Trustees pave the way for drive-throughs

With sadness, but with no surprise, El Picador notes the unanimous approval by the Los Ranchos Board of Trustees of the complete gutting of the VC zone. No longer is there any prohibition against drive-ups, gas stations or other examples of typical Albuquerque urban blight in our commercial center. Of course, hizzoner says he's "committed" to a pedestrian friendly development at Osuna and fourth. But if this is in fact the case, why did he propose to do away with the very statutory regulations that would insure this? Simple--because he has no intention of honoring this promise, uttered in a spirit of pure mendacity. Look for a drive-up gas-station/McDonald's golden starches combo similar to that which graces the soulless Montano-I25 intersection to go in, or maybe even a Sam's club discount gas station/tire store. Throw in a few vigas and some sad little ash trees that will either die or grow to crack the extensive asphalt, and you have Larry's idea of a village center. That is the only bone old "SellTower Larry" is going to throw to the hapless and apathetic east siders.

He claims he is "protecting the neighbors"--from what? From a progressive, unique design that just might get people out of their cars to actually walk or bicycle from home to market? From a development that would set Los Ranchos apart form the giant truck-stop monolith that surrounds us, and could actually make Los Ranchos a shopping destination rather than a sad copy of failed urban planning?

Our Mayor, in his zeal to close a business deal, has sacrificed the heart and soul of this village. And no one, except one neighborhood association, has bothered to register even a peep of objection. Oh, the ultra-rich on Rio Grande have their quasi-bucolic vistas, secured with our tax dollars---but east-siders are basically living with the worst of 'craque.

Who is to blame? Of course, it is easy to point fingers at that indolent and inconsequential gang of simpletons that sit on the board. They are a disgrace, to be sure. The Supreme Soviet would have been proud of their rubber-stamping abilities (never a dissenting vote since hizzoner ascended to the throne). But the ultimate responsibility for this fiasco resides with us--the residents of the village--who have silently tolerated the many outrages perpetrated upon us by this administration and who could not even muster a single credible candidate to run for the board in the last election cycle.