Albuquerque's Environmental Story
Albuquerque's Environmental Story
The
northwest mesa, greater Albuquerque's fastest growing area, extends from Central
Avenue north to Corrales Road. Bounded on the east by the Rio Grande, it extends
westward beyond the black volcanic escarpment to the Rio Puerco. This vast area
is largely undeveloped, but new residential and commercial building is taking
place at such a pace that critical urban design and planning decisions need
to be made to protect its unique cultural qualities and spectacular natural
setting.
Originally agricultural in nature, much of the west mesa was held in large land holdings, either ranches or land grants dating from the 1600s. Heirs of the land grants along with American Indians have ancestral ties to the cultural and natural resources of the area. From the Rio Grande oxbow, rich in wildlife habitat, to the five volcanic cones marking Albuquerque's western skyline, the land itself, not the built environment, has defined the west mesa in the past. The land provides scenic vistas of the Rio Grande Valley, arroyos for natural flood control and areas whose cultural and natural significance demand respect and protection.
In 1990 Congress established Petroglyph National Monument as an area of national significance. The 7100-acre monument, acquired by the federal government, is jointly managed by the state and the city of Albuquerque to protect the estimated 17,000 petroglyphs, their cultural context, and the natural areas including the volcanoes, canyons, ancient pueblo ruins and other archeological sites, and the 17-mile-long basalt escarpment. Many neighborhoods are immediately adjacent to the monument or the other areas of designated open space on the west mesa.
The availability of large tracts of land at lower costs than that on the east side of the Rio Grande prompted a flurry of new development adjacent to existing neighborhoods such as Taylor Ranch, La Luz, and Paradise Hills. While the older communities have their own character and flavor, the newer neighborhoods lend a more homogeneous, suburban feel to the west side. From 1980 to 1990 the population of the west side grew at a rate three times that of the rest of Albuquerque. This residential growth continues, with new subdivisions of mostly single-family homes extending to the west and north. Large apartment complexes are also rising in the area, adding to the base of housing available for new west-side residents.
Commercial and industrial development, parks, and community facilities have lagged behind home construction, but with the construction of Cottonwood Mall, the state's largest regional mall, and its associated development, many Albuquerque businesses have opened west-side branches, concentrating in the area along Coors between Paseo del Norte and NM 528.
Existing west-side neighborhoods serve as potential gateways to future, yet undeveloped areas such as the Black Ranch, at the northern edge of Bernalillo County along the Rio Puerco escarpment, and the Double Eagle II General Aviation Airport, just west of the volcanoes. Las Ventanas, a new subdivision west of Paradise Hills, is scheduled to be the first mesa-top development since Paradise Hills was built as an isolated housing tract in the 1960s. As pressures mount to convert large chunks of available land to residential, commercial, and industrial use, it becomes imperative that developers, residents, public officials, and other interested parties recognize the importance of protecting the beauty, uniqueness, and quality of life on the west mesa.
To date, growth on the west side has been unrestrained. Public decisions on three interrelated issues may force the question: How much growth can the west mesa sustain? These three issues are:
Transportation is probably the most discussed issue among west mesa residents. A viable, community-based transportation network, which would not only link the west side of the river to the east, but also serve neighborhoods is urgently needed. For over a decade, the river-crossing issues have remained largely unresolved, pitting one community against another. No one predicted the explosion of single-family homes and the increased pressures on the transportation system. A full range of transportation opportunities ranging from efficient, cost-effective transit, improved arterial roads, a well-planned system of bicycle and pedestrian trails, and alternatives such as car pooling and telecommuting must be found.
As in many other communities, transportation planning has lagged behind development, a problem exacerbated by environmental, archeological, and land-use considerations. In many cases transportation decisions are being affected by pressures from the private sector for access to more land to be developed. But it is more desirable that planners should consider development first and then plan transportation systems to serve it. A transportation system designed around a grid pattern is no longer possible nor desirable in the eyes of the public. The private sector and the public must work together to find adequate solutions to relieve the escalating congestion. As in other planning, transportation planning must look at the long-term future and be integrated into both the natural and built environments.
Land-use planning will have a significant impact on just how the west mesa will grow and what kind of place it will become. The Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Comprehensive Plan and other plans such as the Coors Corridor Plan and Northwest Mesa Escarpment Plan discuss appropriate development, densities, height restrictions, massing, and other design considerations and appropriate land use.
Unfortunately, the impact of the rapid growth of Rio Rancho, the speculated impact of Double Eagle II Airport as something more than a general aviation airport, and the planned community of Black Ranch have not been factored into these plans. In 1994 the city of Albuquerque developed a draft West Side Strategic Plan, which proposes a framework for urban form made up of neighborhoods and communities where shopping, employment and recreation are available near people's homes. The plan offers strategies for coordinating public investment in infrastructure, and proposes design guidelines that encourage new development that will complement the area's scenic qualities.
During public meetings for the West Side Strategic Plan, residents emphasized their interest in having adequate services while retaining the special features of the west side. Preserving views, reducing reliance on the automobile, maintaining drainage channels in their natural state, and protecting open space were all high priorities for the public.
Currently
the west mesa includes more than 13,000 acres of open space, acquired first
in the mid-1970s on top of the mesa and then below the escarpment in 1983. Las
Imagines National Archeological District was nominated to the National Register
of Historic Places in 1986, leading to the establishment of Petroglyph National
Monument in 1990.
Although the city has been acquiring open space lands for decades, acquisition needs far exceed available funds. Open space on the west mesa helps protect the priceless view in all directions, creates a safe buffer to manage storm water, provides a basis for a badly needed trail network, and offers places for citizens to enjoy and seek relief from the built urban environment. The west mesa offers us a chance to preserve the past and plan for the future in a logical fashion. The natural and cultural features of this community make it a unique part of the Albuquerque area. The challenge will be to maintain that uniqueness while managing growth. There is no question whether the west mesa will grow. The questions are how much growth is sustainable or desirable and where that growth should occur. The answers to those questions will affect the quality of life on the west mesa and define the sense of place for future generations.
(Up to Section II, Back to A Sense of Place, On to Southwest Mesa)