NEWS
Old Town business owner must undo renovations that disrupted portal vendors
Albuquerque Landmarks Commission ruled new doors threaten historic charm
Published
Modified
Two sets of double doors that disrupted vendors at the Old Town Portal Market have got to go, according to a decision by the city鈥檚 Landmarks Commission last week.
The newly installed doors were at the center of a monthlong dispute between the building鈥檚 owner and local vendors who have sold silver, turquoise and beaded jewelry on the sidewalk just outside the property for decades.
On Aug. 11, the Albuquerque Landmarks Commission, a board that monitors the preservation of historical properties in the city, announced that doors installed on the Armijo House on San Felipe Street 鈥渁dversely affected鈥� the historic market and consequently 鈥渟ignificantly impair the local character of this historic area.鈥�
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 know how it was going to go, but we鈥檙e excited, all of us,鈥� said longtime portal vendor Marylin Moquino.
Moquino hoped the decision would finally settle months of disagreement.
In October, the building鈥檚 owner, George Cook, installed two sets of double doors after business hours without proper permitting, eliminating multiple highly coveted vending spots. Though Cook ultimately applied and was granted permitting for the doors after the fact, the commission鈥檚 decision effectively overruled permission granted by city planners.
The ruling decided that 鈥減lanning staff, as the decision-making body, erred in not considering the impact of the change from windows to doors on the vendor stalls along the western facade that are part of the Old Town Market, a long-established activity of Old Town.鈥�
But the fight isn鈥檛 over quite yet.
Though Cook wouldn鈥檛 share details, he said he plans to appeal. He declined to comment further on the decision.
In July, Cook said the doors were part of a plan to subdivide the 20,000-square-foot property into several rentable storefronts facing the plaza. He described the decision as an economic necessity to bring back tenants to a building that鈥檚 sat empty since La Placita restaurant closed during the pandemic.
Moquino wasn鈥檛 surprised to hear about the appeal.
鈥淗e wants to have the last say, so he鈥檒l keep trying,鈥� she said.
Another vendor, Ramona Tafoya, was similarly undeterred. This year marked her 50th selling jewelry outside the Armijo House.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how you separate us from the building,鈥� Tafoya said. 鈥淎nd he knew that, he knew better.鈥�
Gillian Barkhurst is a general assignment reporter for the Journal. She can be reached at gbarkhurst@abqjournal.com.
