Rio Rancho planning board recommends Chamisa Hills master plan and zoning changes, with conditions and amendments

RIO RANCHO, N.M. — The City of Rio Rancho Planning and Zoning Board on April 8 voted to recommend approval of the Chamisa Hills master plan and an associated zone map amendment for the roughly 281-acre former Chamisa Hills Country Club property, subject to amendments the board added during the meeting. The board’s action sends the items to the governing body for final consideration in May.

The master plan, submitted by RR Mesa LLC and presented by Consensus Planning principal Jim Strozier, would convert the closed golf course into a mix of single-family neighborhoods, townhomes, a central mixed-use town center and two commercial parcels. The plan identifies several development areas — a 74-acre Luxeview Estates with about 110 lots; three R-3 neighborhoods (Sierra Vista, Vida Moderna and Nueva Esperanza) with 38, 70 and 84 units respectively; a roughly 62-acre Eastview Heights open-space area; a 17-acre mixed-use town center (La Jolla De Rio Rancho); and a 6-acre Chamisa Hills Business Park. The applicant proposes a five-year financial guarantee in the form of a bond, capped at $400,000, for certain open-space trail and landscape improvements.

Why it matters: The site is a large centrally located parcel abutting long-established neighborhoods. Residents at the hearing raised concerns about mailed notice, trail and park funding, long-term ownership and maintenance of open space, traffic and emergency access, stormwater and pond remediation, and potential property value impacts. Several affected homeowners asked the board to require clearer, enforceable commitments before sending the plan on for final approval.

Staff and applicant presentations

Michelle Castillo, planner with the City of Rio Rancho, told the board staff found the proposed densities compatible with surrounding development but flagged open space, park dedication,…