George for Trustee

Village of Los Ranchos at Crossroads

The village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque was incorporated in 1959, but it existed in the logs of New Mexico history long before that date. Los Ranchos is wedged against the northern edge of the city of Albuquerque and correspondingly bounded by the exquisite environment of the Rio Grande Bosque on the west. It is also bisected and negatively impacted by the urban noise of Paseo del Norte. The village boasts jewels like Los Poblanos Inn and the beautiful grounds of Casa Rodena Winery but also includes empty and struggling storefronts along Fourth Street. It is home to the iconic Sadie’s restaurant while also accommodating the likes of Sonic Drive-in. Last, it is home to about 6,000 residents and their lovely properties.
Los Ranchos just completed its 2035 Master Plan, built its beautiful Fourth Street Mainstreet and is working on a public private partnership that will thrust the village into the world of mixed-use development; a two to three story Village Center on a 12-acre site at Fourth and Osuna that will include retail and housing. At the same time, it is using NMDOT funding to design additional Fourth Street roadway to its north on the historic Route 66. If not handled well, all of this spending and projects will either thrust the village into a future that looks and feels more like Albuquerque or one that can help to define it as the special place it is, or wants to be in the future. Los Ranchos is at a crossroads!
The things that make Los Ranchos unique are that it is a destination, even nationally for some, it has a rural to semi-rural environment, and at the same time development that borders on cityfied environments; Fourth Street is it’s only real commercial corridor. As it moves into the future, Los Ranchos will need to retain its “agri-cultultura”, open space and special residential opportunities, the things that make it a great place to live. It will also need to provide a healthier mix of housing because its higher priced real estate has put it in the unfortunate demographic position of being predominated by an older, higher income bracket that many younger generations cannot afford as the elders move on.
For the village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque to set itself apart from its larger neighbor Albuquerque and move into its next Era of Place, it will need to keep its attractive, semi-rural aesthetic, build upon its strengths, and add to its destinations, open space, and lifestyle, while carefully threading the modernity of life in the 21st Century into its DNA to retain its character. It must also develop assistance programs for businesses and fund programs to attract the right kinds of businesses to it. It will need proper guidance to make the right assessments about its future and will have to live with its decisions. If it does, the village will still have a bright future as a gem in the middle of a much larger city.

Good Morning!
The forum for candidates for Trustees went well last night. I think I got my points across, I was positive about the topics, and I hope that I got some people on our side that may not have been prior to the debate. Thanks for all of your support!
George

The village of Los Ranchos has so much potential. I believe that part of the reason that it doesn't always reach that potential is because we are a complicated place. Unlike our friends in Corrales, we are surrounded by a city that is right at our doors. We also have more varied income levels, yet we are unaffordable. And as we learned during the master planning that we did over the last couple of years, we need to make room for affordability....but we need to accomplish that right. I believe that mixed income housing is the key.
I would like to help us discover who we are, who we want to be, and develop a sense of ourselves as a village. An example of an entity within the village who has is Los Poblanos, they know who they are and visitors and residents alike want to be part of it! we need to do the same with the entire village. Easier said than done but I am ready to put my skills as a planner and my understanding of towns and villages and cities into it. Are yoI believe in the village of Los Ranchos!