After close public opposition, Rio Rancho postpones Maverick gas-station site plan to Sept. 10

The Rio Rancho governing body voted June 25 to postpone consideration of Maverick’s site plan for a gas station at the northwest corner of New Mexico 528 and Monterey (agenda item D23) to the Sept. 10 meeting after more than an hour of public testimony and council questions about access, safety and traffic.

Director Amy Encon reviewed site‑plan standards and told the council that the proposed convenience store and fueling station are a permissive use in the applicable C‑1 district and that the applicant’s submission met the city’s site‑plan criteria. The staff presentation noted a 2007 site‑plan context that had previously contemplated broader access for the overall commercial area and flagged a 1992 New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) right‑of‑way map summary affecting buffer requirements.

Maverick’s site‑development manager, Mr. Piggott, described company standards for environmental controls (double‑wall tank construction, 24/7 leak monitoring), lighting dimmers, photometrics and traffic‑improvement commitments, and said the traffic study had been reviewed by city staff and NMDOT.

More than a dozen residents spoke during the public hearing, urging denial or postponement. Common concerns included: routing heavy truck deliveries onto Monterey—a residential street; insufficient restrictions on delivery hours, idling and overnight truck activity; pedestrian and school‑drop‑off safety at nearby Enchanted Hills Elementary; emergency‑vehicle access; lighting and late‑night noise; and risks to private wells and property values. "This site plan is simply wrong for the location," resident Nikisha Lee said. Thomas Krupiak, a retired Albuquerque Fire Department lieutenant, urged postponement until grading, drainage, DOT approvals and stormwater issues are fully addressed.

Councilors questioned whether full or limited access to NM‑528 could be achieved, how deliveries would be routed (the applicant said deliveries would enter from Obregon and exit onto Monterey), and whether operational conditions could be added. Several councilors urged additional conversations with NMDOT and the property owner to seek a right‑in/right‑out or full‑movement access from NM‑528 to reduce residential impacts.

Councilor Culbreth moved to postpone action until the governing body’s first September meeting to give the development team time to pursue DOT access options and to allow additional neighborhood outreach. The motion passed on a roll call vote.

Next steps: The applicant and property owner were instructed to pursue further discussions with NMDOT and return with additional information; staff and council also encouraged direct community outreach and the negotiation of potential operational conditions if the project is resubmitted for approval.