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Planning and Zoning Board recommends approval of Cielo Bonito rezoning after correcting notice errors; some owners expressed concern
Summary
The board voted to recommend rezoning roughly 52.942 acres from transitional zoning (TZ) to R‑3 mixed residential for the Cielo Bonito area and will forward the matter to the governing body; staff and the applicant corrected prior noticing errors before the hearing.
The Planning and Zoning Board on Aug. 12 recommended that the governing body approve a zone‑map amendment that would rezone about 52.942 acres in the Paseo Gateway West area from TZ (transitional zoning) to R‑3 (mixed residential).
Tamara Martinez, planner with the City of Rio Rancho, told the board that the applicant, Cielo Bonito LLC, submitted a conceptual design for the area but withdrew a formal master plan because the applicant did not own 100% of the larger area required for a master plan. Martinez said staff encouraged a master plan but accepted the conceptual plan and recommended the zone‑map amendment proceed to the governing body with findings and conditions.
Nikosha Shuttlebauer, representing Cielo Bonito Development, said the item had been before the board previously and that staff advised re‑presentation after noticing errors. "The reason we're representing this, to the board is that there were noticing errors, and so staff recommended to us ... that we needed to represent the item to be voted on to move forward so that the lots that were noticed in error were properly noticed this time around," she said.
Two property owners sought clarification. Louise Romero told the board she received multiple notices and wanted confirmation of which lots were included; staff confirmed notices were corrected and that three lots had been mis‑noticed in earlier mailings but the current notice is accurate. Jonathan Margate identified himself as owner of Unit 21, Block 23, Lot 33 and asked whether his lot was included; staff and the applicant confirmed his lot was not part of the request and explained where the parcel would sit relative to the applicant's conceptual layout.
Commissioner Hardesty voiced continued concern about "checkerboard" zoning patterns where a rezoning leaves holdout lots with different designations, saying such patterns can force landowners into decisions they did not seek. Tamara Martinez and the applicant said the applicant had added five additional lots since the prior presentation and that staff had validated corrected notices.
On a recorded vote the board recommended approval to the governing body (majority in favor; one recorded no vote by Commissioner Hardesty). Martinez told board members the conceptual plan was not binding and that the R‑3 designation allows a range of permissive uses from detached single‑family homes to attached townhomes and multifamily development. The governing body must adopt an ordinance for the rezoning to take effect; staff indicated related master‑plan amendments were scheduled for the governing body on Aug. 28.
The board's recommendation will be transmitted to the governing body for final consideration.
