CREATIVE DESIGNS FOR 4TH STREET by the UNM SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING

Working with the Village of Los Ranchos, students at the University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning have prepared several design schemes to assist us in our efforts to revitalize 4th Street. All were displayed at a recent meeting of the Los Ranchos Chamber of Commerce and will be presented more formally at their next meeting. We have included pictures and descriptions for your consideration.

Comments will be carefully considered and incorporated into two schemes which will be presented to the Village Trustees on December 6, 2000. You can click on the full scale plans to get a larger more detailed version (with a larger 25K+/- file size).

Scheme: Buffer Zones - Designer, Tai Lee

This scheme creates buffer spaces between different zones. A 15 foot landscaped setback from 4th Street visually separates businesses and 4th Street and provides space for pedestrians. This would also help slow down traffic by making motorists more aware of pedestrians. A plaza placed between the residential area west of the intersection and new commercial development on the Northdale site would shield area residents from the noise of commercial activities. Buffer spaces would not only serve as visual and acoustic separations, but could also provide places for play and relaxation.

Scheme: "Green" Plaza - Designer, Sally Sacco

This scheme places an anchor store behind the medium sized retail shops that border both 4th Street and Osuna. This placement would visually screen the store from the streetscape and modulate its presence. A "green" plaza is located on the NW corner of this intersection and is framed by medium to small shops and restaurants. The plaza contains an amphitheater and water fountain. Brick paths pass between the shops and cut through the plaza. Parking lots for the shops are placed behind the stores removing them visually from the plaza. Chavez road has been lined up with the existing intersection of 4th and Osuna. The new Chavez road (called Loop on the plans) follows the natural vehicle traffic pattern that exists now through the Northdale Shopping Center. The land between Chavez Loop and Chavez Road is used for small retail shops, on the street level, with residential apartment/condos above. The second floor of these buildings would have balconies that provide a view of the plaza and Chavez Loop. Garages and vehicle access for the apartments are from Chavez Road, so that the street side of Chavez Loop maintains a "Main Street" appearance. The SW corner retains the existing Chavez residence. A multi-story office building is located on the NE corner. The photo on the left is a close-up of the plaza.

Scheme: Acequia Park - Student Designer, Carrie Wilson

The two primary organizational factors in this scheme are:
1. Retail brought to the edges of both 4th St. and Osuna Rd.
2. A large green space for public use. With all of the retail moved toward the street edge, parking is pushed to the rear of each site putting less emphasis on the automobile and more on the pedestrian. Buildings along the street are set back enough for a wide pedestrian corridor and to allow stores to "spill out" onto the sidewalk; for instance, for outdoor dining. A large green space on the southeast corner of the intersection both emphasizes the rural nature of the village and takes advantage of the village's irrigation resource. The park is somewhat formal on the west end and becomes less so as it moves east and conforms to the curve of the acequia. The park is isolated from traffic and provides a needed community space for celebrations, playing children or relaxation. The park's location provides direct access to, and could be integrated with, pedestrian/bike paths along the acequia. A Canopy of trees provides shade and could be irrigated by water from the acequia. The photo to the left is a close-up of the park.

Scheme: Multiple Use Municipal Parking - Student Designer, Kerney Bolton

The scheme suggests that the village construct a parking facility, which would also serve as a multiple use community asset. The facility would allow business parking minimum requirements to be lowered or eliminated thus freeing up significant areas of existing business zoned land for expansion, relocation, and modernization. It would be designed to support community functions such as local music and theatrical performance, community dances, the farmer's market, festivals, local merchant displays, and sales, food vendors etc. With active management, the area would become both a focus for community activity and a stimulant to local business. The scheme also illustrates ways to create a village "Main Street" district along 4th Street that is pedestrian and bicycle friendly and designed to encourage a park-once-and-shop at multiple destinations strategy. Alternatives include retail at the sidewalk edge (main street image), parking to the rear, parking to the side, and pedestrian paths to connect existing businesses more closely to the street. The scheme anticipates that as businesses along 4th Street prosper, properties along Osuna and Chavez, close to the business district, would increase in value and would become viable for town house, clustered, or other alternative residential uses and that the resultant new residents would add to the customer base of the 4th Street business community.

Scheme- Municipal Center: Designers- Shelby Joe & Melissa Walters

This scheme is divided into four phases:
Phase 1: Develop the Southeast Quadrant of Osuna and Fourth Street; Retail development along 4th St with parking to the rear. Town house development behind the stores and eastward to the acequia
Phase 2: Commercial Redevelopment Northwest Quadrant - Retail stores along north side of Chavez Road and west side of 4th St Create a pedestrian courtyard/mall on 4th St for future connection to Nara Visa pedestrian walkway
Phase 3: Plaza Development - Create a stronger sense of a village center for Los Ranchos: Build a plaza in the southwest quadrant Ring the plaza with various commercial uses Chavez residence forms an edge for the mall, a historical reference Create a pedestrian walkway at the present location of Nara Visa westward to 4th St Extend Nara Visa southward to Osuna Road Locate parking to the west of new Nara Visa and southward to Osuna
Phase 4: Eventual Development - Locate retail/commercial uses on both sides of 4th St northward to Schulte Road. The photo to the left is a close-up of the Pedestrian Mall with a maze design.