|
READ ALL ABOUT IT THE DON CANUTO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION STOPPED THE LOFTS AT MARQUEZ PLACE! WE BELIEVE THAT OUR CITY COUNCIL SENT A STRONG MESSAGE WITH THIS VOTE THAT NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN DEVELOPERS' INTERESTS. WE ALSO BELIEVE THAT INFILL IS A WISE POLICY TO HELP PREVENT SPRAWL AT THE CITY'S MARGINS, BUT THAT EACH INFILL SITE MUST BE EVALUATED BY THE CITY AND ITS CITIZENS TO DETERMINE IF THE PROJECT FITS IN WITH AN EXISTING NEIGHBORHOOD. THIS MEANS THAT IT SHOULD NOT THREATEN THE PUBLIC'S HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE WITH HIGH BUILDING DENSITY AND INCREASED TRAFFIC AND PARKING CONCERNS, AMONG OTHER ISSUES. SINCE WE CONTENDED THAT THE LOFTS PROJECT WOULD POSE SUCH RISKS, OUR CITY COUNCILORS STRUGGLED TO IKAKE THE RIGHT DECISION. THIS WAS PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT BECAUSE THE LOFTS PROJECT ITSELF IS BELIEVED BY MANY, INCLUDING OUR ASSOCIATION, TO BE A GOOD ONE. AS COUNCILOR PATTY BUSHEE (DISTRICT 1) WAS QUOTED IN THE FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2000 ISSUE OF THE SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN, "I BELIEVE IN INFILL. YOU JUST HAVE TO INSERT THE WORD 'APPROPRIATE' IN FRONT OF IT." WE WISH THE DEVELOPER, DON WIVIOTT, AND HIS STAFF THE BEST IN THEIR EFFORTS TO LOCATE A COMPATIBLE PARCEL OF LAND FOR THEIR SECOND LOFTS PROJECT. WE OF THE DON CANUTO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION THANK EVERYONE WHO HELPED US IN THIS CHALLENGING, OFTEN UPHILL BATTLE DURING THE LAST FIVE AND A HALF MONTHS. YOUR SUPPORT HAS HELPED US IN OUR EFFORTS TO SAVE THE LAST TRAFFIC-CALMING, PARK-APPROPRIATE TRACT OF OPEN LAND IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. BUT THE CHALLENGE IS FAR FROM OVER. WE IMMEDIATELY PLAN TO START FUNDRAISING TOWARDS PURCHASE OF THE LOT, AND TO CREATE A CONTEMPLATIVE OPEN GREEN SPACE FOR ALL TO ENJOY. WE HOPE TO ENRICH THIS LAND WITH NATIVE XERISCAPE PLANTS, COMMUNITY GARDEN AND AN UPGRADED WALKING PATH. OUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO CREATE A MEMORIAL PARK IN HONOR OF ALL THE LOST GRAVES OF THE GUADALUPE CEMETERY, WHICH ONCE INCLUDED THE 1010 MARQUEZ PLACE FIELD. WE ULTIMATELY WANT TO PROVIDE A TRANQUIL PLACE TO REFLECT AND MEMORIALIZE LOVED ONES LOST BY CITIZENS ACROSS OUR CITY. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR SUPPORT, AND ONCE MORE WE ASK FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN DONATING MONEY TO COVER OUR OPERATING BUDGET. YOU CAN ALSO DONATE TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF THIS LAND. ANY AMOUNT HELPS! WE STILL HAVE A LARGE ATTORNEY'S FEE TO PAY FOR HIS SERVICES IN PREPARING OUR CITY COUNCIL APPEAL. THERE ARE ALSO SIGNIFICANT OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES FOR COPYING, FAXING, CREATING EXHIBITS FOR THE VARIOUS NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS AND HEARINGS, AND PAYING FOR TRANSCRIPTS AND AUDIOTAPES OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION HEARING. OUR PRESIDENT, MARIA BACA, HAS SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF HER OWN MONEY IN THIS FIGHT AND HAS YET TO BE REIMBURSED. PLEASE ASSIST US WITH OUR ONGOING EFFORT ON YOUR BEHALF AND GIVE WHATEVER YOU CAN! MAKE YOUR CHECK PAYABLE TO THE DON CANUTO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. WE ARE UNDER THE IRS 501(c)(3) NON-PROFIT UMBRELLA OF "SANTA FE BEAUTIFUL," SO ANY DONATION IS TAX-DEDUCTIBLE. YOUR DONATION MAY BE MAILED TO:
MARIA BACA, PRESIDENT OR
JOSEPH LOBATO, TREASURER
SUGGESTIONS REGARDING POSSIBLE BENEFACTORS FOR PURCHASE OF THIS LAND ARE WELCOME AND CAN BE GIVEN TO ANY OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS. ALSO, PLEASE LET THEM KNOW IF YOU WISH TO ASSIST WITH OUR FUNDRAISING. COMMUNICATIONS CAN BE SENT TO OUR EMAIL ADDRESS: doncanuto@yahoo.com. WE WILL CONTINUALLY UPDATE THIS WEB PAGE WITH THE PROGRESS OF OUR EFFORTS.
FROM ALL OF US AT THE DON CANUTO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, OUR
HEARTFELT THANKS!
from June 2000: WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT TO STOP A DANGEROUSLY DENSE "LOFTS" DEVELOPMENT PROPOSING 38 COMMERCIAL/RESIDENTAL UNITS ON 2.6 ACRES! LET'S PRESERVE THIS LAND AS A MEMORIAL PARK! The Lofts project at Marquez Place was approved June 1, 2000 by the Santa Fe Planning Commission. The vote was 5-1. The decision has been appealed to the Santa Fe City Council on June 30, 2000. The Appeal of the Don Canuto Neighborhood Association of the Planning Commission decision will be heard: Wednesday, August 23, 2000 at 7:00 p.m., City Council Chambers, City Hall, 200 Lincoln Avenue, Santa Fe, New Mexico. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT ALL INTERESTED PARTIES ATTEND THIS HEARING-THIS IS OUR LAST CHANCE TO SAVE THIS OPEN SPACE IN OUR HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD FROM A DANGEROUSLY DENSE DEVELOPMENT OF 23 "LOFT" UNITS ON 2.6 ACRES OF LAND! The Don Canuto Neighborhood Association was formed in March, 2000 to protest the proposed "Lofts" development at 1010 Marquez Place, the empty field between Don Canuto Street and Marquez Place, located east of Early Street and west of Don Diego Avenue. Don Wiviott, builder of "The Lofts" complex at 3600 Cerrillos Road, plans a similar Lofts development of 38 units of combined commercial/residential space on 2.6 acres of land. The majority of individual Lofts would be two stories, between 24 and almost 30 feet high. Only two residences on adjacent Don Diego Avenue are two stories high. They are the tallest buildings in the surrounding area. This is THE LAST AVAILABLE LOT IN THE AREA SUITABLE FOR PARK SPACE. It is essential that the Marquez Place field, a much needed, traffic calming buffer between the encroaching business district and our ever-diminishing residential neighborhood, be maintained as open space. Our association intends to pursue all legal recourse to make this happen. On March 15, 2000, members of our association, including New Mexico State Representative Max Coll (D.-Santa Fe), presented petitions from the floor to the City Council. We urged the Council to oppose any development of the field at 1010 Marquez Place, citing the following primary concerns: TRAFFIC AND PARKING IMPACT. More than 15,000 cars circulate through our highly congested, overburdened neighborhood each business day to visit area businesses. There are more than 125 businesses in the area. SECURITY AND SAFETY. Many children live and play on neighboring residential streets. More cars, more people and more businesses increase the potential for crime and traffic accidents. VIOLATION OF ARCHEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL INTEGRITY. The proposed development site was once part of a large nineteenth-century cemetery. A portion remains as the Guadalupe Cemetery on Early Street. Although Mr. Wiviott hired an archeologist, who reported finding no human remains interred in the proposed development lot, the archeologist dug trenches on only three percent of this 2.6-acre field.
back |