Rio Rancho opens Development Process Manual for 30-day public review; adds 75% master‑plan ownership, early traffic‑calming guidance

At a Rio Rancho governing‑body work session, Amy Rincon, director of development services, gave an update on the draft Development Process Manual and said the city will open a web page tomorrow to begin a 30‑day public comment period on the proposed changes.

The manual update, Rincon said, consolidates standards that were previously in Chapter 155, adds a 75% ownership threshold for master plans and encourages early incorporation of traffic‑calming elements. "We're opening that up for a 30 day, review period," Rincon said, and the comment page will include chapter drafts, a comment matrix and crosswalks showing where provisions moved from the old manual into the new DPM.

Why this matters: the DPM will be the primary guide for subdivisions, street design and development approvals. Rincon and staff said the changes aim to reduce later redesign work and let developers and staff consider street design and traffic calming earlier in the entitlement process.

Rincon said staff has conducted numerous stakeholder…