East Gateway
Community Planning Area (CPA) Assessment
About
The East Gateway CPA is the southeastern entrance into Albuquerque along I-40 and Route 66. Spanning the area between Wyoming Boulevard and the City’s eastern boundary and between I-40 and Kirtland Air Force Base, it is home to neighborhoods such as Four Hills, Juan Tabo Hills, Singing Arrow, and South Los Altos. East Gateway’s topography is characterized by the Sandia and Manzano foothills as well as the Tijeras Arroyo. The maps and data below provide an overview of some of the key information and metrics for the East Gateway CPA.
The City of Albuquerque’s Community Planning Area (CPA) assessment process will work with residents and businesses throughout the city to describe what is working or not working in different parts of town and talk about how to enhance what is going right. We hope that community members will take ownership of the process and use the data on this page to guide conversations about future development, revitalization, and growth.
Demographics
Albuquerque is home to a diverse and growing population, and every CPA has its own distinct mix of people. Let's get to know East Gateway residents a little better.
Community Assets
Albuquerque has a diverse history and culture, reflected in the public facilities; parks, open space, and trails; transportation network; and heritage sites and resources.
Schools and Community Facilities
The facilities and services that serve a community impact quality of life and access to resources and community benefits.
2 elementary schools, Hawthorne Elementary and Manzano Mesa Elementary, serve the East Gateway CPA. Students attend middle and high schools in the Near Heights CPA and Foothills CPA. East Gateway also houses a campus of the New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
Albuquerque Public Schools “walk zones,” seen on the map in purple, represent areas where APS does not provide bus service because students could theoretically walk to school. Walk zones generally include areas within a specified distance from each school (1 mile for elementary, 1.5 miles for middle and K-8, and 2 miles for high schools), but also take into account barriers to walking, like major streets that may bedifficult or dangerous to cross.
The East Gateway CPA has 3 community facilities: Singing Arrow Community Center, Manzano Mesa Multi-generational Center, and Albuquerque Fire Station 12. In 2020, the City broke ground on the new Singing Arrow Community Center. The East Gateway CPA also includes the Los Altos Golf Course and Banquet Facility, as well as the City’s Eastside Animal Shelter.
Public art is another community asset that helps express the character and history of an area. Visit the City's public art webpage to find public art in the East Gateway CPA.
Parks, Open Space, and Bikeways
Parks, open space, and trails for people to walk and bike contribute to quality of life, as well as the health of residents.
East Gateway has a few City parks, including Manzano Mesa Park and Singing Arrow Park which are located adjacent to those community centers. The Manzano Mesa Pickleball Complex is one of two City-owned pickleball facilities in Albuquerque. The Los Altos Golf Course is located in the East Gateway CPA, although Los Altos Park, on the north side of I-40, is located in the Foothills CPA. East Gateway also includes the Tijeras Arroyo Open Space.
There are approximately 8.25 acres of park land per 1,000 residents in the East Gateway CPA.
There are approximately 12.65 acres of open space per 1,000 residents in the East Gateway CPA.
The area also has about 9 miles of paved trails and several miles of unpaved trails to explore.
Landmarks and Historic Places
Albuquerque has a rich history - landmarks and historic places highlight key physical characteristics and important cultural resources in each CPA.
Historic Route 66, also known as Central Avenue, transects East Gateway, and serves as a primary commercial strip. There are 3 registered historic buildings in the East Gateway CPA. Luna Lodge, Enchanted Mesa Trading Post, and La Puerta Motor Lodge are along Central Avenue.
Transportation
Connections between the places that residents live, work, play, and learn is key to enhancing quality of life.
There are 100 transit stops throughout East Gateway, mostly concentrated in the north, with transit routes along Juan Tabo, Eubank, Wyoming, and Lomas Boulevards, Central Avenue, and Zuni Road. The Eubank and Wyoming routes serve Kirtland Air Force Base. The ART Green Line Route runs through East Gateway along Central Avenue from Wyoming Boulevard to Tramway Boulevard. Visit cabq.gov/transit for resources about using public transportation.
East Gateway is also served by I-40, which borders the CPA on the north.
The bike network in the East Gateway CPA consists of some existing bike lanes on major and local roads and many proposed bike lanes, including a proposed buffered bike lane on Central Avenue. Visit cabq.gov/bike for resources about biking in Albuquerque.
Residents in the East Gateway CPA predominately commute to work by driving alone (75%), but East Gateway residents also carpool (11%) and use public transit (4%) at slightly higher rates than in other areas of the city.
The Vision Zero Initiative addresses traffic safety in the city. Visit cabq.gov/visionzero for more information, including the High Fatal and Injury Network (HFIN) for the Albuquerque Area.
Community Health
How our communities grow and change has long term environmental, quality of life, and public health impacts. Growth patterns also affect our long-term ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions, as well as the resilience and sustainability of our community.
Neighborhoods and Parks
Neighborhood Associations are one way that communities can advocate for their residents and have a voice in decision making. There are 11 recognized Neighborhood Associations that represent over half of the geographic area of East Gateway. Visit cabq.gov/onc for more information about neighborhood associations.
There are approximately 8.25 acres of park land per 1,000 residents in the East Gateway CPA. East Gateway parks include Manzano Mesa Park and Singing Arrow Park, which are located adjacent to those community centers. Next to Manzano Mesa Park, residents can enjoy the Manzano Mesa Pickleball Complex, one of two City-owned pickleball facilities in Albuquerque.
There are approximately 12.65 acres of open space per 1,000 residents in the East Gateway CPA. The Tijeras Arroyo Open Space provides residents access to the outdoors in East Gateway.
Air Quality
The City tracks air quality permits, which represent stationary sources of air pollution, including factories, refineries, boilers, and power plants, that emit a variety of air pollutants. This is one indicator of potential community health risks. There are many other factors that may impact overall community health that will be explored through the CPA assessment process.
As of 2019, there were 34 Air Quality Permits for sites in the East Gateway CPA. Visit cabq.gov/airquality to learn more about the Air Quality Program.
The U.S. EPA has a useful mapping tool ( EJ Screen ) to better understand environmental hazards and their impacts on different populations. In addition to air pollution, this map shows a wide range of pollution types and sources, and provides a wide range of demographic information that can be added as layers to the map. This context is important because low-income households and populations of color have historically borne a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, governmental, and commercial operations or policies.
The NM Community Data Collaborative has a great gallery of maps and resources about community health.
Land Use and Development
Each CPA has unique assets, development patterns, businesses, and industries that contribute to the character of its neighborhoods, provide employment, and offer goods and services to residents and visitors.
There are a number of different ways that the City can help support economic development. See this Economic Development Incentives map for more information about some of these resources.
Land Use
From shaping housing options to determining air quality, land use shapes how community members experience a place.
The most common land use in East Gateway is low-density residential. Commercial uses are predominately concentrated along Central Avenue. East Gateway is also one of three CPAs, along with Near Heights and Mesa del Sol, that includes a portion of Kirtland Air Force Base.
The majority of building permits issued were for residential uses.
Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO) Zoning
Zoning regulations determine what kinds of development can happen on a given property, including uses and development standards.
The most common zone districts in East Gateway are residential, which are primarily single-family zones and include some manufactured home communities. Non-residential zone districts in East Gateway are primarily commercial zones but also includes the business park zone at the south end of Eubank Boulevard.
There were 9 variance requests in East Gateway in 2019. There were no zone change requests.
Visit the IDO Interactive Map for more detailed zoning information.
The first assessment in the East Gateway CPA is underway and will be completed in the Spring of 2023.
You can contact the team leading the East Gateway Community Planning Area assessment by emailing EastGateway-CPA@cabq.gov .
The City of Albuquerque has 12 Community Planning Areas (CPAs). Between 2021 and 2027, City staff and local communities are working together to gather data, inventory assets, and create an action plan for each CPA. The assessment process will help figure out what each community needs and how to get there. Visit the CPA website for more information
