Category: Preservation

El Vado owner seeks compromise

From today's Albuquerque Journal: El Vado Motel owner Richard L. Gonzales says he will ask that his zoning request be postponed so there is time to explore the possible preservation of the motel. Gonzales has planned to build townhomes at the site at Central and New York near the BioPark. Mayor Martin Chávez said this … Continue reading El Vado owner seeks compromise

Heading to Albuquerque

Emily Priddy, eastern vice president of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association and charter member of the Friends of the Mother Road preservation group, is heading to Albuquerque to address the city's Planning Commission about the request to rezone El Vado Motel. She is carrying a letter from Michael Wallis, author of the best-selling "Route 66: … Continue reading Heading to Albuquerque

Most Endangered Historic Places nominations

From the National Trust for Historic Preservation: Washington, D.C. (October 18, 2005) – The National Trust for Historic Preservation is accepting nominations for the 2006 America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list until January 18, 2006. Each year, the National Trust issues this list to identify and raise awareness of historic sites at risk from … Continue reading Most Endangered Historic Places nominations

Should we tighten preservation laws?

During this fight to El Vado Motel standing in the past few days, I was thinking about our nation's rather anemic preservation laws. A listing onto the National Register of Historic Places brings prestige and eligibility for loans and grants. But it offers little actual protection for historic properties. Even if an owner places a … Continue reading Should we tighten preservation laws?

Rezoning El Vado may run afoul of law

A friend of mine told me about this New Mexico appeals court decision that sets a precedent against rezoning El Vado Motel in Albuquerque: Spot zoning (¶ 5). Spot zoning “is an attempt to wrench a single lot from its environment and give it a new rating that disturbs the tenor of the neighborhood, and … Continue reading Rezoning El Vado may run afoul of law

Albuquerque mayor opposes El Vado rezoning

This is from this morning's Albuquerque Journal about the El Vado Motel. I ordinarily would post the URL, but the newspaper has subscription-only content. Here is an excerpt: Mayor Martin Chávez said Monday he will oppose a zoning change that could lead to demolition of El Vado Motel, which he said is historic and should … Continue reading Albuquerque mayor opposes El Vado rezoning

A look at Tulsa’s Vision 2025 Route 66 project (Part 2)

This is what Vision 2025 Route 66 master plan recommends for Tulsa County. Remember, this to-do list is not set in concrete: -- Route 66 sign and information center at 11th and 193rd. -- Informational sign for historic KVOO radio towers -- East Route 66 Gateway on 11th Street (Route 66) near Interstate 44 and … Continue reading A look at Tulsa’s Vision 2025 Route 66 project (Part 2)

New bridge being built old-style

The Illinois Department of Transportation is replacing a 1925 bridge in Pontiac, Ill., on old Route 4, which is a precursor to Route 66. The agency took considerable pains to make sure the new bridge looks like the old one. This story here explains it nicely. The construction is estimated to be finished by winter. … Continue reading New bridge being built old-style

A look at Tulsa’s Vision 2025 Route 66 project (Part 1)

Tulsa County voters in 2003 approved the Vision 2025 sales tax for massive capital improvements. One of those improvements was to the county's length Route 66, to the tune of $15 million.To put that in perspective, the Route 66 Corridor Act approved by Congress in the late 1990s was authorized for just $10 million over … Continue reading A look at Tulsa’s Vision 2025 Route 66 project (Part 1)