Rio Rancho Planning and Zoning Board Meeting – August 26, 2025

The Planning and Zoning Board met on August 26, 2025, at 6:00 PM MDT at City Hall. Vice Chair Robert Gabaldon presided in the absence of Chair Scottie Richardson. The board considered eight agenda items, including master plan and zone map amendments, variances, subdivisions, and a postponement. Key decisions included approval of a renewable energy overlay district for a solar farm, denial of a zone map amendment for a residential development, and unanimous postponements for two subdivision items.

Consent Calendar

• August 12, 2025, Planning and Zoning Board Meeting Minutes: Approved unanimously by a 6-0 vote.

Public Hearings

Item 2 – Master Plan Amendment (Loma Barbon Master Plan Addendum for Renewable Energy Overlay District)

Staff presented the request by Affordable Solar Group, LLC, to add a Renewable Energy Overlay District to 80 acres of the Loma Barbon Master Plan area. The proposed 5-megawatt solar facility would power approximately 2,000 homes, with 50% of output dedicated to low-income households. Staff recommended approval with findings and conditions.

Public Comments:

• Jared Liker (409 NM 528) asked about buffers on the west side and potential glare from solar panels. He noted future residential development in the area.
• Costin Draheel (6356 Gannett Dr NE) urged denial, citing concerns about glare into Mountain Hawk residences, wildlife disruption, fire risk, and noise. He noted the panels would be about 100 feet from homes.

Board Discussion:

• Board members questioned setbacks, buffers, fencing requirements (7-foot chain-link with 1-foot barbed wire), and energy distribution. The applicant clarified that the facility would supply community solar power to PNM customers, with a 100-foot buffer on the north and west sides planned at the site plan stage.
• Commissioner Kaufcher proposed an amendment to the master plan addendum to require a 100-foot setback from the property line to the fence line on the north and west residential sides. The amendment was seconded and passed (5-1, with Commissioner Radosevich opposed).
• The original motion, as amended, then passed (5-1, Radosevich opposed).

Vote: Amendment passed 5-1; original motion passed 5-1.

Item 3 – Zone Map Amendment (Renewable Energy Overlay District for 80 Acres)

This companion request to Item 2 sought to implement the overlay district. Staff recommended approval. The board opened public comment; none were offered. The motion to approve passed 5-1 (Radosevich opposed).

Item 4 – Subdivision Variance (5601 Iris Road NE)

The applicant, Southwest Elegant Homes LLC, requested a variance to subdivide a 2.5-acre lot. Staff recommended denial. The applicant requested a postponement to September 9, 2025, which the board approved unanimously.

Item 5 – Preliminary/Final Plat (5601 Iris Road NE)

Same property as Item 4. Staff recommended denial. The board unanimously granted a postponement to September 9, 2025.

Item 6 – Variance for Second Permanent Sign (Defined Pickleball, 1640 NM 528 SE)

The applicant, Defined Pickleball, requested a variance to allow a second permanent sign at Hilltop Plaza. Staff recommended approval. The applicant’s representative, Maria Gonzalez, confirmed the sign location. Public comment: John McGarigal, owner of adjacent property, spoke in favor, praising Defined Fitness’s improvements to the plaza. The board approved the variance unanimously.

Item 7 – Zone Map Amendment (From TZ/Unzoned to R-3, 2.64 Acres at Rainbow and King Blvds)

The applicant, Outer Rim Investments, Inc., sought to rezone two parcels (Tract E and Tract A) to R-3 Mixed Residential for a 20-lot single-family subdivision. Staff recommended denial, citing future right-of-way needs for Rainbow Boulevard (anticipated 156-foot width) and lack of demonstrating that R-3 would work with access constraints.

Applicant Presentation:

• Jared Liker argued that the right-of-way issue should be addressed at the plat stage, not during zoning. He presented a conceptual layout showing 20 lots, noting that a 56-foot right-of-way take would render 45% of lots undevelopable. He emphasized that the existing TZ and unzoned designations are inappropriate and that surrounding R-3 zoning supports the change.

Board Discussion:

• Commissioner Hardesty offered the applicant a postponement to address concerns, but the applicant preferred a vote that evening.
• Tim Dvorak (staff) explained that the intersection’s future traffic demands and the need for right-of-way were key reasons for denial.
• A motion to approve the zone map amendment was made and seconded.

Vote: The motion failed (2-4: Gabaldon and Kaufcher voted yes; Hardesty, Hankins, Tortorici, and Radosevich voted no). The board thereby recommended denial to the Governing Body.

Item 8 – Postponement of Preliminary/Final Plat (City of Rio Rancho Public Works)

The applicant requested a postponement to September 9, 2025, for re-noticing. The board approved unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Approved (6-0): Consent calendar minutes.
• Approved (5-1): Master Plan Amendment for Loma Barbon Renewable Energy Overlay District, with an added 100-foot setback on north and west property lines.
• Approved (5-1): Zone Map Amendment for the same overlay district.
• Approved (6-0): Variance for second sign for Defined Pickleball.
• Postponed to September 9, 2025: Items 4, 5, and 8.
• Denied (2-4): Zone Map Amendment for Outer Rim Investments; board recommends denial to Governing Body.
• Adjourned: Meeting concluded after public forum and adjournment motion.