ABQjournal: Attack Puts Gay Man in Hospital By Jeremy Pawloski, Journal Staff Writer

Hate crimes are alive and well in Santa Fe, according to court records describing a vicious Sunday morning attack outside a Cerrillos Road hotel that put a 21-year-old homosexual man in St. Vincent Hospital’s intensive care unit.

Three defendants face aggravated assault and other charges connected to the attack. Santa Fe District Attorney Henry Valdez said all three also will face “hate crime” prison-time enhancements on each of their felony charges.

One of the suspects, David Trinidad, 17, already is on probation for raping a 41/2-year-old boy, according to Assistant District Attorney Heidi Pircher.

The two victims of the attack, James Maestas, 21, and another male, were at the Denny’s Restaurant on Cerrillos with several girlfriends early Sunday morning when they were chased from the restaurant by a group of five males who were throwing rocks at their car and calling them “faggots,” according to an officer’s statement of probable cause for arrests in the case.

The statement says the attackers then followed Maestas and his friend to the La Quinta Inn, where the friend was staying. Maestas is in a relationship with the other male, according to the probable cause statement.

During the beating outside La Quinta Inn, the attackers were yelling, “Let’s (mess) these faggots up,” the officer’s statement says.

Monday afternoon, Maestas was in St. Vincent Hospital’s intensive care unit, hooked up to a respirator to allow him to breathe, according to a close friend.
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The Thugs:
Gabriel Maturin, 20
David Trinidad, 17
Isaiah Medina, 19
two others not named

ABQjournal: Larger Game Parks Approved in Senate By Barry Massey, The Associated Press

SANTA FE? Larger private game parks could be established in New Mexico under a measure approved Monday by the Senate.

The bill, (SB 337), would allow ranchers or others to operate game parks of up to 15,000 acres? about 23 square miles. Currently, the limit is 3,200 acres.

At a game park, people pay a fee to hunt animals, such as elk. The game park must be enclosed by a fence.

The Senate passed the bill on a 32-8 vote and sent it to the House for consideration.

The measure’s sponsor, Sen. Tim Jennings, D-Roswell, said game parks were “another type of economic development to be used to increase the return that has been dwindling from agricultural properties in New Mexico.”

“There are becoming fewer and fewer family farms, family ranches. This gives them another opportunity for a crop,” said Jennings.

Sen. Leonard Tsosie, D-Crownpoint, expressed concerns that fencing in large areas of private land could affect free-ranging and migratory wildlife.

“These are wildlife that belong to the state of New Mexico that would end up being captured by these game parks,” said Tsosie.

Voting against the measure were Tsosie and Sens. Dede Feldman, D-Albuquerque; Cisco McSorley, D-Albuquerque; Michael Sanchez, D-Belen; John Grubesic, D-Santa Fe; Linda Lopez, D-Albuquerque; Sue Wilson Beffort, R-Sandia Park; and Phil Griego, D-San Jose.
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Track SB337
INCREASE GAME & FISH PARKS MAXIMUM ACREAGE
Sponsor: Timothy Z. Jennings
Current Location: House Intro

Four:

ABQjournal: Volcano Cliffs Builder Revises Plan By Andrea Schoellkopf, Journal Staff Writer

A developer who was initially trying to avoid the new city impact fees now says he’ll try for annexation if the Bernalillo County Planning Commission rejects his plan for an upscale West Side development.

In November, David Soule said he had applied to build a 222-lot subdivision southwest of Ventana Ranch but had faced opposition for a special use permit from nearby residents as well as the commission.

At the time, he said the city’s new impact fees? which weigh more heavily on the rapid-growing West Side to build needed parks and roads? were sending developers like him outside the city limits with their projects.

Soule had received a deferral for his request in November to resolve his issues. He said Monday he has modified his site plan, increased the number of homes to 233 instead of decreasing density and added more open space by reducing lot size.

The Planning Commission is scheduled to hear the matter during its regular meeting at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the Vincent E. Griego Chambers at the City and County building on Civic Plaza.

The area sits within a 3-square-mile island of county land that’s surrounded by land annexed by Albuquerque and Rio Rancho. …

The Ventana Ranch Neighborhood Association has written twice in opposition to the project, calling it a “leapfrog development” that doesn’t fit in with the city’s goal for planned communities with mixed-use zoning.

The city council has declared a building moratorium on much of the land surrounding his development while officials look at planning for the area west of the escarpment, called “Volcano Cliffs.” While the building ban ends in April, it could be extended.

The Volcano Cliffs study team had also asked for a deferral in November to see how Soule’s project would fit into plans for the West Side.

Five:

ABQjournal: E. Mountain Subdivision OK’d Telegraph Staff Report

Despite protests by dozens of East Mountains residents and the group representing the area’s homeowner associations, Bernalillo County commissioners approved the Richland Heights subdivision last week.

The vote of the five-member panel was split, with Commissioners Michael Brasher, whose district includes the East Mountains, and Teresa Cordova, who represents the South Valley, voting against the proposal.

Brasher explained that his dissent stemmed from Richland Heights developer Howard McCall’s refusal to meet with residents and questions regarding the subdivision’s water supply and plans for waste-water disposal. …

The Richland Heights subdivision will have 121 houses built on 298 acres.

mjh’s Blog: Connect The Dots: 1-2-3

One:

ABQjournal: Bill Would Fund New Coors Rules By Andrea Schoellkopf, Journal Staff Writer

City Councilor Michael Cadigan, who represents the upper West Side, has introduced a bill that would fund a $150,000 update of the Coors Corridor Plan? adopted by the council in 1984.

The council is scheduled to consider the resolution at its March 7 meeting.

Under the resolution, the updates would establish high-quality design standards regarding development, open spaces and other public areas and increase “visual harmony” between new and existing buildings and the natural environment.

Last year, West Siders called for a revision of the plan after walls began appearing on both sides of Coors. As it turned out, the area on the west side of Coors and the area south of the La Luz neighborhood did not have view protections built into the Coors Corridor plan.

“A lot of those empty parcels are starting to fill up,” Cadigan said….

Coors “was supposed to be more of a parkway, more like Tramway,” Valles said. “… People that were involved in creating the Coors Corridor plan are nothing but disappointed with the way the city has enforced it.”

Rae Perls, president of the La Luz Landowners Association, which is southeast of Monta?o and Coors, said the other issue is whether the view from Coors is inclusive of the bosque and the city lights, or is limited to the mountain range.

“We have some major concerns about huge walls and double story buildings being built flush up to Coors and totally blocking all views,” she said. “… It’s a tragedy to those of us who live on the West Side, to see it destroyed by the greediness of developers.”

She said unless the Coors Corridor plan is updated, developers will be able to build however they want.

Two:

ABQjournal: 3 Six-Story Buildings in Project By Rory McClannahan, Journal Staff Writer

The West Side could be home to three six-story buildings in the next couple of years.

Interstate Development Co. is proposing to develop a 426,000-square-foot village center called Fountain Hills Plaza on 36 acres near the intersection of Paradise and Eagle Ranch. The development, which would be done in six phases would include retail and office space, a hotel and two condominiums. The hotel and condos are proposed to be six-story buildings, according to plans submitted to the city’s Planning Department.

The developers plan to unveil their plans and take comments at a public meeting scheduled at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Taylor Ranch Community Center.

Three:

ABQjournal: Wal-Mart Purchases 20 Acres for Store By Joshua Akers, Journal Staff Writer

There has been no announcement and no fanfare from retail giant Wal-Mart’s corporate office. But all indications are the company is coming to Rio Rancho.

The mega-retailer recently purchased just over 20 acres of commercial land from AMREP Southwest in the northwest corner of Unser and Southern Boulevard, according to documents filed at the Sandoval County clerk’s office.

The land purchase comes as the company’s building permit is under review in the city’s Development Department.

According to that plan, Wal-Mart is planning a 214,000- square-foot Supercenter for the site. …

Because the land is already zoned commercial, no public hearings are planned for the project.