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Rio Rancho adopts Cleveland Heights master plan and rezones northern portion to R-4
Summary
The governing body unanimously approved R95, R96 and O23 to create the Cleveland Heights master plan, reconfigure drainage and rezone a northern segment to R-4; Planning and Zoning recommended the measures 7-0 and the plan reduces contiguous open space from about 24.1 to about 21.6 acres.
Rio Rancho’s governing body voted unanimously to adopt a new Cleveland Heights master plan, amend the Paseo Gateway master plan and approve a zone map amendment that rezones the northern portion of the area to R-4.
Amy Rincon, director of Development Services, told the council the package before them combined three items: “R95 is a resolution amending the Paseo Gateway Master Plan. R96 will be a resolution adopting the Cleveland Heights master plan, and O23 will be a zone map amendment” to implement the new plan. Rincon said the affected area is easiest to locate relative to Cleveland High School and that the Planning and Zoning Board recommended the measures by 7-0 at its July 22 meeting.
Charlene Johnson, senior planner with Consensus Planning and agent for the State Land Office and Paseo Gateway LLC, outlined the master plan’s history and engineering intent. She said the 2009 Paseo Gateway State Land Office Drainage Master Plan (amended in 2016) was reconfigured to “create a more efficient way to install infrastructure and prevent off-site drainage flows,” replacing a single large open-space basin with five smaller regional ponds. Johnson said that change reduces the mapped open space in the plan area from about 24.1 acres to about 21.6 acres and that the plan leaves limited C-1, SU and light-industrial land while supporting R-4 density where appropriate.
Councilor Tyler questioned traffic and emergency-access implications for the Cleveland Heights neighborhood, noting existing congestion near schools and calling for additional traffic signals and road improvements. Rincon said a new subdivision phase has already triggered a traffic signal at Loma and Colorado and that each development phase will submit traffic-impact analyses to identify needed widening or other mitigations.
The governing body voted to approve R95, then R96 and O23; each motion carried unanimously.
Why it matters: the master plan guides future land use, drainage infrastructure and the character of development near Cleveland High School. Rezoning portions of the plan area to R-4 allows higher residential density and shifts how open space and drainage infrastructure will be distributed as parcels develop.
What’s next: the zone map amendment takes effect as adopted; future subdivision phases must supply traffic-impact analyses and comply with the plan’s drainage and infrastructure requirements.
