City staff urges rejection of El Vado Motel rezoning

Talking to the Deborah Nason of the City of Albuquerque’s Planning Commission gave me some hope for the future of El Vado Motel.

The Planning Commission’s staff reviewed the application to rezone the El Vado, and its report, which was finished yesterday, has urged the denial of the rezoning request and subsequent demolition of that Route 66 property. The recommendation is here (beware — it’s a 19-page Acrobat file).

Nason cautioned that this does not mean the Planning Commission’s members will follow the recommendation. However, this gives the argument to preserve the El Vado considerable weight. Nason says figuring out how the commission will vote is a “crapshoot,” but this recommendation definitely tilts in the El Vado’s favor.

Here’s something that sticks out in the summary:

Two letters of support and many letters of opposition have been received. Staff recommends denial of the request.

That means that Route 66ers and their letters are definitely having an effect.

Here’s an excerpt on Page 3:

Since its designation as a State and National historic property, it has remained relatively unaltered and has appeared in several nationally distributed calendars and informational pieces related to the historical significance of Route 66 Auto Courts.

The surrounding uses have changed little over the years. The residential densities to the east increased slightly with the development of several town houses in the 1990s. The commercial zoning to the north has remained stable with several commercial businesses. The Albuquerque Country Club to the south provides neighborhood stability. Significant reinvestment of the Bio Park to the east and Tingly Beach to the south is ongoing and these facilities draw a significant number of visitors each year. The commercial use and the subject site has been in operation since 1936, thereby acting as a long-standing neighborhood anchor.

There’s a lot of good stuff there, including the argument that the proposed townhouses on the El Vado property would be less appropriate for the neighborhood. The report pretty much is a smackdown of the townhouse proposal and a justification for keeping the El Vado Motel as it is. Go read it.

This report, while encouraging, doesn’t mean the El Vado is out of the woods yet. Emily Priddy, eastern vice president of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association, is planning to attend the Planning Commission hearing on Oct. 20, as will several other Route 66ers. Their attendance will reiterate what the Planning Commission staff already says.