CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY FOURTH COUNCIL
COUNCIL BILL NO. R-21-160 ENACTMENT NO. ________________________
SPONSORED BY: Don Harris, Brook Bassan
RESOLUTION
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Accepting The Recommendations Of The Balloon Landing Task Force (Harris, Bassan)
body
ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE BALLOON LANDING TASK FORCE.
WHEREAS, the Council adopted Resolution-18-19 which established the Balloon Landings Task Force to explore potential solutions for preserving, preparing, or acquiring properties for balloon landings for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and other ballooning events to preserve the viability of Ballooning in Albuquerque; and
WHEREAS, the task force was composed of local experts in the fields of ballooning, taxation, policy-making, land use, real estate, and neighborhood development, and included representatives from various jurisdictions, including the City of Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, Sandia Pueblo, Sandoval County, and Rio Rancho; and
WHEREAS, from August, 2018 through December, 2019 the task force assessed the viability of 1) improving parking lots and other open spaces on private properties and 2) acquiring private properties in their entirety; and
WHEREAS, the task force developed recommendations and initiated several programs to provide ample balloon landing spaces, these include:
- Improve the parking fields in small, medium, and large properties for balloon landing areas. Improvements would include relocating light poles and trees to the perimeters of the sidewalk and other landscape and hardscape features that would create a landing field in a parking lot. The Balloon Fiesta and the City would acquire access to the land through a license agreement with the property owners.
- Acquire one large or several medium size properties for balloon landing areas and other recreational activities. This follows the City’s successful purchase and development of a dual use balloon landing and sports field at Osuna and Vista Del Norte. The task force identified multiple properties in the North Valley as landing field candidates.
- Acquire multiple small sized properties for balloon landing sites and other recreational activities. The task force identified a number of small lots throughout the North Valley and the North I-25 Corridor to purchase and convert for landing.
- Continue to develop the “X Marks the Spot Program”. Balloon Fiesta Staff expanded the program as part of the study effort. Through the program land owners are recruited to place an “X” made of bed sheets on open areas of their property, to notify balloonists they may land on the site.
- Development of Balloon Landing Site Application. Albuquerque Geographical Information System Staff, Balloon Fiesta Staff and Council Staff developed an interactive map app to guide balloon pilots to landing sites. This was part of the identification of available and potential landing sites for the study. The map is downloaded onto cell phones and the pilots can use it to identify landing sites that are safe for landings and where the landowner has provided permission to do so.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE:
SECTION 1. The Balloon Landing Task Force Report, Attachment 1 to this Resolution, is hereby accepted by the City Council.
SECTION 2. The City Council urges the seating of a City Staff and Public Working Group to develop action plans to implement the recommendations in the Balloon Landing Task Force Report to achieve ample landing areas for balloonists participating in events in Albuquerque.
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