Rio Rancho Planning & Zoning Board Meeting Summary - November 18, 2025
Rio Rancho Planning & Zoning Board Meeting - November 18, 2025
The Planning and Zoning Board convened for a virtual meeting to review multiple development applications, including zone map amendments, preliminary plats, and variances. The meeting featured the departure of long-serving Commissioner Rodosevich, the approval of several routine development items, and six postponements or withdrawals. During Public Comments, a future resident expressed strong support for a new YMCA and a petitioned for a Trader Joe's grocery store. The Board addressed staff recommendations for approval on most items, with one zone map amendment rejected after failing a consent vote.
Consent Calendar
- The Consent Calendar was approved unanimously upon motion and second without discussion.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Paul Lamend, a future resident of Rio Rancho, expressed definite support for the new YMCA location at Montezuma and Galahad, citing fondness for the organization and proximity to his future home. He also submitted a request for a new Trader Joe's grocery store at the corner of Montezuma Boulevard and Broadmore Boulevard to provide healthy and affordable food options with walkable accessibility.
Discussion Items
Postponements and Withdrawals
- Item 4: Postponed to December 16, 2025. Roll call vote: 6-0 (All present voted Yes).
- Item 5: Withdrawn by the applicant. Roll call vote to approve withdrawal: 6-0 (All present voted Yes).
- Item 9: Postponed to December 16, 2025. Roll call vote: 6-0 (All present voted Yes).
- Item 10: Postponed to December 16, 2025. Applicant Roger Tice stated they require the time to meet with neighborhood residents to determine the future alignment of the 'rim trail' on their master plan and address public concerns regarding the preliminary plat.
- Item 12: Postponed to December 16, 2025. Roll call vote: 6-0 (All present voted Yes).
Item 6: Zone Map Amendment (Plaza Rio Lot B)
- Staff Presentation: Municipal Planner Ben Isaacs recommended approval to amend zoning from SU (Special Use) to allow multifamily townhomes as a permissive use. Staff proposed building height limits of 32 feet (2 stories) and a maximum density of 12 units per acre.
- Applicant Presence: The applicant was not present.
- Outcome: The motion to approve failed. Roll call vote resulted in 0 Yes, 6 No (Commissioners Hardesty, Richardson, Rodosevich, Gabbledon, Hankins, and Coffer all voted No). A one-time postponement option was discussed but not utilized.
Item 7: Preliminary Plat Extension (Adalia Crossing)
- Staff Presentation: Planner Michelle Castilla recommended approval for an extension due to current economic conditions. The subdivision creates 70 single-family residential lots.
- Applicant Position: Howard Ballmer appeared, stating the property is under contract and intended to commence construction within one to two months of approval.
- Outcome: Motion passed unanimously. Roll call vote: 6-0 (All present voted Yes).
Item 8: Final Plat (Brommore Heights Unit 4)
- Staff Presentation: Planner Brian Babiac recommended approval for a subdivision of 53 lots and 5 tracks on 14.45 acres. The plat was originally approved in 2023 with extensions in June 2024 and May 2025.
- Applicant Position: Scooter Haynes appeared, confirming staff's thorough presentation and offering no additional comments.
- Outcome: Motion passed unanimously. Roll call vote: 6-0 (All present voted Yes).
Item 11: Variance (485 Sandstone Drive NE)
- Staff Presentation: Planner Tamara Martinez recommended approval for a variance allowing a 3-foot encroachment into the 15-foot rear setback for an existing accessory dwelling unit (750 sq ft). The structure was built between 2014 and 2015 without permits, and staff found no adverse effect to surrounding properties.
- Applicant Position: Agent Sam Sandoval appeared on behalf of Mark Martinez and offered no additional comments.
- Outcome: Motion passed unanimously. Roll call vote: 6-0 (All present voted Yes).
Item 13: Preliminary Plat and Subdivision Variance (Zuma Ranch)
- Staff Presentation: Planner Ben Isaacs recommended approval for Phase 1 of Zuma Ranch (151 lots) and a variance replacing 5-foot utility easements with 10-foot street-facing easements.
- Applicant Position: Justin Simonson appeared to answer questions regarding the master plan subdivision.
- Outcome: Motion passed unanimously. Roll call vote: 6-0 (All present voted Yes).
Item 14: Preliminary Plat
- Staff Presentation: Presented with no specific details in the transcript other than the request for approval.
- Outcome: Motion passed unanimously. Roll call vote: 6-0 (All present voted Yes).
Item 15: Preliminary Plat (Loma Catatis 1A)
- Staff Presentation: Planner Tim Dvorak recommended approval for 27 lots, noting Parks Division concerns regarding a proposed public park on Tract F due to topography. A condition of approval requires a detailed park plan demonstrating ADA compliance and usability.
- Applicant Position: Brian Ottawa appeared, expressing agreement with the conditions of approval.
- Outcome: Motion passed unanimously. Roll call vote: 6-0 (All present voted Yes).
Item 16: Zone Map Amendment (Vista Hills 1A, Lot 1A)
- Staff Presentation: Municipal Planner Ben Isaacs recommended approval to change zoning from C1 to C2 for Catalyst LLC. The property had prior code enforcement violations regarding odor, debris, and lack of permits associated with a previous tenant (Incy Theory). The change is intended to allow the current applicant to resume operations.
- Applicant Position: Garrett appeared, clarifying that the odor issues were linked to the previous tenant and expressing commitment to fixing problems. Josh Heiner also appeared virtually, expressing excitement to bring marketing services to the area and comply with city codes.
- Outcome: Motion passed unanimously. Roll call vote: 6-0 (All present voted Yes). The Board clarified the odor complaint was related to a prior business, not Catalyst LLC.
Key Outcomes
- Postponements: Items 4, 9, 10, and 12 were postponed to the December 16, 2025 meeting.
- Withdrawal: Item 5 was withdrawn.
- Rejection: Item 6 (Zone Map Amendment for Plaza Rio Lot B) failed to pass (0 Yes, 6 No).
- Approvals: Items 7, 8, 11, 13, 14, 15, and 16 were approved by unanimous roll call vote (6-0).
- Commissioner Departure: Commissioner Rodosevich concluded his tenure after 7.5 years. The Board expressed gratitude for his service.
- Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned following public comments.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, good evening everyone and welcome to the planning zoning board meeting for November 18th, 2025. Um recording in progress for 2025. Um ask you all to silence any and all electronic devices while in attendance to this meeting. Um Stanford Main will do pledges of allegiance. Okay. For the record, I would take a roll by calling each plan and zoning board member's name. Please acknowledge her presence by saying present. Kevin Colcher present. Present. Robert Galvadon. Present. Andrea Hankins. Present. Lisa Hardesty. Present. Sal Todorici is excused. A couple of housekeeping items that I need to uh go over. In person 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 the form, now's the time to do so and provide it to the recorder to my left. Virtual attendees, please sign a chat message to the host or use the raise hand feature if you want to provide public comment. When I recognize you to speak, you have the ability to enable your audio and video. Okay. Um and before we start, I want to uh acknowledge that items number four, nine, ten, and twelve has been postponed for next month. Uh and item number five has been withdrawn. Okay. Um and Mr. Chair, we are gonna have to uh take votes on uh all of those uh postponements uh because they have specific cases. Okay, thank you. Understood. Okay, uh consent calendar. Um is there anything that we need to discuss on that? If not, can I get a motion to approve the consent calendar and all in favor say aye? So moved, second, all in favor say aye. Okay, okay, is there anything Amy that you'd like to discuss before we start public hearing? So uh Mr. Chair, there's is uh two staff presentations. Um so they're your monthly reports on um the summary platform and then also on our uh monthly activity reports. Um there is um if you have any questions about those, please let me know. These are both non-action items. Um and then I do have two other really quick things. Um so uh we have been um since February, but has really uh picked up um this past couple of weeks, uh, been receiving scam emails to our applicants. Um so anybody who has put in an application to the city for uh a development services application has been receiving scam emails. Um and so I I want to take this time. I think we've we're sending out memos to all of our applicants uh with their applications, letting them know to always double check and verify um uh invoices with us. Um but I know that there was uh uh a really big uptick in those uh emails that went out in the past week. So um just reminding everyone to to please reach out to your staff planner um if you receive any invoices um and we can walk you through which ones are real invoices and which ones are not. Um but please um send us emails, give us a call, um, and we will make sure that we talk through which ones are real. Um and then uh last thing uh real quick I wanted to mention uh Mr. Rodosevich, we know uh tonight is your last meeting.
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