El Picador feels that everyone in Los Ranchos needs to take a time out from the open space tax debate to focus for a moment on what is really a much more pressing issue---the wholesale gutting of our meticulously crafted zoning ordinance by our Mayor and his faithful side-kick. It is a necessary prelude to bringing in a commerical development of Larry's choosing at the SE corner of 4th and Osuna. All to bring in more cash to the village treasury, where it can be squandered on outrageous salaries for double-dipping administrators, rehabilitation of junk "donated" to the village by his rich friends for tax breaks, opulent fire stations located on overpriced land purchased over the objections of many villagers, and to defend the many lawsuits that such ill-advised, winner-take-all acts of hubris generate.
On Wednesday, March 14 at 7 PM at village hall, the board of trustees will vote on a "revision" of the Village Center (VC) zone portion of the Los Ranchos comprehensive zoning ordinance. The original VC zone was approved by the previous administration after several years of public comment, revision, tweaking and hard work by the village staff, all in keeping with the guidelines laid out in the village master plan for this commercial area. This hard work paid off--the zone won awards for innovation from national associations of civic planners and architects. It contained provisions limiting the size of businesses (keeping out "big boxes"), mandating pedestrian-friendly layouts, specifying architectural styling, and most importantly--REQUIRING the developer to designate a portion of the property as public open space!
Larry wants to get rid of all of this, and in its place allow anything with a site plan that is approved by him.., er, the board of trustees. No guidelines, controls, nada.
This comes on the heels of a decision at the last meeting that declared the Osuna-fourth area to be 'blighted"----opening the way to condemn, and therefore acquire, property in this area using the powers of eminent domain. This step was necessary because development at that corner has so far been hampered by a few recalcitrant property owners in the vicinity who, for some strange reason, still labor under the misperception that they can sell their property to whoever they choose, at what ever price (this has stalled development there so far).
If this passes, El Picador predicts a nice little development will go in soon. Maybe a wal-mart, a Starbucks, and sundry other big-box type tenants, peddling the same crap available on any major corner in the greater 'Craque area, complete with a massive asphalt parking lot with a couple of sad little ash trees and fake portillos for atmosphere. Oh, and a place to pick up sell-phones to take advantage of the great reception his 75 foot towers on Rio Grande will offer.
Then its on to the fire station.......
Everyone who gives a damn about open space, rural atmosphere and all of the other stuff that the open space proponents claim to love should be at this meeting to oppose this change. but alas, EL Picador sees the handwriting on the cottonwood stump (the tree dried out long ago)--this passes with no dissent or discussion. Soon 4th will be another Menaul while the landed gentry wade through the goose poop in Andersons courtesy of our gullible electorate.
This will sadden El Picador, who can only take solace from his uncanny prescience.
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1 comment:
wasn't eminent domain the argument used for the 75 foot fake tree/cell phone tower also?
i have to believe there will be opposition to this--that corner is far from "blighted" and even people living on the other side of rio grande blvd would not want a wal-mart at that site. actually, and sadly, i thought a starbucks was already in the works for that area. el picador should not give up the good fight--others are with you.
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