Council approves 128-unit built-to-rent community in Unit 10 after residents raise traffic and school concerns

Rio Rancho City Council on an affirmative roll-call vote approved a conditional use permit for a 128-unit built-to-rent multifamily development on a 10.33-acre site at the northwest corner of 19th Street and Black Arroyo, legally described as Unit 10, Block 81, lots 1 through 20.

The project — proposed at 13 dwelling units per acre and described by the applicant as an "amenity-rich built-to-rent community" with detached, carriage-style and townhouse-format rental units — drew extensive public comment on traffic, sidewalks and school capacity before the council voted to uphold the Planning and Zoning Board's approval.

The developer and project team told the council the layout intentionally steps density down toward existing single-family neighborhoods and that the site plan meets R-3 zoning limits. Amy Rincon, director of Development Services, told the council multifamily is an allowed conditional use in the R-3 district provided site plan and density limits are met. Applicant Jim Strozier, principal with Consensus Planning, said the proposal includes 128 units on 10.33 acres (13 units per acre), will provide 264 off-street parking spaces and keep building heights at two stories along the western edge adjacent to R-4 zoning.

Why it matters: the property was rezoned before the Unit 10 Specific Area Plan was adopted; the area is a planned growth node and the decision affects traffic circulation, school planning and the character of adjacent neighborhoods. Opponents said the project is out of scale with surrounding half-acre lots and will increase vehicle trips and pressure on a nearby elementary school. Supporters and staff said the proposal sits within zoning allowances and…