Rio Rancho Planning and Zoning Board Meeting - May 13, 2025
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Rio Rancho Planning and Zoning Board Meeting - May 13, 2025
The Rio Rancho Planning and Zoning Board convened on May 13, 2025, at 6:00 PM at City Hall to consider four variance requests, one preliminary/final plat, and routine consent items. The board approved three variances for substandard lot widths, denied one variance for a side setback, and approved a plat for right-of-way dedication. All votes were taken by roll call with Vice Chair Scottie Richardson presiding (Chair Fred Radosevich was excused).
Consent Calendar
- April 22, 2025 Planning and Zoning Board Meeting Minutes – Approved unanimously via motion (Commissioner Kofchur moved, Commissioner Hardesty seconded). Roll call: Vice Chair Richardson, Commissioners Kofchur, Gabaldon, Hardesty, Hankins, Tortorici all voted yes.
Public Hearings
- Item 4 – Variance (AMREP Southwest, Inc.) – Request to develop a single-family home on a substandard 50-foot wide lot (10 Northern Blvd NE, 0.2639 acres, R-1 zoning). Staff recommended approval. Applicant Brian Audon spoke in support. Motion to approve passed unanimously (6-0).
- Item 5 – Variance (Jai and Desiree Prasad) – Request to reduce the E-1 Estate Residential side setback from 10 feet to 3 feet for an attached 3,000 sq ft garage at 1051 Saratoga Dr NE (2.5 acres). Staff recommended denial due to ample space and encroachment into a 5-foot public utility easement. Applicant Gabe Prasad argued that moving the garage would create driveway hardship and noted neighbor approval. Motion to approve failed (0-6: all board members voted no).
- Item 6 – Variance (Solano Builders & Construction LLC) – Request for 50-foot lot width at 400 Northern Blvd NE (0.26 acres, R-1, overlay zone). Staff recommended approval. Agent Diana Ramirez spoke in support. Motion to approve passed unanimously (6-0).
- Item 7 – Variance (Diana Reyes via Solano Builders) – Request for 50-foot lot width for a 3,179 sq ft dwelling at 1537 Tulip Rd SE (0.41 acres, R-1). Staff recommended approval. Applicant Diana Reina Castillo spoke in support. Motion to approve passed unanimously (6-0).
- Item 8 – Variance (Maria C. Zavala and Jose L. Solano) – Request for 50-foot lot width for a single-family home at 1603 Tulip Rd SE (0.41 acres, R-1). Staff recommended approval. Agent Diana Ramirez spoke in support. Motion to approve passed unanimously (6-0).
- Item 9 – Preliminary/Final Plat (SSCAFCA via JAG Planning and Zoning) – Request to combine five parcels (Western Hills Unit 2, Parcels A, B, C and Star Villa East, Parcels B, C) into four parcels and dedicate 1.4950 acres of right-of-way along Southern Boulevard SE. Staff recommended approval. No public speakers. Motion to approve passed unanimously (6-0).
Key Outcomes
- Approved: Items 4, 6, 7, 8 (variances for substandard lot widths) and Item 9 (plat for right-of-way dedication).
- Denied: Item 5 (variance for garage side setback) due to staff recommendation of denial; applicant's hardship argument did not prevail.
- Adjournment: Motion made and seconded; meeting adjourned.
Meeting Transcript
I'm gonna ask everyone to stand and do pledge of leaders of the flight. Okay, for the record, I would take the role by calling each plan zoning board members' name. Please acknowledge your presence by saying present. Kevin Kulcher. Present. Fred Wadochev is out, excused. Robert Gabadon. Present. Andrea Hankins. I believe she's on, right? Yep, she's on. I think you on mute. Okay. We'll come back. Uh Lisa Hardesty. Present. Sao Todoric. He's on mute also. He's talking, but don't no audio. Okay. Give us one second. Okay. Okay. Thank you. All right. Okay. Virtual plan and zoning board members who wish to speak, please state your name so I can recognize you for the record prior to speaking. And personal attendees, please fill out a speaker form if you wish to speak. Only individuals who have signed up would be permitted to speak. If you have yet to fill out a form, now is the time to do so and provide it to the recorder to my left. Virtual attendees, please send a chat message to the host or use raise hand feature if you want to provide public comment. When I recognize you to speak, you will have the ability to enable audio and visual. Okay. Consent to calendar. Is there anything there? We're good. Okay. You want to call the roll again? Uh so yes, Mr. Vice Chair, we do need to uh call the roll on um or make a motion to approve the consent calendar before we can move on to the next item. Mr. Chair, uh move to con uh to approve the consent calendar as presented. Second. Do I have a second? Second. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Public hearings. Uh item number four.
openpublica.com