By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. — The fight over The Luxe hits its final round Thursday. The Rio Rancho City Council will decide whether a 55-unit apartment complex, along with part of a neighborhood park, can rise at the corner of Camino Encantadas and Camino Venada NE.
The council meets at 6 p.m. Oct. 22 in Council Chambers to vote on Ordinance O13. It would rezone 1.79 acres for PG Properties LLC, including 0.56 acres of Camino Encantadas Park that the council sold the developer for $17,500 in July. The Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval 4-1 on Oct. 13. If approved, the zoning takes effect 10 days later, and the developer still needs a recorded plat and building permits before construction can start.
The mailbag keeps growing
Neighbors haven’t slowed down since the board vote. The council packet includes about three dozen new letters and emails filed since Oct. 13, all opposed. That’s on top of nearly 300 petition signatures and dozens of earlier letters. Not one comment in the record supports the project.
Many letters zero in on kids and traffic. Abby Ward, who lives within 100 feet of the site, told councilors the process “made me lose faith in local government.” Others asked for a full traffic study, which isn’t in the packet. Several want the park kept and improved instead.
The developer’s pitch
City staff and the zoning board found the plan meets city standards for parking, landscaping and building height. The developer’s traffic engineer estimated the complex would add 74 trips during the morning and evening rush, far fewer than a gas station or strip mall the land’s current zoning already allows. Developer agent Modulus Architects has argued the park sliver was never slated for improvements.
The math that matters
It takes four yes votes to pass any ordinance under the city charter, protest or no protest. Mayor Paul Wymer votes only to break a tie among the six councilors, or if fewer than six show up. A 3-3 split would put The Luxe in his hands. The council approved the park land sale 4-2 in July.
How the hearing works
This isn’t a typical public comment period. Only people with a direct stake, such as nearby property owners or anyone who got a certified notice, can testify. They must register with the City Clerk at least 15 minutes before the hearing and are sworn in. City staff presents first, then the developer, then opponents. Other residents can comment after the hearing closes, but councilors can’t weigh those comments as evidence.
Rio Rancho Governing Body, Ordinance O13 (Case 26-100-00005)
- When: 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22
- Where: Council Chambers, 3200 Civic Center Circle NE
- Watch live: rrnm.gov/2303/Watch-and-Download-City-Meetings
- Zoom: Meeting ID 833 3815 7719, passcode 554297. By phone: 720-707-2699.
- Testify: Residents with a direct stake must register with the City Clerk at least 15 minutes before the hearing and explain how they qualify.
- Write: General comments received by 4 p.m. Oct. 22 go into the record. Send them to Clerk@rrnm.gov, not to individual councilors.
- Also on the agenda: Mayor Paul Wymer’s annual State of the City report.
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