electronic
311?
The newsletter of the Vineyard Estates and Surrounding Subdivisions Neighborhood Association is published four times per year. Past newsletters may be found at http://www.venaabq.org. The primary distribution method is through E-mail and the website, but non-computer users may request that a paper copy delivered to their home. Contact Lee Ann Riesen (lafisk@swcp.com, 280-5792) if you have a contribution or a question.
Back to the top.Please plan to attend our general meeting on Thursday, November 29, 2007 at 7 PM at Covenant United Methodist Church on the southeast corner of Wyoming and Wilshire (just south of La Cueva High School). Watch for an agenda to arrive in your mailbox soon.
Back to the top.There is still time for you to join the Vineyard Estates Neighborhood Assocation (VENA) for the 2007 - 2008 year. VENA is a volunteer organization dedicated to interacting with the City of Albuquerque for the betterment of our communities. VENA is recognized by the City under ordinance 92 and is a partner in the hearings and meetings that occur when a new development is being planned for our area.
Our association boundaries are far flung, and so unfortunately communicating with everyone by going door-to-door is not feasible, although we do try to visit as many residents as we can throughout the year. So we use your membership dues and the money we raise by recycling aluminum to pay for printing and postage to mail notices.
Membership in VENA is only $20 per household. In return you get a vote, and the thanks of your neighbors. You can download a membership form from our website (http://www.venabq.org), and you should also be receiving one in the mail soon.
If you can give your time in addition to your $20, we still need board members from several of the subdivisions. The VENA board meets approximately one evening per month. We are also looking for people to serve as Crime Watch captains, which requires organizing your subdivision and interacting with the police department.
Back to the top.In September an important amendment to the La Cueva Sector Development Plan was passed by unanimous vote of the City Council. This amendment removed a loophole in the Plan language that allowed a developer to build many more homes per acre than was the intent of the Plan. He was able to do this by including unbuildable land, like easements and roads, in the calculation of total available acreage.
Several board members of VENA, along with board members of NorEste neighborhood association, and City Councilor Brad Winter fought hard for the passage of this amendment.
The immediate impact for us is that the development that will be built north of Desert Vista (north of Signal, just west of Ventura) should have about 60 homes rather than 90. We cannot be sure because we have not seen a plan for that development yet, but the VENA board is dedicated to staying on top of this situation.
Back to the top.Ventura Place, the shopping center that is home to Trader Joe's and Jinja Bistro, is now close to completion. Saxby's has moved in and is doing very well. Bed Bath & Beyond is stocking their shelves and should be open by Christmas. Watch for Massage Envy (the home of the $39 massage), a mattress store, a Regis Supercuts, Greg & Co. Jewelers, and a Boba Tea Store.
Just north of Saxby's and west of Bed Bath & Beyond, construction has begun on a 4000-square-foot medical building. This building will be occupied by a single medical practice. The medical building is the last building that will be constructed in Ventura Place.
Back to the top.The Walgreen's shopping center on the southwest corner of Paseo del Norte and Ventura is moving forward. Some of you attended one or both of the facilitated meetings between the developer and neighbors. The report of these meetings is available on-line at our mailing list archive at http://lists.topica.com/lists/venatalk/read. (Look for Walgreen's
in the message title.)
The developer of this center will be making a presentation at our November general meeting on the 29th.
Back to the top.Two homes have been built and are for sale in Villa Firenze, which is an infill project north of Vineyard III and west of Desert Vista.
The developer of Villa Firenze kindly landscaped the roadside south of Desert Vista, which leads to Villa Firenze, which they were not required to do. We are grateful to them for their contribution to our neighborhood.
Back to the top.VENA has begin the process of having the City take over maintenance of the Ventura median from Carmel to the north. This may take as long as a year or two to achieve.
Until the time when the median is being maintained by the City, if you see weeds or trash in the median that you can safely remove, please go ahead and do so.
Back to the top.This is a reminder that if there is a sidewalk behind your home, you are responsible for removing weeds and trash that appear between your home and the street. Many residents are doing a spectacular job of keeping their subdivision boundaries weed-free.
If you don't see any weeds behind your home, it may be because a neighbor has removed your weeds along with their own. Return the favor when they pop back up by removing yours and then your neighbors' weeds. It doesn't take much longer to pull the weeds behind several houses while you are out there as it does to pull the weeds behind one house. And in this way it takes less time for all of us to keep our subdivisions looking nice.
If you have a weed problem behind an undeveloped lot in your subdivision, you can call 311
and they will contact the lot owner and have them come out to remove their weeds.
Please save your aluminum cans for your neighborhood association!
VENA operates on a tight budget. Although a neighborhood association is a City entity, recognized by the City and included in the City planning process, we are 100% volunteers and receive no funding from the City. We raise funds through your paid memberships, and through recycling aluminum cans. Funds raised are largely spent on communicating with all residents within our boundaries about issues of concern to all of us. We mail to residents whether or not they are paid members, because we believe it is important for all to be informed. But it is only because of those of you who join VENA as members every year, and because of those of you who donate your aluminum cans, that we are able to do this.
There are three drop off points where you may deliver your cans. In Carrington, drop off your bags of cans on the east side of 8705 Ashton Place. We also have a drop-off point at 8415 Vintage Drive in Vineyard III, and at 9036 Village Avenue in Ventura Village (just behind the fence to the left of the front door). If you live in another area within our boundaries and would be willing to serve as a drop-off point for your subdivision, please contact Hank Happ at 828-9912.
There are a few requests we make for the cans. Please recycle aluminum beverage cans only. This means no dog or cat food cans, or any fruit or vegetable cans. Include no other recyclables like plastic bottles. Please make sure the cans are empty. The reason should be obvious. If it's possible, please crush the cans. More cans can be taken in one pickup load that way. Even a partial crushing is good. Please make sure the bags are secure. When they're not, the wind can wreak havoc.
The redemption value now is more than $0.015 cents per can, approaching $0.02 per can. So they can add up!
Back to the top.Members VENA board have been working with residents of Vineyard III and the City to address the problem of cracking in these 15-year-old streets. Expect to see some progress soon.
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| A cracked street in Vineyard III |
Vineyard Park is the hidden park south of Vineyard III and north of a drainage easement. It has a beautiful view of the West Mesa and is nicely landscaped; however, if you have been there lately, you have undoubtedly noticed the large weeds in the grass.
VENA has contacted the City and hopes to see progress in this area soon.
VENA will also ask the City to move a dog bag cleanup station into the park.
Back to the top.electronic
Please note that due to budgetary constraints, VENA is no longer publishing a paper newsletter. The quarterly newletter will be posted to our website (http://www.venabq.org). It will also be e-mailed to subscribers of our mailing list (http://www.venaabq.org/mailinglist.htm). We will print a limited number of copies to deliver to residents who are not computer users.
We will continue to mail out brief announcements of general meetings.
Please help us by letting us know about non-computer users in our neighborhoods, and also by joining the e-mail mailing list if you have not already. It is important to us to keep neighbors informed, and to hear neighbors' ideas and concerns.
Back to the top.311?
The City of Albuquerque has established a phone number for all citizen inquiries. It is 311
. The 311 staff is highly trained in the workings of the City government, and they pride themselves on answering your call before the third ring, and getting you an answer to your concern. Since 311
was established, the other City departments have been able to be out in the City doing their jobs instead of answering phone calls from citizens. It has proven to be a very efficient system for the City and a help system for residents.
If you have a barking dog problem, 311
is the number to call. Know that for them to take action, they will need to have some particulars, including the address of the residence where the dog(s) are, and your name and address as well.