Greetings to ALL Highland Neighbors - Residential, Renters and Business Associates:
Working with our WHOLE neighborhood -- homeowners, renters, businesses and local school -- the Highland Business and Neighborhood Association (HBANA) strives to create an atmosphere of cooperative opportunities that will enhance pride in living and working in a safe, attractive and vibrant community. Many of the homes in our area were built in the late 1940’s, at which time was considered the eastern outskirt of Albuquerque. Highland High School was only the second public high school to be built in Albuquerque in the early 1950’s. Zia Elementary School came later and shares in the use of the Zia Public Park. Our neighborhood’s claim to a portion of Central Avenue’s Historic Route 66 (from Washington Street to San Mateo Boulevard) recently became more significant with the local and national attention that has been given to the upgrading and beautification of the Route 66 brand.
Living in one of Albuquerque’s older and aging areas has many challenges including protection of our property values through the constant up keeping on the condition and appearance of our homes and business establishments. An active neighborhood association, working cooperatively with the whole community, can help to control the overall appearance and attractiveness of our area through the vigorous enforcement of zoning codes. A strong and active neighborhood association is vital to the enforcement of city zoning codes that govern the building, reconstruction and maintenance of the homes and business properties in our neighborhoods.
The Highland Business and Neighborhood Association is also involved with various city and county agencies that provide assistance to neighborhoods. For example, over the years HBANA has established an excellent working relationship with the Albuquerque Police Southeast Area Command. Various members of your board, past and current, meet frequently with city and county council members for the purpose of bringing attention to needs in our neighborhood including damaged or deteriorating infrastructures, allocation of street signs, unkempt alley ways, weed annoyances, Zia Park maintenance and variances of building construction.
The HBANA annual Newsletter and Annual General Meetings have been HBANA’s main avenues of reaching out to our community. Thanks to a grant from Bernalillo County, that communication will be further enhanced through the HBANA Web Site (www.hbana.org)and Face Book page. It is the sincere hope of the Board of Directors that 2015 will see an increase in active participation. We need your presence and participation in the effort to keep our neighborhood safe, attractive and vibrant. Working together, we can create a more united front in developing solutions to problems that affect our community. Please join us today in this effort.
Rob Cronin
2015 HBANA President
