I've lived in the Nob Hill neighborhood for over
28 years. In that time, the number of bars and restaurants serving alcohol
on Central between Girard and Central has surged. While that development has
clearly been a boon for the nightlife in the area, I believe it's also
contributed to increased vehicle traffic, parking issues, trash and other issues
in the surrounding neighborhood. In light of the fact that many of the
restaurants and bars are well established and clearly profitable, I find it
difficult to understand why looser liquor regulations and tacit incentives to
encourage more bars to open are being proposed. There are a limited number
of churches and schools in this zone, and the existing regulations provide a
reasonable buffer around those institutions. I think those buffers are
reasonable here as they are in the rest of the city and should be
preserved. If the City Council wants to incentivize development in the
area, I'd hope they focus on the struggling retail sector rather than the
thriving bars, and preserve a true mixed use area.
The proposed language in the ordinance also cites
similar changes in downtown Albuquerque. First, I think Nob Hill differs
markedly from the downtown area, since we have many residential homes adjacent
to the businesses on Central, and those homes could be affected by more traffic,
increased on street parking, and potential vandalism by bar patrons. Second,
while the change in the alcohol regulations certainly encouraged more bars to
open there and was a revitalization in that sense, the downside is that downtown
how has a reputation as a more dangerous place to go - which is directly
attributable to the domination of the bar scene in that area.
When you vote on these proposed changes to the
alcohol waiver ordinance, I encourage you to consider the impact on residents
and reject the change.
Mark Biggs
319 Dartmouth NE
