By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper.
A Rio Rancho homeowner wants the City Council to block construction on two narrow Northern Boulevard lots she says were illegally split to dodge zoning rules — one of several contested items facing the Governing Body when it meets Thursday, Aug. 13, at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers.
Rebecca Smith is appealing the Planning and Zoning Board’s June 9 approval of two variances allowing 50-foot-wide lots — 10 feet narrower than the city’s standard — at 700 and 704 Northern Blvd. NE. Builder Solano Builders & Construction LLC says in its application that without the variance, “strict adherence to the current zoning ordinance would render this property unbuildable, effectively depriving us of all reasonable use of the land,” and that it’s seeking “only the minimum relief necessary.”
Smith, who owns the adjacent property at 640 Northern Blvd., argues in appeal documents that the two lots were bought as a single, already-merged 0.54-acre parcel in December 2025, then split into separate corporate entities’ deeds five months later — recorded one minute apart, she says — specifically to sidestep a 1998 city ordinance that merges adjoining narrow lots under common ownership. In her words, the builders “executed a simultaneous, straw-man deed split to artificially place the land into different entities.” City staff rejects that framing: the city “does not have oversight on deeds or land sales and is not able to stop or force land sales,” according to the staff report, which recommends the council uphold the variance anyway.
Joe and Vera Utara, who own the home bordering the 704 lot, separately opposed the variance in writing, citing property value, drainage and traffic concerns on the hillside street.
Separately, the council will vote to formally budget $18.8 million in general obligation bonds — $18 million in principal plus a $797,703 premium — that voters approved in March for roads, public safety facilities and “quality of life” projects. The bonds closed July 21.
More details
- Two child care facilities are up for site-plan approval: a 15,992-square-foot preschool near the City Centre (unanimously recommended by the zoning board in July) and a daycare at Plaza Rio, reviewed by the zoning board just two days before Wednesday’s meeting.
- A $4,000 grant from the Sodality Foundation will send four Rio Rancho police officers to a national law enforcement wellness conference.
- Four city board and commission seats are up for appointment, including openings on the Arts Commission, Library Board and Planning and Zoning Board.
Get involved
Regular Governing Body Meeting
Thursday, Aug. 13, 6 p.m.
Council Chambers, City of Rio Rancho
Watch live: rrnm.gov/2303/Watch-and-Download-City-Meetings
Zoom: 833 3815 7719, passcode 554297
Public comment on hearing items requires in-person registration with the City Clerk 15 minutes before the meeting starts.