ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Some people who live near the planned site of a new apartment complex in southwest Albuquerque are not happy about the impact it may have on them.

The four-story building would be called The George. It would have 34 units and two commercial spaces on the ground floor.

It would be located on Central Ave. southeast of Old Town, next to the Manzano Day School.

People who live nearby are concerned about the entrance and exit located behind the building. It would be off of 16th St., which is narrow enough at that location that two vehicles cannot pass each other when residents are parked on both sides of the road.

Many people who live in the area are fine with the complex being built, but they’re worried about traffic, congestion and parking.

“I think everybody is for development of this area, but I think that needs to work for everyone,” Bernie King said. “I don’t think it would be responsible development of this area.”

Many of them do not feel like they are being heard.

“We have tried to communicate with the city, and we’ve had limited conversations with them over the last two years,” Edward Garcia said.

Many neighbors feel like there isn’t enough respect for the history of the area.

“It’s a part of Old Town, and it can’t be destroyed. It will be destroyed if this is allowed to proceed,” Carol Johnson said.

Some neighbors believe the project violates city codes and ordinances, but a spokesperson for the city planning department says it does not.

Many who live around that part of 16th St. want the entrance and exit to be on Central instead, but the developer, Jay Rembe, told KOB 4 that it can’t go there.

He believes it’s better for the area to not cut into the sidewalk.

He said, like his other projects, this building would work toward making Central more walkable.

He added that he would mandate that his tenants and anyone coming to see them don’t park on 16th St.

He said he expects to start construction later this year.

One of the leaders of development under Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller told KOB 4 the city needs more housing overall and on Central it can have a specific impact.

“More development means more walkability, more neighborhood feel, more accessibility to amenities that people want,” said Terry Brunner, the director of the City of Albuquerque Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency. “So the more housing you can have up and down Central really helps bring it back.”

He said the city is always evolving, and because Central is such a major thoroughfare, development there is important – to keep it thriving, and lively.

“We really need to build a lot of units of housing – apartments, single-family housing, multi-family housing – across the city of Albuquerque, which will help with the affordability overall and the access that people have to housing,” Brunner said.