Rio Rancho approves Cleveland Heights master plan and rezones parcels to R4 to expand housing

The City of Rio Rancho Planning and Zoning Board on July 8 approved three linked actions to separate state‑owned parcels from the existing Paseo Gateway master plan, create a new Cleveland Heights master plan and rezone several parcels to R4 to allow medium‑density single‑family development.

Planner Liz Ruiz Carlos of the City of Rio Rancho told the board the requests, brought by Paseo Gateway LLC and the New Mexico State Land Office and represented by Consensus Planning, would enable additional housing and create “stable and consistent” single‑family land use across the affected area. The proposals were presented together and voted on as separate agenda items; the board approved each vote during the July 8 meeting.

Why it matters: Staff said the changes would add housing capacity in a growing area, align zoning and lot patterns across adjoining tracts, and—by subdividing state land parcels into a separately managed master plan—potentially speed development on those parcels. The area sits adjacent to Cleveland High School and is bounded on the east by Iris Road NE; staff noted prior drainage and traffic planning informed the reconfiguration of lots and open space.

What the city approved - Creation of the Cleveland Heights master plan: The board approved a new master plan for parcels formerly inside the Paseo Gateway master plan. The proposed Cleveland Heights area covers about 674.7 acres and includes multiple tracks currently owned by the New Mexico State Land Office. Liz Ruiz Carlos said the new plan updates land use, drainage, utilities and transportation corridors to facilitate residential development. - Paseo Gateway master plan amendment: The board approved an amendment to the existing Paseo Gateway master plan to remove the state land parcels and revise the plan boundary and graphics; staff said the character of the remaining Paseo Gateway plan would remain largely unchanged. - Zone map amendment to R4: The board approved rezoning a series of tracts from R1, R2 and R3 to R4 to create a more consistent pattern for single‑family, medium‑density lots. Staff and the applicant said R4 provides a flexible single‑family district appropriate for the area and could catalyze future commercial or mixed‑use development nearby.

Applicant presentation and justification: Charlene Johnson, senior planner with Consensus Planning, said the requests separate two large pieces of the Paseo Gateway area, most of which are state land office parcels west of Iris Road. Johnson said the Cleveland Heights plan aligns with an earlier 2016 Paseo Gateway State Land Office drainage master plan and an associated traffic plan, and that the amendments adjust road alignments, open‑space tracts and lot boundaries to reflect that engineering work. "We are pleased today to bring you these 3 requests," Johnson told the board.

Public concerns and staff response: A member of the public, Jean Gabriel of 3312 Berkshire Road NE, asked whether the development would include a new north‑south arterial connecting Loma Colorado Boulevard to Paseo Del Volcan, expressing concern about future traffic. Amy Aron Cohen, director of development services, responded that the city’s public works department is “working right now on getting a study done for Loma Colorado to connect to Paseo Del Vallecon” and that future subdivisions will require traffic impact analyses and associated infrastructure as they come online.

Board discussion and voting: Commissioners asked clarifying questions about the scope of the zone change and which documents corresponded to which agenda item. Board members repeatedly confirmed that the three requests were related—item 3 created the boundary allowing Cleveland Heights to become its own master plan; item 4 was the Cleveland Heights master plan; item 5 was the zone map amendment to implement the R4 zoning. Each item passed on roll‑call votes with all sitting members voting in the affirmative.

What is next: With board recommendations complete, the approvals allow the Cleveland Heights master plan area to be developed under the new plan and zoning pattern. Future subdivision applications, traffic impact studies and infrastructure design will be required as individual phases proceed.

Ending: Board minutes show the actions were approved without conditions beyond staff’s standard findings and conditions; staff and applicants indicated additional engineering and permitting work will follow as the properties proceed toward development.