ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – While there are no city council elections this year, Albuquerque leaders have a busy agenda, including a decision on a proposed Dunkin’ Donuts in one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods.
The Barelas neighborhood has voiced mixed reactions to the plan for a new Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru at the intersection of Avenida Cesar Chavez and Third Street. While local leaders welcome the addition of coffee and donuts, they are concerned about the traffic the business could bring and how developers plan to manage the increase in vehicles.
City planners have already approved a zoning change to allow the new Dunkin’ Donuts location. The proposed site is at the base of a bridge that spans over railroad tracks, an area that is already prone to accidents.
According to city documents, the development plan suggests that all Dunkin’ traffic will enter from eastbound Cesar Chavez and exit onto Third Street. The exit is located at a sharp curve just before the intersection, which is where neighborhood leaders are raising concerns.
Sean Potter, a board member of the Barelas Neighborhood Association, described the potential traffic situation as dangerous. “You’re going to have lots of people cutting across multiple lanes just before the intersection, or trying to navigate a tight 90-degree curve,” he said. “People will be cutting across moving traffic to reach the other side. Unfortunately, their current plan seems to be, ‘Good luck.’”
While the developers plan to install stop signs to manage traffic flow, neighborhood leaders argue that this isn’t enough to ensure safety. Joann Garcia, president of the Barelas Neighborhood Association, stressed the importance of a more thorough traffic study. “We live in the neighborhood and drive those streets every day. We see the issues firsthand. This isn’t going to be safe at all,” she said.
Neighborhood leaders are not opposed to the Dunkin’ Donuts project itself but are calling for city officials and developers to take their concerns seriously and make changes to the plan.
The Albuquerque City Council is expected to vote on whether to uphold the neighborhood association’s appeal. A decision to support the appeal would either halt the project or send it back for further planning and revisions.
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