Zones, outlining procedures to request Zone changes, and templates for each new zone. The Council approved the proposal. Note that developers must request changes to existing Zone designations and that those applications are subject to established Planning procedures, including public review and comment. Note that developers had the flexibility within the established Zoning Code to apply for any of the template designs under an SU-1 Zone.
Great Streets. This proposed Rank 2 Facility Plan would provide for enhancing street segments to provide a “sense of place” through widening of sidewalks, emplacing shade trees and other plants, and similar measures to attract walkers. Similar to the Form Based Zone procedures, developers, community groups, business owners, and others would apply for a Great Streets designation for a specified street segment. It is expected that the Council will approve the Great Streets Facility Plan, which could override sector plans, subdivision plats, and overlay zones, all of which are Rank 3 plans. Note that Great Streets projects had already been approved under the established Zoning Code.
Coalition meetings.
· The Annual meeting was held on January 22, 2009, at the Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center. Member association representatives elected Roger Mickelson as President and Zach Hahn as Treasurer, each for a two-year term. PRC Chairman Jason Marks reported on regulatory activities. US Postal Inspection Service agent Stephanie Herman provided insightful information about identity theft and postal security matters. Mayor Martin Chàvez spoke about his efforts to secure Federal stimulus funding for City projects.
· The next quarterly meeting is scheduled for 6:30-8:30 pm on April 21, 2009, at the Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center. NM Senators Sue Wilson-Beffort and Tim Keller and state Representative RJ Berry will report on the 60-day 2009 legislative session. APD Crime Prevention manager Steve Sink will provide information on avoiding crime to attendees.· Please provide recommendations for future meeting themes to Roger Mickelson, 332-9273 or fhvharoger@aol.com.