One way to shine a spotlight on the El Vado Motel’s value to Route 66 (and its plight) is to write a letter to the editor to the local newspaper. The daily Albuquerque Journal has a handy submission form here for writing letters to the editor. I encourage you to use it and to follow all the instructions therein.
Also, you can submit letters to the editor at the Albuquerque Tribune at letters@abqtribune.com. The editorial page editor there is Jack Ehn. Make sure you leave your name, the town where you live and phone number with the letter, so the editor can verify that it’s really you who’s writing it.
Although time is short before the Oct. 20 meeting, please write to the City of Albuquerque’s Environmental Planning Commission and explain why the El Vado is valuable to you and other Route 66ers and urge them to preserve the property. The commission’s snail-mail address is:
City of Albuquerque
City Planning
600 2nd St. NW
3rd Floor
Albuquerque NM 87102
Here are the members of the Planning Commission. You can write them, too:
Jens Deichmann, Chair, Council District 2
Jeffrey Jesionowski, Vice-Chair, Council District 8
Klarissa Pena, Council District 3
Larry Chavez, Council District 4
Virginia Klebesadel, Council District 5
David Steele, Council District 7
James Grout, Council District 9
Ishmael Valenzuela, Council District 1
Deborah Stover, Council District 6
You also can e-mail comments to April Candelaria of the Planning Commission at amcandelaria@cabq.gov
You also can e-mail comments to Debra Nason, public information officer, at dnason@cabq.gov
You also can e-mail comments to Sheran Matson at smatson@cabq.gov
The fax number at the Planning Commission is 505-924-3864. So you can write letters and send them there, too.
If you need to review the Planning Commission’s Web site, you can find it here and here.
That’s it. The clock’s ticking. Get to it.
I actually came from cali to possibly buy the el vado. I am an artist and preservationist and created the largest historically protected area, hpoz , in La. I also have done extensive art work on historic places and rt. 66. I know there is a meeting on Oct. 20 but cant find the time or adress. I will call the planning commision. This is an autrocity. The developer could easily save the structure and do other things with the property it needs little to improve it. I have lots of ideas.. Pearl
Pearl, the meeting starts at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 20 in the basement of the Plaza del Sol at 600 Second St. Northwest in Albuquerque, north of downtown a few blocks. El Vado is sixth on the agenda of 12 items, so the Planning Commission should get to it before the morning is over, with luck.