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November 2011

In This Issue
City Council Redistricting
NY Times in ABQ
New Board Members
EDo Master Plan
EDo Goals Update
EDo is Street Smart
The Daily Market Update
A Music Festival?

EDo News & Views 

Editor

Rob Dickson

Publisher

Lara Simon

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EDo Neighborhood Association

Board of Directors


President

Randi McGinn

McGinn, Carpenter, Montoya and Love, P.A.

 

Vice President

David Mahlman

Mahlman Studio Architects

 

Secretary

Doug Majewski

Design Group

 

Treasurer

Marc Bertram

Hotel Parq Central

 

Daniel Blackwood

The Evolution Group

 

John Chavez
NM Angels Investors 

 

Lauren Greene

The Grove Caf� & Market

 

Art Hayman

Highland Pharmacy

 

Pat Keene

Artichoke Caf�

 

Terry Keene

Artichoke Caf�

 

Bevin Owens

Compass Companies

  

Devon Van Hecke

Broadway Skin & Body Retreat

 

Michael Wewerka

Holy Cow 

Huning Highland Neighborhood Association

Board of Directors


President

Amberley Pyles

 

Vice President

Karla Thornton

 

Secretary

Bonnie Anderson

 

Treasurer

Joaquin Garofalo

 

Ryan Bromberg

Ann Carson

David Donaldson

Phoenix Forrester

Moises Gonzalez

Steve Grant

Kathy Grassel

Liam Hoch

Lee Spittler

City Council Redistricting - Why Should It Matter to You?
ABQ 1940




Every 10 years with the completion of the U.S. Census, our 9 City Council districts are re-drawn based upon new population data.
     The 2010 Census shows the West Side should be allocated 3 City Council seats, instead of the 2 they currently have. This means the East Side will shrink to 6 seats from 7.  
     Which City Council District will move to the West Side?  The City Council will decide, and very soon.  
     A 9-citizen Commission was appointed to make recommendations to Council, which can be found here.  
     Out of 22 possible maps, the Commission forwarded 8 to the City Council. Of the top 3 rated maps, the top 2 would move District 3 - which contains Downtown, EDo, UNM, and all the historic neighborhoods of our City but Old Town - to the West Side.  Current District 3 would be absorbed by District 2 (North Valley and Old Town) and District 6 (Nob Hill).  
     The 3rd rated map would keep District 3, and would move District 7 - one of 4 Northeast Heights districts. The other 3 districts would absorb current District 7. This same approach was taken in 2001, when a Northeast Heights district was sent to the West Side to give them 2 districts, not 1.  There is legal precedent for this approach.  We think this approach should be used again.
     Look at the aerial photo of 1940 Albuquerque - other than Old Town and the modest beginnings of Nob Hill, all of Albuquerque was District 3.
     Does it make sense to send our most historic district to the West Side?  We say definitely NO.
     Want to help?  Please click here for more information, and write to the City Council as soon as you can.  Thank you.
36 Hours in Albuquerque - The New York Times






If you had only 36 hours in Albuquerque, how would you spend them?  Click here to read what the New York Times recently had to say. 
Photo by Ron Reiring
New EDo Board Members
Please join us in welcoming John Chavez, Devon Von Hecke, and Michael Wewerka as new volunteer board members.  Thanks to them for their willingness to serve the cause of building a great, walkable neighborhood.
Chavez
John Chavez is President of New Mexico Angels Investors in Albuquerque, and Managing Partner of Phase One Ventures, a start up fund in Albuquerque.  He is on the Board of the UNM Anderson School Foundation.  He was a Cabinet Secretary under Governor Gary Johnson.  He owns an investment property in EDo. 
Devon Van Hecke owns Broadway Skin & Body Retreat, a day spa featuring facial treatments and massage services.  Devon received her Esthetician license in 2003 from the Aveda Institute and a BA in Public Relations from UNM in 2007.  In Summer 2010, Devon opened at Broadway & Lead in EDo.  EDo has been an ideal location for her day spa, and she looks forward to her involvement as a new EDo board member.
Wewerka
Michael Wewerka is an architect, builder and developer. While a rabid modernist when he completed his M.A. in architecture, he has since gone on to restore and renovate many historic and traditional buildings, including EDo restaurants Farina and Holy Cow. He and his two partners own and operate Holy Cow and he is a devoted family man and father of three.
EDo Master Plan Principles
EDo Illustration




Without the January 2004 EDo Master Plan, there probably would be no EDo.  
     It was this 25-year vision of our revitalized neighborhood - the product of a 5 day, open public design "charrette" - that put this neighborhood on its proper course, for us and for the generations to come.
     We think it valuable to remember the 9 principles that guided the plan, and to acknowledge that while progress has been made, much remains to be done.
1.  Put the pedestrian first.
2.  Park once, and walk.
3.  Traffic speeds compatible with pedestrian and cyclist comfort
4.  Daily needs within walking distance.
5.  Traditional buildings with a variety of uses.
6.  Variety of housing choices.
7.  Live above stores and businesses.
8.  Beautiful public spaces, constantly occupied.
9.  Quality transit service.
Update on 2011 EDo Neighborhood Goals
Lib






Road Diet. Data collection on the Central Avenue "Road Diet" from 8th Street to Lomas continues. You may recall this took the outside 2 lanes of a 5-lane street and converted them to bike lanes and on-street parking.  Anecdotal evidence is that the police and emergency response teams love it, because it has slowed traffic to safe speeds, while handling vehicle capacity.  Let's hope EDo is next!
Rapid Ride. Albuquerque Transit Department has expressed a willingness to install Rapid Ride Stops - in both directions - at Central & Edith, along with shelters.  In addition, they said they would install torquoise bus shelters at all 66 stops along Central, as they have done on Broadway.  We hope to see installation coming soon!
Library. Dean Smith, head of the City Library, reports that the beautifully renovated historic Special Collections branch will soon re-open, with book lending and drop-off services for the first time in many years.  Thank you!
Street Smart Walk Score
EDo Aerial






Seattle-based Front Seat introduced the Walk Score concept in 2007, rating neighborhood walkability from 1 to 100. They have recently introduced a more refined version telling you how comfortable your walk to neighborhood amenities and services.  EDo scores 94 on the new version! See our Street Smart Walk Score.
The Daily Market Update
Pics


Putting a small business together - the management team, the capital, the right location - is tough.  Anyone who has tried it or done it will agree.
     710 Central SE is a great location and building for a 4,200 square foot independent grocery store. The most recent attempts to make it a reality were valiant but not successful.
     There are 2 options here:
1.  An experienced grocery team with some financial backing (let's say 20-30% of total needed capital) comes forward to work with neighborhood and other local investors.  Know anyone?  Have them get in touch.
2.  A corporate entity with a neighborhood-scale grocery store concept can be induced to locate in EDo.  We are working on this. 
EDo/Huning Highlands Music Festival?
Highland Park






From Board Member Marc Bertram:  
     "I think it would be wonderful if the EDo and Huning Highland neighborhoods could sponsor - along with the City of Albuquerque - an event similar to the St John's College in Santa Fe's 'Music on the Hill.'  Highland Park with its central yet private location could be a perfect venue for an event series of this type.
     "In Santa Fe it has evolved into one of the City's great summer events with a wide range of music types including jazz, classical, and country/bluegrass. The same concept could easily be done with Highland Park and its 'bowl-like' configuration.
     "Since the City of Albuquerque is planning some additional improvements to the park the timing of such a series beginning in 2012 would be great."
     Stay tuned!