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Some background on the Greenarbor barricade and the closing of Signal
The Bob Keeran development proposed & discussed with VENA was
the development of between 60 and 90 homes west of Ventura between
Alameda & Signal. The developer proposed closing Signal from the
Carrington stop sign east to Ventura. This allows him to include
more land in a controversial calculation of his ratio of homes to
acres. In effect this creates more dwellings per acre than the
La Cueva Sector Development Plan (LACSDP) calls for between Alameda
and Signal. The LACSDP calls for 5 dwellings per acre, which is the
same density found in Vineyard Estates I & II and III & IIIa.
The developer would be required by the city to pave and improve his part
of Alameda, only the South Side of Alameda, and only the distance of
his development. In the old Alameda Corridor Study (this was a study,
not an ordinance) it says that the barricade would be removed on
Greenarbor when Alameda is improved. At the time of the study it was
my interpretation that Alameda would be improved all the way to Eubank,
then the barricade would come out. However, Mr. Keeran will not be
responsible to do all of Alameda; if all of Alameda is not improved
then perhaps the barricade would stay.
However, this was and is the understanding of the Vineyard Estates
Neighborhood people and the understanding of the Coalition for District 4
during and after the Alameda Corridor study was completed.
Please understand, the City can change its mind at anytime because the
section of Signal that is in question (from the Carrington stop sign
east to Ventura) was (supposedly) not built by the city it (supposedly)
was built by AMAFCA as a flood dike. The section from the Carrington
stop sign to Ventura was then paved by the County due to the pressure
from the neighborhoods (VENA & NorEste & North Albuquerque Acres) because
of the tremendous amount of dust raised each day with the heavy school
and work traffic. This was supposedly completed by AMAFCA. Due to the
Dust Ordinance VENA pressured the City to pave Signal. The City pressured
the County to pave it and one of the entities completed the paving. But
it is questionable if Signal will survive from the Carrington stop sign
east to Ventura since the status of that section of Signal technically
may not be a City street even though it has been used as a City street
since it was built and paved. In real estate terms it is called a
"pre-existing easement".
The residents of Vineyard III decided not to wait to let the City and
the City Councilor for District 4 (Councilor Winter) know what their
position would be. Taking out the barricade immediately involves the
residents of Vineyard III & IIIA & I & II. It also impacts the community
at large that uses Signal to access Desert Ridge Middle School on Barstow,
La Cueva High School on Wilshire connecting from Barstow and Signal,
North Star Elementary School on Ventura connecting from Signal. This
is an important East West connector street for the far north east heights.
In addition it is critical to speed access to the area for emergency vehicles.
In July or Aug. of 2007 Councilor Winter brought up the removal of the
Greenarbor barricade at the City Council meeting and the City
Administration replied that there were no plans to remove the barricade.
This will be an ongoing situation.
However, by virtue of the barricade being constructed of a temporary build,
it could be removed. The barricade has been in place longer than thirteen
and three quarter years, because when I moved here the barricade was in
place. The residents of Vineyard I & II that formed the original Vineyard
Estates Neighborhood Association had made a desperate appeal to have the
barricade put in place to protect their children and themselves from the
high school traffic because Signal was not ready for traffic nor was it
paved at that time. As the residents stated in their case to traffic
engineering it was an emergency situation for the neighborhood.
VENA is not opposed to the Hope Episcopal and the two office buildings that
are currently being developed by Don Hoech, and the Hope Episcopal Church
and Bob Keeran.
Don Hoech & Hope Episcopal and Bob Keeran will also pave part of Alameda.
Originally Bob Keeran was going to do the Hope project as well. Now Mr.
Keeran will develop his 65 or 90 homes, and pave his part of Alameda and
apply to the City to close Signal. (The number of homes changes each time
we hear about the development and VENA does not have an official set of
plans for Mr. Keeran's development to date as the project has not been
presented to the Environmental Planning Commission {EPC}).
We are not opposed to the homes Mr. Keeran has proposed to build as long
as the development stays within the guidelines of the La Cueva Sector
Development Plan. However, we are not convinced that Signal's closing
would be an asset to the community. The loss of an additional east west
connector street is not a benefit but is detrimental to the community.
We are not in favor of removing the Greenarbor barricade until Alameda
is paved and improved all the way to Eubank.
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