“Placemaking promotes a simple principle: if you plan cities for cars and traffic, you get cars and traffic. If you plan for people and places, you get people and places.”

~ Gary Toth, Senior Director, Transportation Initiatives

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PLAN ELEMENT

Chapter 5

LAND USE

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Image Credit: City of Albuquerque

PLAN ELEMENT

LAND USE

5.1 Background & Analysis

5.1.1 Introduction

How land is used, and the spatial relationship between different land uses, profoundly shapes our lives. The buildings we work in, the way we travel between home and school, and the quality of the air we breathe are just a few aspects of our daily experiences influenced by land use.

In general, it is important to protect public health and safety by separating residential and industrial land uses and ensuring adequate buffering, separation distances, or mitigation measures between incompatible uses.

It is also important to encourage mixed-use areas – those with compatible residential and non-residential uses within walking distance of each other – to promote better access to goods and services from home and work, encourage walking and biking as viable active transportation options, leverage transit investments, and increase mobility for all residents.

Other areas that keep residential and non-residential uses separate tend to be more auto-dependent and result in suburban development patterns, with lower density residential areas and lower intensity non-residential areas.

The land use policies in this chapter seek to provide a range of appropriate areas for needed land uses and encourage a variety of urban, suburban, and rural places to thrive.

Unfortunately, we have learned that past development trends in the Albuquerque area focused too heavily on single-use, suburban development, particularly on the edges of our metropolitan footprint. Low-density, single-use development, often referred to negatively as sprawl, is associated with high transportation and infrastructure costs, negative social impacts, higher water use, and higher consumption of natural resources than targeted investment in mixed-use, infill development. Identifying and supporting opportunities to create great places throughout our region is paramount.

This chapter tackles how to accommodate growth primarily in and around Centers connected by key Corridors. The goals and policies in this chapter link our vision for growth to the reality of how it will be achieved—through zoning codes, development standards, and infrastructure investments.

This chapter provides guidance for long-term, large-scale land use decisions. To be successful, those decisions need to be coordinated with transportation, economic development, and natural resource protections, among other areas of City and County governance.

These policies are intended to enrich our sense of place and support long-lasting, meaningful changes to our community.

Applying the Guiding Principles

Each element of the Comp Plan uses guiding principles as the basis for its goals, policies, and actions. The six guiding principles and their definitions were developed from input received during the public involvement process, detailed in the Vision chapter.

Here, we apply the guiding principles to land use goals, policies, and actions.

STRONG NEIGHBORHOODS

• An appropriate mix of land uses protects and enhances neighborhood character and vitality.
• Adequate infrastructure and community facilities support growth at the desired intensity of each neighborhood.

MOBILITY

• Coordinated land use and transportation support desired development and character while increasing transportation options.
• Higher-density and intensity uses focused around transportation networks with safe pedestrian and bicycle facilities maximize the success of transit investments.

ECONOMIC VITALITY

• Mixing land uses in Centers creates desirable places to live and work, attracting a skilled workforce and major employers.
• A healthy mix of uses in the right locations protects regional capacity for new jobs and industrial activity.

EQUITY

• Allowing a variety of housing types better meets the needs of a range of households.
• Locating jobs and community facilities near housing lowers household transportation costs.

SUSTAINABILITY

• Focusing more intense uses in Centers preserves open space, agricultural land, and sensitive natural areas.
• Infill and redevelopment require fewer natural resources for new infrastructure than greenfield development.

COMMUNITY HEALTH

• Buffering incompatible land uses protects people from health hazards.
• A greater mix and intensity of uses in Centers makes active transportation options more viable.
• Planning the Community Green Space network increases opportunities for outdoor recreation.

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In the future...

Our region will grow and develop as a network of active Centers connected by vibrant Corridors that work in conjunction with Development Areas to preserve and enhance our distinct neighborhoods and most treasured cultural and natural assets.

Redevelopment and infill strategies will target existing centers of moderate- and high-density mixed land uses to concentrate social and economic activities and reduce urban sprawl, auto travel, and service costs.

Walking and biking options will increase throughout the region and provide connections between existing and new neighborhoods and a high-quality Open Space network.

Downtown and Urban Centers will be more dense than other areas and support activity 18 hours a day.

Employment Centers will offer a range of employment opportunities through industrial, commercial, and office activity. Activity and Village Centers will serve residents’ needs through smaller, less dense development that is compatible with the surrounding area. These smaller centers will offer retail, schools, parks, and local services to limit the need for longer trips.

In the County, Development Areas (in conjunction with Centers and Corridors) will guide growth at appropriate densities to protect and enhance existing communities.

In the City, growth and redevelopment will be focused in Areas of Change with existing infrastructure and where mixed-use development can be served by transit. Areas of Consistency (mostly single-family neighborhoods and green spaces outside of Centers and Corridors), will experience limited new development. Change that does occur will reinforce or enhance the existing character of those neighborhoods. Physical and visual buffers will ease the transitions between disparate uses or changes in development intensity between Areas of Change and Areas of Consistency.

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Image credit: City of Albuquerque

5.1.2 Context & Analysis

5.1.2.1 ACCOMMODATING GROWTH SUSTAINABLY

Albuquerque and Bernalillo County are predicted to continue growing steadily into the future. The county’s total population is forecasted to increase 46 percent by the year 2040, translating into a total of almost one million people. This growth will add approximately 310,000 people, 120,000 homes, and 130,000 jobs within the county. The majority of that growth – 95,000 housing units and 112,000 jobs – is projected to be located within Albuquerque. Population and employment growth together present us with various land use choices and outcomes for our future.

Growing Inward vs. Outward

The physical distribution of growth in the Albuquerque area is constrained by land owned by tribes, other municipalities, and the federal government. Developable land in the county is further constrained by topographic features, including the Rio Grande valley, mountain ranges to the east, volcanic escarpment to the west, and the steeply sloping Rio Puerco valley farther west.

The unincorporated area of the county includes over 500 square miles. Almost 50 percent of this land is preserved as a natural area or park or is otherwise constrained from development. Of the remaining area, approximately 120 square miles are already developed, leaving around 160 square miles of vacant, unconstrained land (see Table 5-1).

In the unincorporated county area, most development is expected to be low density and low intensity. Higher-density and more mixed-use development will require approval as master planned communities in the Reserve or Rural Development Areas or in designated areas within County Area or Sector Development Plans. Already approved Master Plans, such as Westland and Santolina, are anticipated to develop as higher-density and intensity land uses in Centers, connected by Corridors, and surrounded by lower-density residential and lower intensity non-residential uses.

In the city, less than fifteen percent of the available land is vacant and buildable – totaling 24 square miles. The Volcano Heights area and Mesa del Sol are the two largest areas in the city that remain vacant and undeveloped (see Table 5-1).

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To achieve our vision the City and County need to address key challenges and strategies.

CHALLENGES

• How to accommodate future growth sustainably, discourage sprawl, and reduce water consumption.
• Pressures on historic land use patterns that may adversely impact rural and semi-rural lifestyles.
• Lack of coordination between land use and transportation decisions and other infrastructure investments.
• Imbalance of jobs and housing east and west of the Rio Grande.

STRATEGIES

• Directing growth to Centers and Corridors.
• Protecting character and lifestyles in rural areas in the county and Areas of Consistency in the city.
• Encouraging high-quality development and redevelopment, particularly in Areas of Change.
• Aligning land use decisions and transportation investments with the Comp Plan Vision.
• Expanding multi-modal access to goods and services, homes, and jobs.
• Providing a mix of land uses in Centers that encourage pedestrian-friendly districts.
• Improving the balance of jobs and housing west of the Rio Grande.

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PLAN ELEMENT

LAND USE

Much of the already developed land may be ripe and appropriate for redevelopment under its current zoning, particularly in Areas of Change. Carefully considered land use policies that protect the places we love will facilitate the addition of new housing and jobs in a way that not only maintains, but highlights, the distinctive character of surrounding neighborhoods, commercial centers, and natural areas.

The challenge from both a regional and environmental perspective is to encourage infill development that provides a viable alternative to suburban sprawl and reduces development pressure in rural areas and single-family neighborhoods. Successful strategies will:

• Remove barriers for high-quality infill and desired development types that implement the community vision.
• Recognize the true cost of development by considering transportation costs, social benefits, and other impacts.
• Support opportunities for high-quality, affordable infill, which tend to be rare.

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Figure 5-1: Vacant Land in Albuquerque & Unincorporated Bernalillo County

Source: MRCOG

Table 5-1: Developed and Vacant Land, Albuquerque & Unincorporated Bernalillo County

*Unincorporated Bernalillo County includes Federal Lands, such as Cibola National Forest, the Petroglyph National Monument, and the Reserve Area. It does not include Kirtland Air Force Base, tribal lands, or other municipalities.

Improving the Jobs-Housing Balance on the West Side

On a regional scale, balancing housing and jobs east and west of the river increases access and mobility for residents and workers, reduces congestion, and improves air quality. At the neighborhood scale, having convenient access to goods and services near your home is an important factor in your quality of life. Providing goods, services, and employment opportunities near residential areas makes walking, biking, and transit more convenient choices, which can reduce the number of long trips by car for commuting and errands.

As of 2016, there are 20 percent more jobs than households in Albuquerque, which indicates a good situation for our economy and our residents. West of the Rio Grande, however, there is only one job for every two households, meaning that many residents are commuting across the river every day for work. The imbalance of jobs and housing on the West Side is one of the main causes of traffic congestion on river crossings.

Over the years, commercially zoned land on the West Side has changed to residential zoning, resulting in single-family subdivisions built in locations with poor access to goods and services. Striving for more job opportunities and services west of the river is a major priority for the region. This will help both with building complete communities, where people can access nearby goods and services, as well as managing traffic congestion.

While employment is expected to grow on the West Side by over 20,000 jobs by 2040, this represents only 11 percent of all the job growth expected in Albuquerque. At the same time, the West Side is expected to grow by over 25,000 households, almost 30 percent of those expected in Albuquerque. Unless development patterns change, the imbalance of jobs and housing will continue to increase, resulting in increased commutes and congestion on river crossings.

Ensuring adequate land on the West Side for future employment opportunities, as well as more options for higher-density housing that can be better served by transit and located closer to jobs and services, are important strategies to address the jobs-housing balance and improving quality of life for West Side residents.

Coordinating Land Use & Transportation to Create Great Places

Land uses are most successful, and create the most successful places, when coordinated with the streets that serve them.

Best practices in planning in the mid-20th century emphasized keeping land uses separate. To support this single-use development pattern, transportation investments prioritized the automobile, which further perpetuated sprawling,

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Vibrant and accessible spaces improve quality of life for all residents.

PLAN ELEMENT

LAND USE

IMPLEMENTING LAND USE POLICY

The County will continue to rely on Area, Corridor, and Sector Development Plans to guide commercial and higher-density residential development within Centers and Corridors. As of 2016, there were more than 800 Special Use (SU) Permits shown in the County Zone Atlas, many of which are outside designated commercial areas. Sector planning may help reduce the number of SU Permits on properties in the County.

As of 2016, the City has over 1,000 policies and over 235 individual zoning designations from Area, Corridor, and Sector Development Plans. Policies have been incorporated into this Comp Plan to guide development decisions. In order to better implement the Centers and Corridors vision and ensure that new development respects existing neighborhoods, zoning and design regulations will be overhauled and adopted as an Integrated Development Ordinance.

In the future, proactive planning through Community Planning Area assessments will identify development issues, desired development patterns, and recommendations for updates to policies in the Comp Plan and/or regulatory changes to zoning standards (see Appendix E for more about this process).

suburban development patterns, where people depend almost exclusively on cars to access daily needs.

As of 2016, the City and County have both adopted Complete Streets Ordinances, which emphasize transportation investments to enhance transportation options and improve mobility for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users (often referred to as different “modes” of travel). Paired with land use policies that encourage a mix of uses close to residents, multi-modal streets can help support districts where people can live, work, learn, and play. Well-designed streets add to, rather than detract from, the safety, beauty, and uniqueness of the built and natural environment. Coordinating land use and transportation helps with placemaking when the interface between streets and the edge of private development is carefully designed.

The Mid-Region Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MRMPO) Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) also emphasizes the need for and benefits of changing land use patterns and transportation investments to create more walkable places and expand multi-modal options. The MTP proposes strategies to change land use patterns in order to reduce automobile traffic while increasing transit, pedestrian, and bicycle use. Key changes include balancing jobs and housing west of the Rio Grande, promoting mixed-use development, and focusing growth and redevelopment in Centers and Corridors rather than expanding the urban footprint. The MTP quantifies the benefits of these strategies related to traffic congestion, air quality, and economic development.

Coordinating the Comp Plan’s land use and transportation policies with regional policies is an effective tool to realizing common community goals. While the MRMPO is made up of elected officials from each jurisdiction in the four-county region, it is up to individual jurisdictions to adopt plans and regulations that change land use patterns and implement transportation projects that support desired land uses. The 2016 Comp Plan update represents an effort to realize the potential benefits outlined in the MTP.

Additional policies related to placemaking through design of streets and at the edges of private development can be found in the Urban Design chapter. Additional policies governing the design of key Corridors can be found in the Transportation chapter.

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Figure 5-2: Vision Map with Center Boundaries

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5.1.2.2 DIRECTING GROWTH

In order to plan for balanced growth in appropriate locations, the Comp Plan designates places in the city and county where most development is expected and encouraged. Identifying and mapping these areas helps decision makers and stakeholders target, plan, and implement new growth and infill. Centers and Corridors and Development Areas identify areas most appropriate for new growth and development and guide appropriate densities and design. These policies serve as a guiding framework for zone changes, new plans and policies, and revised zoning standards in the future.

Centers & Corridors

The Comp Plan designates Centers as areas of more intense development with a variety of uses that allow many different activities connected by Corridors that include a mix of uses and transportation connections within walking distance (see Figure 5-2).

Designated Centers and Corridors are intended to accommodate the most future growth in the city and county. Instead of growing primarily at our edges, growth is encouraged in Centers and along Corridors, where development can be connected by transportation networks and efficiently served by utility infrastructure.

Different Center types guide development at appropriate scales to serve and relate to surrounding neighborhoods. Different Corridor types accommodate the full range of travel modes to enhance access and mobility via cars and trucks, transit, bicycles, and pedestrians.

Centers and Corridors policies encourage higher-density and higher-intensity development in appropriate places to create vibrant, walkable districts that offer a wide range of services and recreational opportunities.

Development Areas

Since 1975, the Comp Plan has identified Development Areas in the city and county to guide growth to appropriate areas that match the intensity and density of proposed development. The Development Area designations, in conjunction with Centers and Corridors, guide where new growth should go, how intense it should be, and how it should be designed. City and County Development Areas are discussed in more detail in Sections 5.1.2.4 and 5.1.2.5, respectively.

In the county, Development Areas are based on natural features, degree of urbanization, settlement patterns, density, and land uses. Development Areas include Reserve and Rural areas, where new development is intended to be low density and low intensity unless it is approved as a master planned community with Centers and Corridors surrounded by lower density and intensity uses. Semi-urban and Developing and Established Urban Areas guide development at higher intensities and densities (see Figure 5-5).

Table 5-2: County Development Area Profile

Table 5-3: City Development Area Profile

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In the city, there are two Development Areas – Areas of Change, where growth is encouraged and best served with transit and other infrastructure, and Areas of Consistency, where any development that happens should be designed carefully to reinforce the character, scale, and intensity of surrounding neighborhoods or non-residential development (see Figure 5-6). Areas of Change include most Centers and Corridors, approved business and industrial parks, and some Metropolitan Redevelopment Areas. The rest of the city is mapped as Areas of Consistency, which include single-family neighborhoods, parks and open space, development along Commuter Corridors, and non-residential development outside of Centers.

Community Green Space

The Comp Plan also maps the system of City and County parks and Open Space, along with state and federally owned open space, which together make up a network of “Community Green Space.” This general term used in the Comp Plan for the larger collective of open spaces doesn’t presuppose that they all have the same goals, priorities, or mandates for land management as County-owned Open Space or City-owned Major Public Open Space.

See the Parks & Open Space chapter for more information about Open Space owned or managed by the City or County. Portions of the Community Green Space system may allow recreation, while others preserve natural spaces, sensitive lands, and rare habitats that are unsuitable for development and less suited for public access.

Community Green Space includes the Sandia Mountain foothills, the Rio Grande Bosque, the Volcanoes, the West Mesa escarpment, the Rio Puerco escarpment and sand dunes, agricultural lands in the north and south valleys, and the systems of arroyos and acequias (see Figure 5-3). Many of these areas have been purchased or dedicated to the City or County or are owned by other agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority (AMAFCA) and the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD).

Community Green Space also includes a system of developed parks and recreation facilities, including regional parks, community centers with outdoor spaces, aquatic facilities, and smaller neighborhood parks throughout the city and county. Connecting all of these areas and facilities to each other and to the rest of the city and county is a network of recreational trail corridors, drainage channels (arroyos), and irrigation and drainage ditches (acequias). Some arroyos and acequias have official trails, with license agreements for recreational use. It is important to note that the AMAFCA arroyo system and the MRGCD ditch and drain system are not maintained as recreational facilities, and any recreational use must be managed so that it does not interfere with their primary uses (see the Infrastructure, Community Facilities & Services chapter for more information on these drainage, flood control, and irrigation systems). Other corridors have been unofficially used for recreation and transportation because they are inviting spaces with natural characteristics within the developed city.

Local residents identify natural and cultural landscapes as one of the identifying features of our community (see the Heritage Conservation chapter for more information about this topic). As part of our natural and cultural identity, Community Green Space is an important quality-of-life factor contributing to livability in the city and county. It helps create an attractive setting for development.

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Figure 5-3: Community Green Space

5.1.2.3 CENTERS & CORRIDORS

The Centers and Corridors Vision was first adopted in the 2001 Comp Plan update. Center boundaries were established based on existing development and future high-density and high-intensity areas identified in adopted Area Plans, Master Plans, Sector Development Plans, or zoning actions.

Center designations were assigned to reflect a desire for regional- versus neighborhood- or village-scale development. Those Centers where development is anticipated but not on the ground are referred to as Developing Centers.

In 2016, nine Centers that had been adopted by the County in separate planning efforts were added. The Centers and Corridors designations were updated to clarify the intended character of each Center and Corridor type, reflect more recent planning efforts, and ensure that key goals could be implemented (see Figure 5-4). Tables 1-1 and 1-2 outline the transition to new Center and Corridor designations, including the following new considerations:

• Downtown was identified as its own Center type with the most intense, walkable, mixed-use environment in the Albuquerque area.
• Uptown and Volcano Heights were designated as intense, walkable Urban Centers.
• The remainder of smaller-scale centers were designated as either Activity Centers (primarily in the city), Village Centers (in the county only), or Employment Centers, a new Center designation focused on encouraging jobs and industry.
• A Premium Transit Corridor designation was added to identify key Corridors for high-capacity and/or high-frequency transit service.
• Multi-Modal and Main Street designations were added to promote walkability along key corridors.

Where Centers and Corridors overlap, the Urban Design chapter describes the following hierarchy of policies:

• Premium Transit Corridors
• Downtown / Urban Centers
• Main Streets
• Employment / Activity / Village Centers
• Major Transit / Multi-Modal / Commuter Corridors

With the exception of Premium Transit Corridors, whose policies override all others, Center policies generally take precedence over Corridor policies to encourage nodes of activity along Corridors. Within Centers, for example, vehicle travel lanes may need to narrow to allow for wider sidewalks for pedestrians. Within this framework, the Main Street designation operates like a Center, overriding Employment, Activity, or Village Center policies to ensure continuity of the best pedestrian-oriented environment possible.

This hierarchy protects the significant public investment needed for viable and convenient premium transit service from end to end along designated Corridors. Downtown, Urban Center, and Main Street policies override other Corridor policies to protect the integrity of these walkable environments. Employment, Activity, and Village Center policies take precedence over the remaining Corridor types to protect the viability of the activities and environments they are intended to encourage.

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Centers

There are five types of Centers in the Comp Plan, each describing a varying level of intensity and market area size. The Centers in the city and county may vary in their degree of urbanization and walkability. Many of the Centers in the county are in currently rural areas. In the city, most Centers will have, or strive for, a high degree of walkability, and should be well-served by transit. Other Centers focus on providing jobs where they are needed most throughout the region. Policies that guide development in Centers can be found at the end of this chapter and in the Urban Design chapter.

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DOWNTOWN

Albuquerque's Downtown serves as a regional hub for concentrated job and commercial activity supported by high-density housing. Downtown includes a wide variety of land uses, including private and government offices, multi-family housing, retail, restaurants, and entertainment uses. Downtown is intended to have the highest-intensity of employment and commercial uses in the region and to offer the highest-quality environment for pedestrians. This mixed-use district should include multiple transportation options, the tallest buildings in the region, the highest densities, the smallest blocks, and alleys for delivery of goods.

Streets should have trees for shade, wide sidewalks, and easy-to-use wayfinding signs. Multi-story buildings should feature ground-floor shops with large, street-facing windows. Plazas and other open spaces should provide an inviting atmosphere for pedestrians and support a diversity of uses, generating activity throughout the day and evening.

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URBAN CENTERS

Urban Centers are intended to be distinct, walkable districts that incorporate a mix of employment, service, and residential uses at a density and intensity lower than Downtown but higher than the neighborhood-oriented Activity Centers. Urban Centers serve a smaller regional area than Downtown, while Activity Centers serve the immediate surrounding area.

Similar to Downtown, Urban Centers can be important areas for economic growth, offering employment opportunities and a range of housing options. They feature moderate building heights and block sizes. Some offer opportunities for regional shopping destinations and job centers.

These mixed-use districts, including Uptown and Volcano Heights, are easily accessed by transit and provide opportunities for people to live, work, learn, shop, and play. Urban Centers are intended to become more walkable over time through investments in streetscape amenities, by attracting infill development with high-quality design that supports walkability, and by locating services closer to nearby residents. On-street parking, wide sidewalks, and active public spaces work together to create an appealing streetscape that deepens a distinct district identity.

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EMPLOYMENT CENTERS

Employment Centers are intended to remain predominately industrial, business, and retail centers. Employment Centers tend to be auto-oriented and need to provide excellent access for trucks and connections for freight. For this reason, Employment Centers should be located near major intersections or along highways or major arterials. Additionally, because land uses are typically separated by parking lots or arterial roads, street design should emphasize efficient movement of vehicles and pedestrian accommodation within business parks. Once Employment Centers are largely developed, it may be appropriate and beneficial to introduce mixed-use and/or higher-density residential development.

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ACTIVITY CENTERS

Activity Centers provide convenient, day-to-day services at a neighborhood scale to serve the surrounding area within a 20-minute walk or a short bike ride. They are intended to provide a mix of neighborhood commercial and residential uses at a slightly higher density than the surrounding single-family homes. These smaller centers should incorporate good pedestrian friendly design and are appropriate for mixed-use and multi-family housing. Most Activity Centers will be smaller geographic areas than Urban Centers, with buildings that range from one to three stories and development patterns that support access by all transportation modes.

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VILLAGE CENTERS

Village Centers serve rural areas and semi-urban areas. Like neighborhood-serving Activity Centers, they may include a variety of retail and commercial services, but Village Centers will also provide gathering spaces for local events such as festivals, markets, and street fairs. In general, Village Centers will draw from a larger geographic area than Activity Centers and will meet the needs of lower-density rural areas. Village Centers should be a focal point for tourism in scenic and historic parts of the County such as the East Mountains and the South Valley.

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Corridors

The Comp Plan establishes a network of five different corridor types for major public streets. This range of Corridor types is intended to balance the street system by identifying different streets that prioritize bicycling, walking, or transit use in and between Centers. The Corridor types also provide policies for limited-access and automobile-priority streets to meet a full range of mobility and access needs.

The character of the Corridor and adjacent land uses should change within Centers and near low-density neighborhoods to reduce auto travel speeds and increase pedestrian safety. Each Corridor type has land use policies found in this chapter, policy objectives for street design and transit service in the Transportation chapter, and development form policies in the Urban Design chapter.

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PREMIUM TRANSIT CORRIDORS

Premium Transit Corridors are anticipated to be served by high-quality, high-capacity, and high-frequency public transit. These Corridors are planned for mixed-use and transit-oriented development within walking distance of transit stations, with transitions to single-family neighborhoods beyond the Corridor. Interactive public spaces should be encouraged to add vitality, pedestrian amenities, and "eyes on the street" to aid public safety.

The Premium Transit designation acts as an overlay on other Corridor designations. Until premium transit projects have identified transit station locations and funding has been secured, development policies for the underlying Corridor apply. Once stations and funding have been identified, Premium Transit Corridor policies kick in.

The design and operation of premium transit service will vary according to the land use context and underlying Corridor designation. Much of Central Avenue is also designated as a Main Street Corridor with pedestrian-oriented development, so stations are planned every quarter mile. On other Premium Transit Corridors, if they have lower densities and less street connectivity, transit stations may be spaced farther apart to serve nodes of higher-intensity, pedestrian-oriented activity.

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MAIN STREET CORRIDORS

Main Streets are intended to be lively, highly walkable streets lined with local-serving businesses, modeled after the American tradition of Main Street as a place for living, working, and shopping. Examples of this type of street include Central Avenue in Nob Hill and Bridge Boulevard in the South Valley.

Main Streets should have one- to four- story buildings, usually placed right up to the sidewalk. Parking should be on-street and to the sides of or behind buildings. Away from the Main Street, density should quickly decrease to minimize impacts on nearby neighborhoods. This development pattern should be well-served by transit and contain safe and pleasant walking environments with street trees, landscaping, and wide sidewalks. Public investments in these areas should prioritize street and walkway improvements.

Although Main Street is classified as a Corridor type, the intent is for it to function more like a linear Center that guides the appropriate land use forms along the Corridor. Because this designation is primarily about urban design and the relationship between buildings and the street, a Main Street will often also have other Corridor designations that primarily relate to road design. Within the private realm, the Main Street policies override; within the public right-of-way, the other Corridor designation would override.

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MAJOR TRANSIT CORRIDORS

Major Transit Corridors are anticipated to be served by high frequency and local transit (e.g. Rapid Ride, local, and commuter buses). These corridors prioritize transit above other modes to ensure a convenient and efficient transit system. Walkability on these corridors is key to providing a safe and attractive pedestrian environment, as well as good access for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users to goods and services along these Corridors and the Centers they connect.

Development along Major Transit Corridors should be transit- and pedestrian-oriented near transit stops, while auto-oriented for much of the Corridor. Building heights and development densities may be higher in Centers along these Corridors but should be stepped back behind the Corridor to respect established neighborhoods.

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MULTI-MODAL CORRIDORS

Multi-modal corridors are intended to encourage the redevelopment of aging, auto-oriented commercial strip development to a more mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented environment that focuses heavily on providing safe, multi-modal transportation options.

The development of these corridors will enhance the environment for pedestrians and transit users, while nearby parallel streets will serve bicycle travel. The density and scale of development behind Multi-Modal Corridors should diminish quickly to minimize impacts on existing neighborhoods and respect established development patterns.

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COMMUTER CORRIDORS

Commuter Corridors are intended for long-distance trips across town by automobile, including limited-access streets. These roads tend to be higher-speed and higher-traffic volume routes. Development along these corridors should be more auto-oriented, but where the Corridors pass through Centers, development should include more mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented uses.

Though Commuter Corridors can be attractive for developing a strip of retail, this type of development pattern would quickly lessen the utility of the corridor for its main purpose. Access controls on these corridors influence the location and mix of land uses and the design of development. Land uses along Commuter Corridors should be buffered from the corridor, and retail uses concentrated along Multi-Modal Corridors and in Centers.

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Figure 5-4: Centers and Corridors

THE RAIL TRAIL

The various Comprehensive Plan Center & Corridor designations (Premium Transit, Main Street and Major Transit corridors, Activity Centers and the Downtown Center) are designed to encourage development in the most appropriate places for growth, change, and investment. These districts are prime for infill growth due to high prevalence of vacant land, population density, access to public transit, redevelopment opportunities, and existing concentrations of activities and amenities. The Rail Trail will travel primarily through areas designated for this type of growth. It is simultaneously a transportation corridor, equitable investment, and economic development project. This multi-jurisdictional investment will be a critical catalyst for growth and investment in Central Albuquerque.

At the intersection of historic transportation routes such as El Camino Real, Route 66, and the AT&SF Rail Line, the Rail Trail envisions the creation of a localized and convenient multi-modal connection across Downtown.

Through public-private partnerships, the City of Albuquerque seeks to reinvigorate the local economy by providing unique activities along the trail that will draw people to Downtown. The project will link the Downtown core to:

• Nearby Neighborhoods
• Mass Transportation Options
• The Rail Yards Redevelopment Site
• Entertainment and Museums
• Employment Opportunities
• Activity Centers

The 7-mile Rail Trail Loop will connect key destinations in the greater downtown area that include the National Hispanic Cultural Center, BioPark, Old Town, Sawmill District, Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Convention Center, and Rail Yards.

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5.1.2.4 BERNALILLO COUNTY DEVELOPMENT AREAS

Reserve Areas (County only)

Reserve Areas encompass approximately 65 square miles on the western and southern edge of Bernalillo County. Reserve Areas were originally designated for undeveloped land that was not contiguous with other growing areas. Development in Reserve Areas can occur following Rural Area policies for low-density or agricultural development without special review.

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Much of the unincorporated county consists of low-density development and open space, with special criteria for more dense development to protect the character of the area.

In order to develop at higher densities, however, projects must follow Reserve Area policies designed to encourage the development of large, self-sufficient, planned communities that include employment, a variety of housing types and residential densities, services, a street network, and recreation opportunities and Open Space. The communities must also demonstrate careful attention to preserving the significant environmental, archaeological, and paleontological features of the land.

As the metropolitan area has grown, several large communities, which will include urban centers, employment districts, and varying residential uses, have been approved in the Reserve Area, including Mesa del Sol (2008), Westland (2009), and Santolina (2015). As of 2016, some development in Westland and Mesa del Sol has occurred, with all the communities expected to continue to develop over the next 50 years.

Since the last major revision to the Comp Plan in 1988, the Planned Communities Criteria (PCC) were adopted by both the City and the County to provide additional policies and guidelines for development in Reserve Areas. Although the City is not retaining Reserve Areas, the PCC still apply to approved master planned communities in the city.

The PCC must be addressed for approval of master planned communities at each level of planning (Level A, Level B, and Level C) and in increasing degrees of detail. They are grouped in the following topics: Land Use, Transportation, Environment and Open Space, and Government and Public Service (see Table 5-4).

A planned community is to be approved only if all public infrastructure and service needed primarily to serve proposed areas is provided at no net expense to the government.

Rural Areas

(County only)

Rural Areas encompass approximately 300 square miles in Bernalillo County, the largest of any Development Area. They include characteristics that are commonly associated with rural lifestyles, including large-lot residential developments, agricultural uses, the existing irrigation ditch (acequia) network, and limited commercial development in designated areas and specific corridors. Rural Areas are located in the South Valley, North Valley, North Albuquerque Acres, East Mountains, and the Rio Puerco area.

Similar to Reserve Areas, the development of Rural Areas may follow two possible planning tracks. One track is for conventional development following Rural Area policies. Residential density is limited to one dwelling unit per acre, and new commercial development should be neighborhood-scale and located in designated areas, such as Rural Village Centers. New Rural Area development should recognize the character and environmental conditions of the site and its surroundings in assessing site suitability and potential impacts of development. Cluster housing with dedicated areas of open space or farmland is especially attractive for Rural Areas in the Rio Grande Valley. Traditional irrigation systems should be preserved and protected in the land development process. Many properties in the Rural Area lack access to public water and sewer service.

The second Rural Area development track is for Master Planned Communities. Such large-scale, mixed use communities may also be allowed in the Rural Area if they follow the Policies and Requirements of the Reserve Area and the Planned Communities Criteria (as described below in Table 5-4).

Table 5-4: Planned Communities Criteria (Summary)

Semi-Urban Areas

(County only)

Semi-Urban Areas are generally characterized by development limitations due to topography, soil conditions, water quality, flood potential, scenic qualities, and recreational potential. They also provide a transition between Rural Areas and Developing Urban or Established Urban Areas.

Semi-Urban Areas, which total approximately 10 square miles in the county, are found in the North and South Valley and in an

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Image credit: Bernalillo County

Farming is a way of life in Rural and Semi-Urban Areas.

area adjacent to the West Mesa south of I-40. Semi-Urban areas in the valley contain some of the County’s best farming soils and irrigation opportunities. An overall gross residential density of up to three dwelling units per acre is allowed in the Semi-Urban Area where municipal water and sewer service are available, unless otherwise specified in a county Sector Development Plan, or under clustered housing with open land. Semi-Urban Area policies seek to address or preserve important natural features and the viability of agricultural uses.

Developing Urban Areas (County only)

Developing Urban Areas have recently undergone or are planned or programmed for future residential and commercial development that will result in more urban land uses and patterns. Because the development may be relatively recent, these areas may be subject to area and sector planning, special design treatment, and phasing of infrastructure.

These Developing Urban areas, which total about 21 square miles in the county, are generally adjacent to established residential neighborhoods and located along the West Mesa and in the southeast quadrant of the County from I-25 in the east to Second Street in the west. Developing Urban Area policies encourage a full range of land uses and generally allow an overall density of up to five dwelling units per acre, with more specific densities and commercial opportunities identified in area and sector plans and centers and corridors in the Comp Plan. Policies also recommend measures that minimize impacts of new development on existing development.

Established Urban Areas (County only)

Established Urban Areas are generally long-standing, older neighborhoods that include residential and non-residential development that are established or undergoing or may require redevelopment efforts along with more specific area and sector planning.

The Established Urban Areas historically have been mainly within the city, and they will be guided by the Comp Plan language for Centers and Corridors, Areas of Consistency and Change, and other applicable policies.

The Established Urban Areas in the county (around seven square miles) are generally adjacent to the more urban areas of the city and are located in the South Valley between Bridge Boulevard and I-40, with a few remaining tracts scattered in the North Valley, particularly along Edith Boulevard. Established Urban area policies encourage a full range of urban land uses and generally allow an overall density of up to five dwelling units per acre, with higher densities and commercial opportunities identified in area and sector plans, with a number of policy recommendations for redevelopment. Redevelopment strategies are also discussed within the context of the Economic Development chapter.

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Figure 5-5: County Development Areas

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5.1.2.5 CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE DEVELOPMENT AREAS

Directing growth to Areas of Change is intended to help preserve and protect established neighborhoods in Areas of Consistency. Areas of Change and Consistency are designed to be complementary to protect the scale and character of distinctive neighborhoods while accommodating new residents and jobs in areas already well served by infrastructure and transit.

Areas of Change (City only)

Designated Centers and Corridors, along with Metropolitan Redevelopment Areas and Master Planned Areas, have been mapped as Areas of Change. Areas of Change policies allow for a mix of uses and development of higher density and intensity in areas where growth is desired and can be supported by multi-modal transportation.

The intent is to make Areas of Change the focus of new urban-scale development that benefit job creation and expanded housing options. By focusing growth in Areas of Change, additional residents, services, and jobs can be accommodated in locations ready for new development. Development in Areas of Change will still need to consider the ability of utilities to adequately serve infill and redevelopment.

To better understand the benefits and potential outcomes of focusing growth in Areas of Change, the planning team modeled the capacity for household and employment growth within urbanized land. The analysis demonstrated that 89 percent of projected new housing and 97 percent of projected new employment that is anticipated in the city between 2016 and 2040 could be accommodated in Areas of Change.

Areas of Consistency (City only)

Neighborhoods designated as Areas of Consistency will be protected by policies to limit densities, new uses, and negative impacts from nearby development. While these areas may see some infill development and new uses, new development or redevelopment will need to be compatible in scale and character with the surrounding area.

Some Areas of Consistency are experiencing a different set of pressures than those posed by incompatible infill development. These areas may have a high home-occupancy rate,

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Focusing growth and development in Areas of Change will accommodate many of the additional residents and jobs expected in the city through mixed-use development and multi-modal transportation options, while protecting established residential neighborhoods and Open Space in Areas of Consistency.

yet face deteriorating infrastructure, land use conflicts, such as those between industrial and residential uses, or a lack of basic services such as grocery stores or parks. These areas will benefit tremendously from targeted reinvestment in nearby Areas of Change.

MAPPING AREAS OF CHANGE & AREAS OF CONSISTENCY

Areas of Change and Consistency are mapped according to criteria listed below, based on platted parcels (for more details on the methodology, see Appendix I).

After adoption of the Comp Plan, this map will be updated periodically as part of future Comp Plan updates and as needed to reflect platting and/or zone changes that affect the status of property as an Area of Change or Consistency.

AREAS OF CHANGE INCLUDE:

• Comp Plan Centers
• Parcels along Premium Transit, Major Transit, Multi-Modal and Main Street Corridors
• Park and Ride facilities and parcels around Transit Centers
• Parcels within Metropolitan Redevelopment Areas (MRAs) with adopted MRA plans, according to the priorities established by those plans
• Properties within approved Master Development Plans (site development plans with detailed design standards), such as business and industrial parks and master planned communities

AREAS OF CONSISTENCY INCLUDE:

• Single-family residential zones and parcels with single-family residential uses
• Parks, Open Space, and golf courses
• Cemeteries
• Airport runways and fly-in zones
• Other parcels outside Change areas, regardless of zoning or current use

Implementing Areas of Change & Areas of Consistency

The Areas of Change and Consistency strategy is designed to identify places designated for higher intensity uses and denser housing, and that can accommodate new residents and jobs, while enhancing the unique qualities of established neighborhoods that are looking for new ways to preserve their character and quality of life.

As a guidance tool, Areas of Change and Consistency direct more dense development to areas where growth is desired (Areas of Change). In parallel, it is used to apply policies limiting new development to an intensity and scale consistent with places that are highly valued for their existing character (Areas of Consistency).

Development in Areas of Change and Consistency will be tracked over time. Similar to County Development Areas, this map may be updated periodically as part of future Comp Plan updates to reflect platting and/or zone changes that affect the status of property as part of an Area of Change or Consistency.

Regulatory changes will be needed to require building and lighting heights to step down where Areas of Change abut Areas of Consistency, along with other protections for neighborhood edges.

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Figure 5-6: City Development Areas – Areas of Change and Areas of Consistency

5.2 Goals, Policies & Actions

for Land Use

Goal 5.1 Centers & Corridors

Grow as a community of strong Centers connected by a multi-modal network of Corridors.

Goal 5.2 Complete Communities

Foster communities where residents can live, work, learn, shop, and play together.

Goal 5.3 Efficient Development Patterns

Promote development patterns that maximize the utility of existing infrastructure and public facilities and the efficient use of land to support the public good.

Goal 5.4 Jobs-Housing Balance

Balance jobs and housing by encouraging residential growth near employment across the region and prioritizing job growth west of the Rio Grande.

Goal 5.5 County Development Areas

Use Development Areas to foster the distinctness of communities in the unincorporated County by guiding their form, character, and density.

Goal 5.6 City Development Areas

Encourage and direct growth to Areas of Change where it is expected and desired and ensure that development in and near Areas of Consistency reinforces the character and intensity of the surrounding area.

Goal 5.7 Implementation Processes

Employ procedures and processes to effectively and equitably implement the Comp Plan.

Policies are organized to support each Goal. Many Policies have supporting Sub-polices, cross-references to other relevant policies, and implementing Actions to more clearly guide decision making.

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[ABC] indicates a policy or action for both the City and County [BC] indicates a policy or action for Bernalillo County [A] indicates a policy or action for the City of Albuquerque

Goal 5.1 Centers & Corridors

Grow as a community of strong Centers connected by a multi-modal network of Corridors.

POLICY 5.1.1

Desired Growth: Capture regional growth in Centers and Corridors to help shape the built environment into a sustainable development pattern. [ABC]

a) Create walkable places that provide opportunities to live, work, learn, shop, and play.

b) Structure capital investment and land use regulations to direct growth to Centers, in particular those in need of public and private reinvestment.

c) Encourage employment density, compact development, redevelopment, and infill in Centers and Corridors as the most appropriate areas to accommodate growth over time and discourage the need for development at the urban edge.

d) Encourage the development of multi-unit, multi-story apartments and mixed-use residential buildings in Downtown, Urban Centers, and Activity Centers to increase housing density and expand housing options and affordability.

e) Encourage platting with a range of residential lot sizes to support choice in housing and to meet the needs of all income levels.

f) Discourage the development of detached single-family housing as an inappropriate use in Centers and along Corridors.

g) Encourage residential infill in neighborhoods adjacent to Centers and Corridors to support transit ridership.¹

h) Encourage all new development, especially in designated Centers and Corridors, to address transit connections, linkages, and opportunities within the proposed development.

i) Locate industrial development in Employment Centers or in existing industrial zones within the I-25 and I-40 corridors.

j) Follow development form policies in Urban Design Policy 7.1.3, Table 7-3 for Centers, and Table 7-4 for Corridors.

k) See Policies 5.1.3-5.1.12 below for uses appropriate in each Center and Corridor.

l) See Policy 5.2.2 below for appropriate uses outside of Centers and Corridors.

m) See Goal 5.3 below for policies that promote efficient development patterns.

n) See Policies 5.5.1 and 5.6.1 below for community green space protection.

o) See Community Identity Goal 4.1 for policies to protect and enhance existing neighborhoods and Goal 4.3 for area-specific policies.

p) See Transportation Goals 6.1 and 6.2 for policies that guide development in the public right-of-way.

q) See Urban Design Policy 7.1.1 for the hierarchy of Centers and Corridors policies.

r) See Housing Goal 9.3 for policies related to housing development.

s) See Parks & Open Space Goal 10.1 for parks and Open Space facilities.

t) See Heritage Conservation Policy 10.1.1 for preservation of agricultural heritage.

u) See Infrastructure, Community Facilities & Services Goal 12.2 for policies about locating community facilities in Centers.

v) See Infrastructure, Community Facilities & Services Policy 12.5.3 for public investment in infrastructure to direct growth.

w) See Resilience & Sustainability Goal 13.5 for community health considerations.

ACTIONS

5.1.1.1

Adjust development standards and ordinances to remove obstacles to achieving the pedestrian- and transit-orientation necessary in appropriate Centers and Corridors. [ABC]

5.1.1.2

Explore direct (e.g. public investment or partnerships) and indirect (e.g. zoning regulations or incentives such as density bonuses) approaches to promote higher density and infill development in Centers and along Corridors. [ABC]

5.1.1.3

Evaluate existing land uses and development trends to identify opportunities for increased land use intensity to support transit-oriented development within 660 ft. of transit stations along Premium or Major Transit Corridors. [ABC]

5.1.1.4

Promote ongoing public-private cooperation necessary to create private market conditions that support intensified development of jobs and housing in Transit Corridors. [ABC]

5.1.1.5

Identify obstacles to infill development, including infrastructure capacity and public investment priorities. [ABC]

5.1.1.6

Work with utilities and transportation representatives to identify infrastructure capacity and possible expansion requirements to adequately serve infill and redevelopment. [ABC]

5.1.1.7

Consider differential taxation of land and improvements to incentivize infill development. [BC]

5.1.1.8

Reassess zoning capacity every five years for at least 20 years of growth within Centers, Corridors, and City Areas of Change. [A]

5.1.1.9

Update zoning codes to allow the highest-density development in Downtown and Urban Centers. [A]

5.1.1.10

Structure capital investment and land use regulations in support of creating additional housing and jobs within Transit Corridors. [A]

5.1.1.11

Adopt zoning and design standards requiring appropriate transitions between development and single-family residential neighborhoods, such as step-backs, setbacks, landscape buffers, etc. [A]

5.1.1.12

Provide an expedited review and approval process for projects in Centers and Corridors. [A]

5.1.1.13

Partner with the private sector and neighborhood organizations to

redevelop vacant and under-utilized properties and incentivize adaptive reuse of distressed structures. [A]

5.1.1.14 Incentivize a wide range of housing types and affordability levels in Downtown and Urban Centers. [A]

5.1.1.15 Monitor building permits and zone change requests by Community Planning Area and by Center and prepare an annual review of development trends. [A]

5.1.1.16 Promote updates to the Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO) that incentivize affordable housing developments. [A]

POLICY 5.1.2

Development Areas: Direct more intense growth to Centers and Corridors and use Development Areas to establish and maintain appropriate density and scale of development within areas that should be more stable. [ABC]

a) See Goal 5.5 for County Development Areas.

b) See Goal 5.6 for City Development Areas.

POLICY 5.1.3

Downtown: Strengthen Downtown’s identity as a regional hub for the highest-intensity development, with concentrated job and commercial activity supported by the highest-density housing. [A]

a) Support pedestrian-oriented development.

b) Support mixed-use development.

c) Ensure opportunities for public and private employment, civic uses, and cultural and entertainment activities.

d) Ensure that there are multiple transportation options to access and circulate within Downtown.

e) Encourage plazas and other open spaces to provide an inviting atmosphere for pedestrians and support a diversity of uses.

f) Create an 18-hour Downtown that generates activity throughout the day and evening.

g) Minimize the potential negative impacts of Downtown development on abutting neighborhoods.

h) See Urban Design Goal 7.1 for development form and priority street elements in Downtown.

i) See Economic Development Policy 8.1.1 for creating places that support economic development.

j) See Infrastructure, Community Facilities & Services Policy 12.3.4 for public safety service provision.

ACTIONS

5.1.3.1 Promote Downtown as a center for arts, cultural, and public facilities/ activities while recognizing its importance as the historic center of the City. [A]

5.1.3.2 Develop, maintain, and market Downtown as though it were a single mixed-use project. [A]

5.1.3.3 Support efforts to upgrade neighborhoods surrounding Downtown and create links between residential areas and

cultural, arts, and entertainment facilities Downtown. [A]

5.1.3.4 Promote the redevelopment of existing commercial parking lots and restrict all new commercial parking lots in surrounding neighborhoods. [A]

5.1.3.5 Work with residents and stakeholders through the CPA assessment process to analyze and recommend adjustments to policy and/or regulatory protections for existing single- and two-family homes within the Downtown Center. [A]

5.1.3.6 Work with residents, stakeholders, and property owners to analyze the boundary for the Downtown Center and modify it as necessary to best match existing and desired future development, promote access and connectivity, ensure appropriate transitions to surrounding neighborhoods, and support economic development efforts. [A]

POLICY 5.1.4

Urban Centers: Create highly accessible and walkable Urban Centers that provide a range of employment opportunities and higher-density housing options. [A]

a) Encourage mixed-use development.

b) Encourage pedestrian-oriented design, transit-oriented development, and infrastructure improvements that make Urban Centers more walkable over time.

c) Encourage plazas and other open spaces to provide an inviting atmosphere for pedestrians and support a diversity of uses.

d) Ensure opportunities for regional shopping destinations, entertainment activities, and employment centers.

e) Create 18-hour Urban Centers that generate activity throughout the day and evening.

f) Prioritize transit investment to provide access to and within Urban Centers, potentially spurring additional private investment and transit-oriented development.

g) See Urban Design Goal 7.1 for development form.

h) See Housing Goal 9.3 for policies related to housing development.

POLICY 5.1.5

Employment Centers: Create Centers that prioritize employment opportunities and foster synergy among businesses. [ABC]

a) Prioritize office and commercial employment in areas with good access via automobile and transit.

b) Prioritize industrial employment in areas with good connectivity for freight routes.

c) Until 80 percent of the available land in Employment Centers has developed with uses associated with employment opportunities, discourage residential uses on the ground floor.

d) After employment has been established on 80 percent of the available land, encourage mixed-use development to

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introduce high-density residential uses that bring housing to jobs.

e) Allow Employment Centers to develop as auto-oriented areas.

f) Provide safe and convenient pedestrian and bicycle access to and mobility within Employment Centers.

g) Provide good transit access to Employment Centers and connect transit stops/stations to businesses via pedestrian walkways and bikeways.

POLICY 5.1.6

Activity Centers: Foster mixed-use centers of activity with a range of services and amenities that support healthy lifestyles and meet the needs of nearby residents and businesses. [ABC]

a) Incorporate a compatible mix of commercial and residential uses with a range of higher-density housing types.

b) Provide neighborhood-oriented commercial, retail, institutional, and public services.

c) Encourage gathering spaces for festivals, markets, and street fairs.

d) Ensure that Activity Centers are pedestrian-friendly and provide convenient pedestrian connections to nearby residential areas.

e) Provide good connectivity via bicycle between Activity Centers and nearby residential areas and multi-use trails.

f) See Urban Design chapter for discussion of neighborhood-scale development and pedestrian-friendly design.

POLICY 5.1.7

Village Centers: Capture higher-intensity growth within Village Centers as places with a mix of uses that serve the needs of residents in order to protect rural lifestyles and surrounding land use patterns. [BC]

a) Encourage a variety of shopping opportunities.

b) Provide gathering spaces for festivals, markets, and street fairs.

c) Focus on tourism in scenic and historic parts of the county in Village Centers.

d) Allow a range of housing types and densities.

POLICY 5.1.8

Premium Transit Corridors: Foster corridors that prioritize high-capacity, high-frequency transit service, with mixed-use, transit-oriented development within walking distance of transit stations. [ABC]

a) Encourage higher-density residential developments within ¼ mile of identified transit station locations.

b) Minimize negative impacts on nearby neighborhoods by providing transitions between development along Transit Corridors and abutting single-family residential areas.

c) Encourage active public spaces and plazas within 660 feet of identified transit station locations and balconies and decks overlooking transit station areas.

d) Apply Premium Transit policies after station locations have been identified and project funding has been allocated.

e) See Transportation Policy 6.1.4 for Premium Transit Corridors.

f) See Urban Design Goal 7.1 for development form.

POLICY 5.1.9

Main Streets: Promote Main Streets that are lively, highly walkable streets lined with neighborhood-oriented businesses. [ABC]

a) Prioritize street and walkway improvements, such as street trees, landscaping, lighting, wayfinding, and wide sidewalks, to create safe and comfortable pedestrian environments.

b) Minimize negative impacts on nearby neighborhoods by providing transitions between Main Street development and abutting single-family residential areas.

c) Ensure that Main Streets are well-served by multi-modal transportation.

d) Follow Main Street policy guidance for private property and follow other Corridor designation policies for decisions related to the public right-of-way when a corridor has both the Main Street and another Corridor designation.

e) See Urban Design chapter for discussion of building and parking orientation.

POLICY 5.1.10

Major Transit Corridors: Foster corridors that prioritize high-frequency transit service with pedestrian-oriented development. [ABC]

a) Encourage higher-density residential developments within ¼ mile of transit stops or stations.

b) Minimize negative impacts on nearby neighborhoods by providing transitions between development along Transit Corridors and abutting single-family residential areas.

c) Encourage mixed-use development in Centers and near intersections.

d) See Transportation Policy 6.1.6 for Major Transit Corridors.

e) See Urban Design Goal 7.1 for development form.

POLICY 5.1.11

Multi-Modal Corridors: Design safe Multi-Modal Corridors that balance the competing needs of multiple modes of travel and become more mixed-use and pedestrian-oriented over time. [ABC]

a) Encourage the redevelopment of aging auto-oriented commercial strip development to a more mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented environment.

b) Prioritize improvements that increase pedestrian safety and convenience and make bicycle and transit options more viable.

c) Encourage lower auto traffic speeds and narrower traffic lanes to accommodate other modes of travel in more intense and active areas along the corridor.

d) See also Transportation Policy 6.1.7 and Goal 6.2 for multi-modal policies.

e) See Urban Design Goal 7.1 for development form.

POLICY 5.1.12

Commuter Corridors: Allow auto-oriented development along Commuter Corridors that are higher-speed and higher-traffic volume routes for people going across town, often as limited-access roadways. [ABC]

a) Allow auto-oriented, single-use development, such as strip retail, large retail facilities, and business and institutional campuses along Commuter Corridors.

b) Buffer residential land uses adjacent to Commuter Corridors.

c) Support traffic flow by limiting new curb cuts, encouraging shared access of driveways and business access roads, or providing access from perpendicular local roads.

d) See Transportation Policy 6.1.8 for Commuter Corridors

e) See Urban Design Goal 7.1 for development form.

Goal 5.2 Complete Communities

Foster communities where residents can live, work, learn, shop, and play together.

POLICY 5.2.1

Land Uses: Create healthy, sustainable, and distinct communities with a mix of uses that are conveniently accessible from surrounding neighborhoods. [ABC]

a) Encourage development and redevelopment that brings goods, services, and amenities within walking and biking distance of neighborhoods and promotes good access for all residents. [ABC]

b) Encourage development that offers choice in transportation, work areas, and lifestyles. [ABC]

c) Maintain the characteristics of distinct communities through zoning and design standards that are consistent with long-established residential development patterns. [ABC]

d) Encourage development that broadens housing options to meet a range of incomes and lifestyles. [ABC]

e) Encourage higher density housing as an appropriate use in the following situations: [ABC]

i. Within designated Centers and Corridors;

ii. In areas with good street connectivity and convenient access to transit;

iii. In areas where a mixed density pattern is already established by zoning or use, where it is compatible with existing area land uses, and where adequate infrastructure is or will be available;

iv. In areas now predominantly zoned single-family only where it comprises a complete block face and faces onto similar or higher density development;

v. In areas where a transition is needed between single-family homes and much more intensive development.

f) Locate quality commercial development and redevelopment in existing commercial zones and designated Centers and Corridors as follows: [ABC] i. In Activity Centers with development to serve adjacent neighborhoods with an emphasis on pedestrian and bicycle connections to nearby residential areas; ii. In larger area-wide shopping centers located near intersections of arterial streets and provided with access via transit; iii. Next to another shopping center at an intersection only when safe pedestrian crossings are provided to encourage shoppers to "park once" and walk to multiple stores; and iv. In contiguous storefronts along streets in established neighborhoods and Main Streets.

g) Encourage infill development that adds complementary uses and is compatible in form and scale to the immediately surrounding development. [ABC]

h) Discourage mineral extraction in highly scenic or prime recreational, agricultural, or residential areas. [ABC]

i) Discourage zone changes to commercial, industrial, or office uses outside of Centers and Corridors. [ABC]

j) Discourage zone changes to detached single-family residential uses on the West Side. [ABC]

k) Discourage zone changes to more intense land uses within federally-defined accident potential zones located at the ends of runways, in conjunction with review and comment from KAFB. [ABC]

l) Discourage zone changes to single land uses on sites larger than ten acres. [A]

m) Encourage more productive use of vacant lots and under-utilized lots, including surface parking. [A]

n) See Community Identity Goal 4.1 for policies to preserve distinct communities.

o) See Community Identity Goal 4.3 for policies about community character in each Community Planning Area.

p) See Urban Design Goal 7.1 for policies on development form.

q) See Urban Design Goal 7.3 for policies on design elements that reinforce community identity.

r) See Heritage Conservation chapter for protecting historic areas and scenic views.

ACTIONS

5.2.1.1 Localize systems of production, for example agriculture and food processing, to reduce transportation time and emissions. [A]

POLICY 5.2.2

Planned Communities: Include Centers and Corridors in master planned communities and follow the Planned Communities Criteria (PCC) as adopted by the City and County. [ABC]

a) Acquire land within planned communities to preserve required Open Space. [ABC]

b) Encourage a mix of single-family and townhouse lots with a range of sizes to support choice in housing and to meet the needs of all income levels. [ABC]

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c) Ensure coordination and phasing of Planned Communities in Rural and Reserve Areas that achieve the policies for each Development Area. [BC]

d) Encourage appropriate jobs-housing mix by requiring that balanced employment be developed and established before additional residential development can be approved within a Planned Community at the end of a development phase. [BC]

e) See Policy 5.5.2 below for policies on Planned Communities in Reserve Areas.

f) See Policy 5.5.3 below for policies on Planned Communities in Rural Areas.

ACTIONS

5.2.2.1 Negotiate phasing schedules with Planned Community developers within each master plan for infrastructure costs. [ABC]

5.2.2.2 Ensure that master plans establish land use mix, quantity, and location of each Planned Community. [ABC]

5.2.2.3 Develop mechanisms to ensure that Planned Communities will complement infill in urban areas. [ABC]

5.2.2.4 Require environmental, fiscal, and economic analyses that demonstrate development feasibility and plan phasing and plan submittals that establish boundaries for each Planned Community project. [ABC]

5.2.2.5 Include performance clauses or conditions of approval within approved Planned Community Master Plans that invalidate Master Plans if construction has not begun within a specified period of time. [ABC]

5.2.2.6 Coordinate the phasing of Planned Communities with the County's Capital Improvements Program, Utility Extension policy, and regional economic justification and impacts. [BC]

5.2.2.7 Coordinate Master Plans in Rural and Reserve Areas for Planned Communities with landowners and implement them through zoning and other local land use regulations and utility policies. [BC]

Goal 5.3 Efficient Development Patterns

Promote development patterns that maximize the utility of existing infrastructure and public facilities and the efficient use of land to support the public good.

POLICY 5.3.1

Infill Development: Support additional growth in areas with existing infrastructure and public facilities. [ABC]

POLICY 5.3.2

Leapfrog Development: Discourage growth in areas without existing infrastructure and public facilities. [ABC]

POLICY 5.3.3

Compact Development: Encourage development that clusters buildings and uses in order to provide landscaped open space and/or plazas and courtyards. [ABC]

POLICY 5.3.4

Conservation Development: Encourage conservation development to promote private open space and preserve natural landscape, agricultural lands, and other features of the natural environment to encourage development that is sensitive to the open, natural character of the area and the geological and cultural conditions. [ABC]

a) Use conservation easements to limit construction and ecologically harmful activities to provide a buffer to ecologically sensitive areas. [A]

b) Encourage use of development envelopes to define areas in which buildings (including accessory structures), landscaping, construction activity, walls and fences, and recreational activities are permitted. [A]

c) Use cluster development to concentrate buildings on a portion of the site, in particular near floodplains or other natural features, to allow the remaining land to be used for recreation, open space, agriculture, or preservation of sensitive land areas. [A]

d) See Infrastructure, Community Facilities & Services Policy 12.5.3 for prioritizing public investment to direct growth.

ACTIONS

5.3.4.1 Provide incentives for cluster housing development that is sensitive to natural constraints and adjacent development and includes open space in perpetuity. [ABC]

5.3.4.2 Consider adopting standards for homeowner associations, including provisions that would enable the City or County to bill the association for maintenance costs

associated with common open space and/or private parks. [ABC]

5.3.4.3 Review City land use practices to address water shortages and determine best practices to conserve water while respecting private agricultural needs and practices. [A]

POLICY 5.3.5

School Capacity: Discourage zone changes from non-residential to residential or mixed-use zones when affected public schools have insufficient capacity to support the anticipated increase of students based on proposed dwelling units. [ABC]

a) See Housing Goal 9.1 for policies that encourage mixed-income neighborhoods.

b) See Infrastructure, Community Facilities & Services Policy 12.4.3 for improved coordination with APS.

POLICY 5.3.6

Reassembly and Replatting: Encourage property owner coordination to reassemble areas prematurely subdivided or platted that have inadequate right-of-way or drainage before infrastructure and services are extended. [ABC]

ACTION

5.3.6.1 Provide public reassembly assistance, including bringing landholders and private developers together to re-plan and re-subdivide problem areas (e.g. title problems, obsolete platting). [ABC]

POLICY 5.3.7

Locally Unwanted Land Uses: Ensure that land uses that are objectionable to immediate neighbors but may be useful to society are located carefully and equitably to ensure that social assets are distributed evenly and social responsibilities are borne fairly across the Albuquerque area. [ABC]

a) Minimize the impacts of locally unwanted land uses on surrounding areas through policies, regulations, and enforcement.

b) Ensure appropriate setbacks, buffers, and/ or design standards to minimize offsite impacts.

c) See Policy 5.2.1 above for desired land uses to support complete communities.

d) See Community Identity Goal 4.1 for policies to preserve distinct communities.

e) See Community Identity Policy 4.2.1 for the Community Planning Area assessment process.

f) See Infrastructure, Community Facilities & Services Policy 12.3.9 about behavioral health services.

g) See Resilience & Sustainability Goal 13.5 for protecting community health and welfare.

ACTIONS

5.3.7.1 Identify and map objectionable land uses and concentrations of such uses as they are identified through the CPA assessment process. [A]

5.3.7.2 Analyze existing policies, regulations, and processes that

address objectionable land uses and recommend changes to mitigate negative impacts on the immediately surrounding area. [A]

5.3.7.3 Coordinate with New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department to include public health criteria in the alcohol licensing process. [A]

POLICY 5.3.8

Solar Protections: Protect solar access to encourage solar energy collection and healthy living conditions. [ABC]

a) Encourage platting and street layout that facilitates solar access.

b) See Infrastructure, Community Facilities & Services Policy 12.1.6 related to energy systems.

c) See Resilience & Sustainability Policy 13.4.3 for energy conservation policies.

ACTION

5.3.8.1 Establish stepbacks and/or setbacks between structures to protect solar access. [ABC]

Goal 5.4 Jobs-Housing Balance

Balance jobs and housing by encouraging residential growth near employment across the region and prioritizing job growth west of the Rio Grande.

POLICY 5.4.1

Housing near Jobs: Allow higher-density housing and discourage single-family housing near areas with concentrated employment. [ABC]

a) Prioritize higher-density housing where services and infrastructure are available.

b) Prioritize mixed-use development near where substantial employment exists in Employment Centers.

c) See Housing Goal 9.1 for policies about housing supply and affordability.

ACTIONS

5.4.1.1 Coordinate with MRMPO to monitor the balance of jobs and housing east and west of the Rio Grande based on population and employment projections and development trends. [ABC]

5.4.1.2 Develop adjustments to land use policies, regulations, and incentives to improve the jobs-housing balance. [ABC]

POLICY 5.4.2

West Side Jobs: Foster employment opportunities on the West Side. [ABC]

a) Ensure adequate capacity of land zoned for commercial, office, and industrial uses west of the Rio Grande to support additional job growth.

b) Prioritize employment opportunities within Centers.

c) Prioritize incentives and support for employers providing base employment on the West Side.

d) Promote the clustering of employment opportunities within business parks or industrial parks served by transit.

e) See also Policy 5.1.5 above for policies about Employment Centers.

f) See Economic Development Goal 8.1 for policies about planning for and targeting employment growth.

g) See Infrastructure, Community Facilities & Services Policy 13.1.2 on water and wastewater infrastructure.

Goal 5.5 County Development Areas

Use Development Areas to foster the distinctness of communities in the unincorporated County by guiding their form, character, and density. [BC]

POLICY 5.5.1

Community Green Space: Provide visual relief from urbanization and offer opportunities for education, recreation, cultural activities, and conservation of natural resources by setting aside publicly-owned Open Space, parks, trail corridors, and open areas throughout the Comp Plan area as mapped in Figure 5-3. [BC]

a) Maintain existing irrigation systems as Community Green Space to help ensure agricultural lands in rural areas.

b) See Urban Design policy 7.3.1 for design that preserves natural and cultural features.

c) See Urban Design policy 7.6.1 for drainage infrastructure design.

d) See the Parks & Open Space chapter for discussion of community green space and policies to acquire and preserve land.

e) See Heritage Conservation Goals 11.1 and 11.3 for rural heritage and cultural landscapes.

f) See also Resiliency & Sustainability Goal 13.4 for policies to preserve natural resources.

ACTION

5.5.1.1 Develop setback standards for and encourage clustering of open space along the irrigation system.

POLICY 5.5.2

Reserve Areas: Allow opportunity for future development of high quality, mixed-use, largely self-sufficient planned communities, bounded by permanent open-space, in appropriate outlying areas, and protect and maintain the non-urban development areas as Rural unless such planned communities are developed. [BC]

a) Use Figure 5-5 to determine where Reserve Area policies apply.

b) Accommodate a portion of growth in new planned communities in Reserve Areas. Such communities should meet the following guidelines:

i. Provide employment, goods, and public services, with at least one type of Center within each planned community as adequate to be substantially self-sufficient.

ii. Ensure that housing quantity, type, price, and location correspond to employment opportunities.

iii. Negotiate service cost sharing between the developer and the local government, with water, sewer, and street systems installed to meet County requirements to ensure that planned communities are not a net expense to local governments.

iv. Provide transit/para-transit service within planned communities and connect with other urban areas.

v. Separate and distinguish new communities from existing Urban Areas with dedicated Open Space.

vi. Provide a viable and sustainable mix of housing types to be affordable for a range of income levels.

vii. Ensure contiguous acreage for each planned community that meets the above guidelines.

c) Maintain open space and densities under three dwelling units per acre in areas outside of planned communities and use density transfer (clustering) to accomplish appropriate urban densities within planned communities. Prescribe housing densities, land use mix, open space, infrastructure size and location, and other public services and facilities through Level A and B plans.

i. Transfer development rights to local government to ensure the permanency of the pattern.

ii. Calculate density using all land except publicly owned land (whether fee or easement), including Indian Tribal lands.

iii. Conduct a carrying capacity analysis of each planned community area to identify constraints and opportunities presented by environmental, historical, cultural, archaeological, and infrastructure factors.

d) Require development within Reserve Areas to take place either in accordance with an approved planned community master plan (up to three dwelling units per acre), or in accordance with the standards applicable to Rural Areas.

e) Implement the Comp Plan by reviewing planned community master plans per this section and the Planned Communities Criteria (PCC) as adopted by the City and County and denying planned community master plans that fail to demonstrate a sense of place, self-sufficiency, environmental sensitivity, separation from the contiguous Albuquerque urban area by permanent open space, and provision

of infrastructure at no net expense to the local government(s).

f) Require compliance with both the PCC and the Comp Plan policies for Level A, Level B, and Level C plans.

g) See Policy 5.2.2 above for planned development.

h) See Policy 5.5.1 above for community green space.

i) See Policy 5.7.2 and associated actions below for former Comp Plan “Possible Implementation Techniques” that apply to all County Development Areas.

j) See also Urban Design Policy 7.3.2 for design that reflects community character.

ACTIONS

5.5.2.1 Develop and evaluate additional mechanisms that ensure that the Reserve Area policies are achieved.

5.5.2.2 Zone County Reserve Area land that is not expected to develop from one to twenty acres per dwelling unit based on environmental characteristics.

5.5.2.3 Zone County Reserve Area land within approved Master Planned Communities with PC (Planned Community Zoning) as specified in the Bernalillo County Zoning Ordinance.

5.5.2.4 Continue to coordinate with APS regarding identification of school needs, pertaining to capital investment, within new and proposed Master Planned Communities in accordance with current policies and procedures required for approval of such large-scale development proposals within Bernalillo County.

5.5.2.5 Prepare environmental, fiscal and economic analyses that demonstrate development feasibility and plan phasing. Prepare cost of service studies for water supply and infrastructure service requirements. Establish boundaries by submitting a plan for each planned community project.

5.5.2.6 Negotiate schedules with Planned Community developers within each master plan for infrastructure costs.

POLICY 5.5.3

Rural Areas: Maintain the separate identity of Rural Areas as alternatives to urbanization by guiding development compatible with their open character, natural resources, and traditional settlement patterns. [BC]

a) Use Figure 5-5 to determine where Rural Area policies apply.

b) Retain the rural character of areas designated as Rural Areas on the Development Area map by allowing development consisting primarily of ranches, farms, and single-family homes on large lots, with overall gross densities not exceeding one dwelling unit per acre. Development in these areas should follow these guidelines:

i. Allow higher-density development at appropriate locations within Village Centers, rural villages, or planned communities, but retain appropriate overall-area gross density through dedication of open space.

ii. Define Rural Area density patterns through lower rank plans.

iii. Encourage clustered development, setbacks from ditches, and conservation easements to preserve farmland, ditches, and open space.

iv. Each higher density area is to be controlled by a site development plan and is to be located well away from other such higher density areas.

v. Allow small "rural villages" with compact housing areas - usually no more than 100 dwellings - and very few stores to serve the village.

vi. Follow Reserve Area policies for planned communities within rural villages, but with lower gross density requirements.

vii. In the East Mountain area , allow urban densities, to be determined by lower ranking plans.

viii. Approve new rural villages and planned communities only if all public infrastructure needed to serve the proposed areas is provided at no cost to the County.

c) Ensure that development in Rural Areas is compatible with natural resource capacities, including water availability, acequias, soil capacity, community and regional goals, and includes trail corridors where appropriate. Maintain rural densities where water and sewer service is not available.

d) Carefully control development in floodplains and valley areas where flood danger, high water table, soils, and air inversions inhibit extensive urbanization.

e) Maintain, to the extent feasible, land that is suitable for agriculture in agricultural production using a variety of techniques, including conservation easements, acquisition of properties, and agricultural zoning, to discourage non-agricultural development in these areas.

f) Guide development of inhabited rural settlements of a distinctive historic and cultural character using the following policies:

i. Maintain and integrate existing buildings, features, and landscapes determined to be of significant local, State, and/or National interest as viable elements of the community.

ii. Ensure that new rural development is sensitive to existing historic, cultural, and economic patterns.

g) Control development in the East Mountains and the Valley to prevent environmental deterioration and ensure compatibility with the resource base and natural recreational and scenic assets.

h) Guide industrial and commercial development in Rural Areas using the following policies:

i. Encourage small-scale, local, or owner-operated industries which employ few people and may sell products on the same premises as the most desirable commercial or industrial use.

ii. Discourage mineral extraction in highly scenic or prime recreational, agricultural, or residential areas.

iii. Regulate noise and pollution levels and require restoration of land where mineral extraction and industrial development occurs.

iv. Allow neighborhood and/or community-scale commercial centers as appropriate uses in rural areas.

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v. Discourage strip commercial development and, instead, encourage clustered commercial development at major intersections, in Employment Centers, and within designated mountain and valley Village Centers.

vi. Discourage special use permits for commercial and industrial uses outside of Village Centers and limit special use permits for non-residential uses to terms of no more than five years, except for utilities.

i) Extend County public services and facilities to Rural Areas only where: (1) public health and safety are threatened and there is no safe alternative; (2) a planned community is approved and being developed, for which extension of certain services and facilities is economically feasible and environmentally sound; or (3) the extension is part of an adopted policy of metropolitan area service.

j) See Policy 5.5.1 above for community green space.

k) See Policies 5.5.4 and 5.5.6 below for requirements for higher density development.

l) See Policy 5.7.2 and associated actions below for former Comp Plan "Possible Implementation Techniques" that apply to all County Development Areas.

m) See also Urban Design Policy 7.3.2 for design that reflects community character.

n) See Heritage Conservation Goal 11.1 for rural and agricultural heritage.

o) See Infrastructure, Community Facilities & Services chapter for additional policies on infrastructure provision.

ACTIONS

5.5.3.1 Develop and adopt County zones that limit development densities to between 1 to 20 acres per dwelling unit based on land carrying capacity.

5.5.3.2 Amend the County Zoning Ordinance to add cluster principles and to include Cluster Housing as a permissive or conditional use.

5.5.3.3 Map low density zoning districts in environmentally sensitive areas.

5.5.3.4 Map agricultural zone districts on land qualifying for greenbelt tax status.

5.5.3.5 Monitor development and use of agricultural lands through a comprehensive data base and mapping system.

5.5.3.6 Develop mechanisms for agricultural and greenbelt easements, land banks, land trusts, and voluntary agricultural districts.

5.5.3.7 Consider amending the County Zoning Ordinances to require buffering of residences and other sensitive uses in Rural Areas from environmental impacts of commercial and industrial activities.

POLICY 5.5.4

Semi-Urban Areas: Maintain the character and identity of the Semi-Urban areas that have environmental, social, or cultural conditions limiting urban land uses. [BC]

a) Use Figure 5-5 to determine where Semi-Urban Area policies apply.

b) Enforce development limitations imposed by topography, acequia easements,

soil conditions, groundwater quality, agricultural potential, flood potential, scenic qualities, recreation potential and existing development for Semi-Urban areas, as defined by the Plan map.

c) Maintain overall gross density up to three dwelling units per acre, or as specified in County Sector Plans.

d) Include trail corridors, where appropriate in Semi-Urban areas.

e) Encourage development that is compatible with economic policies and historical and socio-cultural values.

f) Maintain and integrate existing and new buildings and spaces of local significance into the community.

g) Encourage agricultural uses, particularly where access to acequias and other forms of irrigation is available.

h) Encourage cluster housing to preserve farmland and open space and setbacks from ditches and conservation easements to preserve farmland and ditches.

i) Guide industrial and commercial development using the following policies in Semi-Urban areas:

i. Encourage neighborhood- and community-scale commercial centers as appropriate;

ii. Discourage strip commercial development in favor of clustered commercial development in Village Centers or along designated corridors;

iii. Create mixed-use areas that protect residential uses in the area, while offering a variety of local employment opportunities;

iv. Discourage mineral extraction in highly scenic or prime recreational, agricultural, or residential areas;

v. Discourage special use permits for commercial and industrial uses outside of Village Centers or along designated corridors. Where non-residential permits are requested and deemed appropriate, they should be limited to terms of no more than 5 years, except utilities.

j) See Policy 5.7.2 and associated actions below for former Comp Plan “Possible Implementation Techniques” that apply to all County Development Areas.

k) See Urban Design Goal 7.1 for policies on designing rights of way.

l) See Heritage Conservation Goal 11.1 for rural and agricultural heritage.

m) See Heritage Conservation Goal 11.3 for cultural landscapes and view protection.

POLICY 5.5.5

Developing and Established Urban Areas: Create a quality urban environment that perpetuates the tradition of identifiable, individual, compact, but integrated communities within the metropolitan area and that offers variety and maximum choice in housing, transportation, work areas, and lifestyles, while creating a visually pleasing built environment. [BC]

a) Use Figure 5-5 to determine where Developing and Established Urban Area policies apply.

b) Allow a full range of urban land uses resulting in an overall gross density up to five dwelling units per acre within Developing and Established Urban Areas as shown by the Plan map, with higher densities specified in area or sector plans.

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c) Develop and adopt sector development plans stating density patterns.

d) Develop and enforce special requirements for low-density holding zones to allow for sector planning, special design treatments, and phasing of infrastructure in keeping with capital investment priorities in Developing Urban Areas.

e) Where needed to guide more detailed planning, combine major portions of the Established and Developing Urban Areas and adjacent Plan map areas into districts that correspond to Community Planning Areas, using the following process:

i. Determine boundaries for each area plan based upon design character, social and cultural identity, and visual and environmental features.

ii. Determine content of each area plan based upon needs analysis, including but not limited to characteristics, conditions, trends and opportunities in land use, the built and visual environment, and social and economic environment.

iii. Determine development potential of each plan area in keeping with density objectives of the Comp Plan.

iv. Determine Center appropriateness and character for each area in coordination with the area-wide Centers implementation planning, as developed in future planning efforts.

f) Encourage the location, intensity, and design of new development to respect existing neighborhood values, natural environmental conditions and carrying capacities, scenic resources, acequia easements, and resources of other social, cultural, and recreational concern.

g) Accommodate new growth through infill and compact development in areas where vacant land is contiguous to existing or programmed urban facilities and services and where the integrity of existing neighborhoods can be ensured.

h) Encourage clustering of homes to provide larger shared open areas and houses oriented towards walkways or bikeways.

i) Ensure that development is carefully designed to conform to topographical features and include trail corridors and dedicated Open Space where appropriate.

j) Encourage higher density housing as an appropriate use in the following situations:

i. Within designated Centers and Corridors;

ii. In areas with excellent access to the major street network and transit;

iii. In areas where a mixed density pattern is already established by zoning or use, where it is compatible with existing area land uses, and where adequate infrastructure is or will be available;

iv. In areas now predominantly zoned single-family only where it comprises a complete block face and faces onto similar or higher density development: up to 10 dwelling units per net acre;

v. In areas where a transition is needed between single-family homes and much more intensive development: densities will vary up to 30 dwelling units per net acre according to the intensity of development in adjacent areas.

k) Ensure that employment and service uses are located to complement residential areas and are sited to minimize adverse effects of noise, lighting, pollution, and traffic on residential environments.

l) Locate new commercial development in existing commercially zoned areas and

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designated Centers and Corridors as follows:

i. In small neighborhood-oriented centers with parking located in the back and side and pedestrian and bicycle connections to nearby residential areas;

ii. In larger area-wide shopping centers located at intersections of arterial streets and with access via transit;

iii. More than one shopping center should be allowed at an intersection only when safe pedestrian crossings are provided to encourage 'park once and walk' opportunities;

iv. In free-standing retailing and contiguous storefronts along streets in older neighborhoods.

m) Encourage quality and innovation in design that is appropriate to the Plan area in all new development, including solar orientation and panels, cisterns and water harvesting, xeriscaping, adobe and rammed earth construction, and other green technologies.

n) Encourage urban and site design that maintains and enhances unique vistas and improves the quality of the visual environment.

o) Reassemble or sector plan areas prematurely subdivided with problematic ownership, platting, inadequate right-of-way, or drainage before service extension is assured.

p) Continue to redevelop and rehabilitate older neighborhoods in the Established Urban Area.

q) Develop and use cost-effective redevelopment techniques, including Metropolitan Redevelopment Areas, Tax Increment Financing Districts, Main Street Districts, and others.

r) See Policy 5.7.2 and associated actions below for former Comp Plan "Possible Implementation Techniques" that apply to all County Development Areas.

s) See Urban Design Goal 7.1 for policies on designing rights of way.

t) See Heritage Conservation Goal 11.3 for cultural landscapes and view protection.

Goal 5.6 City Development Areas

Encourage and direct growth to Areas of Change where it is expected and desired and ensure that development in and near Areas of Consistency reinforces the character and intensity of the surrounding area.

POLICY 5.6.1

Community Green Space: Provide visual relief from urbanization and offer opportunities for education, recreation, cultural activities, and conservation of natural resources by setting aside publicly-owned Open Space, parks, trail corridors, and open areas throughout the Comp Plan area as mapped in Figure 5-3. [A]

a) Maintain existing irrigation systems as Community Green Space to help ensure agricultural lands in rural areas.

b) See Urban Design policy 7.3.1 for design that preserves natural and cultural features.

c) See Urban Design policy 7.6.1 for drainage infrastructure design.

b) See Parks & Open Space chapter Goals 10.1 and 10.3 for open space facilities, access, acquisition, and protection.

c) See Heritage Conservation Goals 11.1 and 11.3 for rural heritage and cultural landscapes.

d) See also Resiliency & Sustainability Goal 13.4 for policies to preserve natural resources.

ACTION

5.6.1.1 Develop setback standards for and encourage clustering of open space along the irrigation system.

POLICY 5.6.2

Areas of Change: Direct growth and more intense development to Centers, Corridors, industrial and business parks, and Metropolitan Redevelopment Areas where change is encouraged. [A]

a) Use Figure 5-6 created according to the methodology described in Section 5.1.2.5, to determine where Areas of Change policies apply.

b) Encourage development that expands employment opportunities.

c) Foster a range of housing options at various densities according to each Center or Corridor type.

d) Encourage higher-density housing and mixed-use development as appropriate land uses that support transit and commercial and retail uses.

e) Encourage job creation in business and industrial parks, near freight routes, and where adequate transitions and buffers can be provided to protect abutting residential uses.

f) Minimize potential negative impacts of development on existing residential uses with respect to noise, stormwater runoff, contaminants, lighting, air quality, and traffic.

g) Encourage development where adequate infrastructure and community services exist.

h) Encourage development in areas with a highly connected street grid and frequent transit service.

i) Discourage zone changes from industrial uses to either mixed-use or residential zones.

j) See Goal 5.1 above for policies on relevant Centers and/or Corridors.

k) See Goal 5.4 above for policies on improving the jobs-housing balance and targeting employment opportunities.

l) See Policy 5.6.4 below on appropriate transitions where Areas of Change abut Areas of Consistency.

ACTIONS

5.6.2.1 Provide financial and process incentives for infill and desired growth in Areas of Change.

5.6.2.2 Prioritize Areas of Change for public investment and infrastructure improvements to catalyze desired growth and development.

5.6.2.3 Update the Change and Consistency Map every five years to reflect development trends and future growth projections.

5.6.2.4 Coordinate with utilities to upgrade infrastructure as needed to accommodate and serve additional development.

POLICY 5.6.3

Areas of Consistency: Protect and enhance the character of existing single-family neighborhoods, areas outside of Centers and Corridors, parks, and Major Public Open Space. [A]

a) Use Figure 5-6 created according to the methodology described in Section 5.1.2.5, to determine where Areas of Consistency policies apply.

b) Ensure that development reinforces the scale, intensity, and setbacks of the immediately surrounding context.

c) Carefully consider zone changes from residential to non-residential zones in terms of scale, impact on land use compatibility with abutting properties, and context.

d) In areas with predominantly single-family residential uses, support zone changes that help align the appropriate zone with existing land uses.

e) In areas with predominantly non-residential uses, carefully consider zone changes from non-residential to mixed-

use or residential zones for potential impact on land use compatibility with abutting properties, employment opportunities, and historic development patterns.

f) Limit the location of higher-density housing and mixed-use development to areas within ¼ mile of transit stations and within 660 feet of arterials and Corridors as an appropriate transition to single-family neighborhoods.

g) Provide stepbacks and/or setbacks to protect solar access and privacy on abutting single-family residential properties.

h) See Policy 5.6.4 below on appropriate transitions where Areas of Consistency abut Areas of Change.

i) See Community Identity Policy 4.1.4 to preserve and enhance distinct communities

j) See Heritage Conservation Goal 11.3 for policies on appropriate development near to parks and open space areas.

ACTION

5.6.3.1 Update the City's Zone Map Amendment policies and criteria to reflect special considerations for zone map amendment requests in Areas of Consistency.

POLICY 5.6.4

Appropriate Transitions: Provide transitions in Areas of Change for development abutting Areas of Consistency through adequate setbacks, buffering, and limits on building height and massing. [A]

a) Provide appropriate transitions between uses of different intensity or density and between non-residential uses and single-family neighborhoods to protect the character and integrity of existing residential areas.

b) Minimize development's negative effects on individuals and neighborhoods with respect to noise, lighting, air pollution, and traffic.

c) See Policy 5.3.7 above for addressing objectionable land uses.

ACTION

5.6.4.1 Create design and/or use standards for properties in Areas of Change that provide transitions to Areas of Consistency.

Goal 5.7 Implementation Processes

Employ procedures and processes to effectively and equitably implement the Comp Plan.

POLICY 5.7.1

Coordinated Public Investment: Prioritize public investments and program funding by the City and County to be consistent with and to implement Comp Plan land use goals and policies. [ABC]

a) Prioritize investment in Centers and Corridors. [ABC]

b) Prioritize investment in Areas of Change with existing infrastructure that needs to be upgraded. [A]

c) See Community Identity Policy 4.1.4 for partnerships and investment in existing neighborhoods.

d) See Transportation Policy 6.7.1 for public investment and partnerships to improve the transportation system.

e) See Infrastructure, Community Facilities & Services Goal 12.5 for policies related to public investment in infrastructure, facilities, and services.

ACTIONS

5.7.1.1 Align capital investment to implement the Comp Plan Vision and land use policies. [ABC]

5.7.1.2 Use special assessment districts, issuance of public revenue bonds, tax increment financing, and/or tax incentives for improvements to ensure high-quality development, protect natural resources, and provide amenities. [ABC]

POLICY 5.7.2

Regulatory Alignment: Update regulatory frameworks to support desired growth, high quality development, economic development, housing, a variety of transportation modes, and quality of life priorities. [ABC]

a) Create pathways for economic growth and support the business ecosystem by providing clear development codes and processes. [ABC]

b) Limit the use of Special Use Permits (SU-Permits) in the County through the following mechanisms: [BC] i. Inventory and map all SU-permits by use. ii. Specify and limit the types of uses that may be considered under SU-permits to uses not available in another zoning category.

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iii. Evaluate zones to expand list of permissible uses.

iv. Consolidate zoning for parcels split between SU-permits and by-right zones.

v. Allow home business permits when appropriate in place of SU-permits.

vi. Use conditional use permits in place of SU-permits when practical.

c) Avoid the use of SU-1 as a tool to negotiate design or use standards between stakeholders and limit its application to uses specified in the SU-1 zone. [A]

ACTIONS

5.7.2.1 Review and revise zoning codes to achieve a mix of land uses and housing options within market constraints. [ABC]

5.7.2.2 Create mixed use zones that allow desired building types to be developed by right in appropriate Centers and Corridors with adequate buffers and transitions to single-family neighborhoods and Open Space areas. [ABC]

5.7.2.3 Adopt a Transfer of Development Rights Ordinance to help protect sensitive areas and Open Space and encourage higher-density and higher-intensity development in appropriate areas. [ABC]

5.7.2.4 Update the County Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Ordinance to guide the location of development, control the intensity of uses, and incorporate detailed performance standards. [BC]

5.7.2.5 Minimize the use of Planned Developments and Special Use Permits by establishing by-right zoning for uses that implement the Centers and Corridors vision, with clear design standards for high-quality development and adequate transitions and buffers between uses of different intensity and scale. [BC]

5.7.2.6 Develop and adopt area and sector development plans to guide development, including the location of non-residential uses, in order to protect local resources and community values. [BC]

5.7.2.7 Include language in the Subdivision Ordinance and in sector development plans for the identification and preservation of traditional irrigation systems. [BC]

5.7.2.8 Consider a zoning ordinance amendment to specify that carrying capacity studies should accompany development applications in environmentally sensitive areas of County Development Areas. [BC]

5.7.2.9 Track acres of agricultural and vacant land that is developed over time. [BC]

5.7.2.10 Retain existing County A-1 zoning as the only Rural Agricultural zone intended to provide for agricultural activities and spacious development especially in Semi-Urban and Rural areas where such land is adjacent to irrigation ditches. [BC]

5.7.2.11 Calculate potential number of dwelling units per area based on vacant land and absorption rates, zoning, and applicable Comp Plan policies. [BC]

5.7.2.12 Develop strategies to coordinate compliance between the County Zoning Ordinance and its environmental health regulations. [BC]

5.7.2.13 Adopt an Integrated Development Ordinance that updates and consolidates the City's zoning code, subdivision ordinance, and planning ordinance. [A]

5.7.2.14 Simplify the zoning code and review process. [A]

5.7.2.15 Work to remove obstacles to private investment (e.g. obsolete platting, deteriorating building conditions, vacancies, obsolete land uses, and high crime areas) through changes in regulations and/or partnerships. [A]

5.7.2.16 Work with property owners to identify mismatches between existing land uses, zoning, and the Comp Plan vision and recommend City-sponsored zone changes for the future. [A]

5.7.2.17 Minimize the use of Planned Development zones by encouraging an appropriate mix of permissive land uses in residential, mixed use, and non-residential zones. [A]

5.7.2.18 Limit the list of uses allowed in the SU-1 zone to those that are unique, infrequently occurring, and not adequately addressed by other zones. [A]

POLICY 5.7.3

Updated Centers and Corridors: Add, update, or delete Centers and Corridors as needed to shape the built environment in a manner consistent with the Comp Plan Vision for the future. [ABC]

a) Identify potential changes to Centers and Corridors through community outreach and planning efforts, including Sector Developments Plans in the County and the Community Planning Area assessment process in the city.

b) Analyze potential updates to Centers or Corridors in collaboration with City and County departments and other agencies.

c) Propose changes to Centers or Corridors as amendments to the Comp Plan and Vision Map for adoption by the City and County.

POLICY 5.7.4

Streamlined Development: Encourage efficiencies in the development review process. [ABC]

a) Encourage and facilitate meetings between developers and residents to identify and address issues prior to the official submittal of projects for approval.

b) Encourage and facilitate pre-application review by staff and relevant departments/ agencies to facilitate coordinated reviews and early identification and resolution of issues.

c) Provide streamlined approval processes for projects that meet the intent of the Comp Plan.

d) Provide by-right approval processes for projects that meet regulatory standards.

e) See Economic Development Goal 8.1 for policies to create places that support business development and success.

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ACTION

5.7.4.1 Analyze the approval timeframes for different development projects, zones, and locations and adjust processes as necessary to ensure timely approvals for projects that meet the intent of the Comp Plan. [ABC]

POLICY 5.7.5

Public Engagement: Provide regular opportunities for residents and stakeholders to better understand and engage in the planning and development process. [ABC]

a) Coordinate with developers and lenders to remove obstacles and identify effective incentives for desired development. [A]

b) See Community Identity Goals 4.2 and 4.3 for the CPA assessment process and City Leaders to engage the public on a regular basis.

c) See Infrastructure, Community Facilities & Services Policies 12.5.5 and 12.5.6 for policies about staff capacity and public input in public resource allocation.

d) See Appendix E for a description of how the City will plan with communities in the future through the CPA assessment process and regular City Leaders programs.

ACTIONS

5.7.5.1 Develop and offer a City Leaders program to explain the City's land use and transportation regulatory framework and the development process. [A]

5.7.5.2 Engage communities through the CPA assessment process to assess zoning regulations and adopted policies and recommend updates to the IDO or Comp Plan. [A]

POLICY 5.7.6

Development Services: Provide high-quality customer service with transparent approval and permitting processes. [ABC]

ACTIONS

5.7.6.1 Improve the One Stop Shop to provide premium customer service and transparency. [A]

5.7.6.2 Organize information about development projects, properties, and land use entitlements in an accessible, convenient, and understandable manner. [A]

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