Route 66 aglow

Land-use regulations in the Nob Hill area prohibit pole-mounted, free-standing signs. Now Szeman’s 4-by-6 foot neon beauty sits in a storeroom.

The city of Albuquerque is considering proposals to encourage more neon along Central Avenue, like this sign for Garcia’s Cafe near Old Town.

But a package of zoning and design proposals wending their way through City Hall aims to change that. Mayor Richard Berry wants to bring neon back to Route 66.

“I’m all for it,” said Szeman, owner of the Route 66 Malt Shop. “Albuquerque, during its heyday, was actually more known than Las Vegas for its neon.”

Albuquerque’s 15-mile stretch of Central Avenue is the longest urban section of the old Route 66 still intact. Before the interstate highway system, Route 66 was the “mother road” that connected Chicago and Los Angeles.”We’re trying to get people off the interstates as they drive through Albuquerque, get onto Central and spend some of their disposable income in our restaurants and shops, see and do interesting things in our city before they move on,” Berry said. “We think bolstering neon is a good way to do that.”

Proposals heading to the City Council call for providing incentives and flexibility for businesses looking to install or refurbish neon signs.

The proposals include:

♦ Allowing bigger signs. A free-standing neon sign, for example, could be up to 50 percent bigger than what is normally allowed in the underlying zoning category — up to 250 square feet. A building-mounted sign, meanwhile, could be 25 percent larger than what’s normally allowed.

♦ Providing more height flexibility. Free-standing signs could be up to 30 feet tall, 4 feet higher than what’s currently allowed.

Mayor Richard Berry and city planners want to see more neon along the old Route 66, like this sign for the Dog House restaurant near Central and 12th. (Roberto E. Rosales/journal)

♦ Allowing free-standing, pole-mounted signs in the Nob Hill and Highland area of East Central, where they’re now prohibited. The newly allowed signs could be up to 75 square feet and stand at a height of 26 feet, or the height of the tallest building, whichever is lower. The sign would have to be mostly neon and meet other requirements.

♦ Waiving permit fees, which range roughly from $50 to $200.

To qualify for the incentives, the applicant would have to meet at least one of several design guidelines. The options include using neon to light the text of the sign (to avoid just border-illuminated signs) and making the sign a novel shape (to avoid the standard rectangles and squares).

The sign must be at least 50 percent neon to qualify for the incentives.

Russell Brito and Carrie Barkhurst of the city Planning Department say they hope to encourage creative, timeless pieces.

“Central was the happening place before the interstate came through,” Brito said.

The owner of the Route 66 Malt Shop Grill wanted to put this sign up when his restaurant moved to the Nob Hill area, but city regulations in Albuquerque prohibited it. A new proposal would help change that. (Courtesy of Eric Szeman)

The goal is to get the signs along Central or its major intersections. The incentives would apply to all properties directly along Central within city limits, from Tramway Boulevard to 98th Street.

Also eligible for incentives are sign locations within 300 feet of Central at 13 major intersections, such as Eubank, Louisiana, San Mateo, Broadway and Coors.

Berry stressed that the proposals are simply incentives, not mandates for businesses that aren’t interested.

“It’s definitely not a stick,” Brito said. “It’s a carrot for business.”

Central Avenue, of course, is one of Albuquerque’s original “main” streets. It was the alignment of Historic Route 66 as the city developed between the 1920s and ’60s.

The city’s Environmental Planning Commission agreed unanimously last week to recommend approval of the proposals.

Szeman said Route 66 is still a tourist draw, even internationally. It’s a symbol, he said, of the post-World War II era in America.

“At one time, having neon was one of our claims to fame,” Szeman said.

The KiMo Theatre’s new neon sign was designed to mimic a historic one that advertised the landmark from the 1920s to 1950s. The City Council will consider proposals aimed at encouraging more neon along the old Route 66. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal)

— This article appeared on page A1 of the Albuquerque Journal