Bernalillo County Commissioner Barbara Baca announced Wednesday she will seek re-election in the June Democratic primary for District 1, which encompasses Albuquerque’s Westside and North Valley. Baca, a lifelong Westside resident and 14th-generation New Mexican, said she is running to continue work on housing, behavioral health and public safety initiatives begun during her first term. […]
City Desk ABQ
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Neighborhoods vs. housing crisis: Council to take another step towards sweeping residential zoning changes
Albuquerque city councilors will take another step this week towards enacting sweeping zoning changes that would allow grocery stores, duplexes and townhouses in single-family neighborhoods and reshape development rules for about 160,000 properties, a move supporters say could ease the housing shortage and critics say threatens long-established neighborhood character. The proposal, part of the city’s 2025 Integrated […]
Posted inBernalillo County, City Desk ABQ, Local Government
County to weigh strict rules for data center incentives
Bernalillo County commissioners are set to revisit a high-stakes resolution aimed at tightening oversight of large data center and AI infrastructure projects when they meet Tuesday in Albuquerque. The “Holding Data Center Projects Accountable in Our Community” measure, introduced at the Jan. 13 meeting, would condition county incentives on clear community benefits and sustainability standards. Under […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, City Desk ABQ
Driving I-25 at night? Expect major detours this week
Overnight closures are coming to a busy stretch of Interstate 25 and Montgomery Boulevard as crews move forward on a bridge-widening project in Albuquerque. Construction crews will set beams over I-25 for two nights starting Jan. 27, requiring full overnight closures from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., according to project information. Northbound and southbound I-25 […]
Posted inCity Desk ABQ
Foothills residents challenge $35M power project as county decides Tuesday
Bernalillo County commissioners will decide Tuesday whether to uphold a controversial $35 million Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) substation approval. Several resident groups appealed the Planning Commission’s December decision. The appeals are among six scheduled for a special 1 p.m. zoning meeting Tuesday. Groups, including the Sandia Heights and High Desert homeowner associations, […]
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Cockroaches, no water, no stairs: Downtown renters unite to demand action from neglectful apartment owners
In downtown Albuquerque, more than 65 renters at The Alvarado Apartments signed a formal demand letter accusing their management company, Apartment Management Consultants (AMC), of dangerous neglect, safety failures and “excessive” fees. They are demanding rent abatement and a written repair plan. The Alvarado Apartments and AMC did not respond to requests for comment on […]
Posted inCity Desk ABQ, Local Government
“A complete betrayal”: Council rejects enforcement of renters rights against predatory landlords
Albuquerque renters will not receive local protection from excessive fees after the City Council rejected an ordinance Wednesday that would have enforced the state’s Senate Bill 267 in limbo. The 5-4 vote leaves the law, which caps application fees at $50 and limits late fees to 5% of rent, unenforced at the local level. Since […]
Posted inCity Desk ABQ, Local Government
Who runs Albuquerque day-to-day? Meet the city’s reappointed CAO
When your trash is picked up, a pothole disappears or you spend an afternoon at the BioPark, you’re seeing the work of Samantha Sengel even if you don’t know her name. The Albuquerque City Council unanimously reappointed Samantha Sengel as chief administrative officer (CAO) Wednesday. The city’s most powerful non-elected position oversees 6,000 employees and […]
Posted inCity Desk ABQ, Courts, Justice & Safety
ICE policy under fire: Bregman threatens criminal charges for unlawful ICE detentions
The Bernalillo County district attorney has warned federal immigration officials that certain detention practices could result in criminal prosecution under state law. Sam Bregman, district attorney for New Mexico’s Second Judicial District, sent a letter Wednesday to Bill Shaw, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement assistant field office director, raising concerns about ICE operations. The letter […]
Posted inCity Desk ABQ, Housing & Homelessness
From eyesore to success: Albuquerque’s problematic properties that got fixed
Yesterday, we reported on Albuquerque’s 15 most problematic properties—the blighted buildings and neglected lots that drag down neighborhoods and frustrate residents. But there’s another side to this story: the success stories. While the city continues to grapple with persistent problem properties, officials want residents to know that progress is being made. The City of Albuquerque’s […]