Regional Planning Newsletter

May 2022

The Regional Planning Program Newsletter has a new look to match our new logos!

Bianca Borg, Regional Planning Program Manager

bborg@mrcog-nm.gov

(505) 724-3608

Payton Showalter, Regional Planner

pshowalter@mrcog-nm.gov

(505) 724-3657

Channing Hofman, Regional/RTPO Planner

chofman@mrcog-nm.gov

(505) 724-3632

Regional Planning Program Projects

Village of Corrales Zoning and Sign Ordinance Updates

Over the course of a year, the Mid-Region Regional Planning Program (MRRPP) assisted the Village of Corrales with an update to their zoning ordinance and sign code. The goal of this update was to make the ordinances clearer and easier to understand for members of the public, Village Staff, Planning and Zoning Commissioners, and Village Councilors.

The purpose of land use zoning regulation is complex, but can be summarized into four key purposes:

Divides jurisdictions into land use regions or zones.
Specifies what types of structures can be built in each zone.
Proscribes limits on size and dimension of structure type by region or zone.
Defines the process by which local governments grant permission for new development.

By keeping their zoning ordinance up to date, jurisdictions can reduce the impact of development on traditional ways of life and help their communities grow responsibly and equitably.

The MRRPP staff worked with a steering committee comprised of Village staff, Planning and Zoning Commissioners, and Village Council appointees to revise the Village’s zoning and sign ordinances for clarity, usability, and conformance with current case law. This included editing the sign ordinance so that it is content neutral.

Prior to the update, the Village was experiencing problems with inconsistent interpretations of language in the ordinances which led to challenges including legal cases and appeals to council.

Overall, the changes MRRPP staff made will help the Village to be consistent in their enforcement of the zoning policies and make it clearer to the residents of the Village what is required when developing their property or business.

The Village of Corrales zoning ordinance updates were approved by the

Village Council on March 8, 2022.

The changes to the sign ordinance were approved April 12, 2022.

Click here to register

MRCOG Economic Development

Mid-Region Economic Development Recovery and Resiliency Plan

MRCOG is partnering with MRWM Landscape Architects, ESP, HatchForm, and RS21 to identify economic recovery and resiliency strategies for the entire MRCOG region. The goal of this project is to create economic and social resiliencies and empower local communities to withstand future threats.

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) defines resilience as:

the ability to recover quickly from a shock,
the ability to withstand a shock,
and the ability to avoid the shock altogether

The team recently conducted 7 public meetings to gain insight from community members as to what threats they feel are most important to be addressed in their community. This feedback is being used to develop strategies that will help us to work towards addressing these prioritized threats.

The team attended the following events:

May 3rd- Los Lunas Farmer's Market
May 7th- Albuquerque Grower's Market
May 11th- Cedar Crest Farmer's Market
May 12th- Mountainair Public Meeting
May 17th- San Ysidro Public Meeting
May 21st- Rio Rancho's Biggest Yard Sale

MRCOG staff at the Los Lunas Farmer's Market

A draft of this plan will be available for comment on the MRCOG website in early June.

Comments and feedback can be submitted at mrerrplan@mrcog-nm.gov.

Regional Transportation News

Upcoming RTPO Meeting

June 16, 2022

9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Held Virtually on Zoom

The Regional Transportation Planning Organization (RTPO) Committee meeting agenda will be posted to the MRCOG website no later than 7 days in advance.

For more information regarding the RTPO meeting please contact Channing Hofman.

Transportation Project Fund Applications Approved

MRRTPO members successfully applied for four new projects under the Transportation Project Fund, a State funding program for local roads and bridges. NMDOT has approved and recommended each project for funding for a total of $2.7 million.

The TPF is an annual funding program from the State that focuses on local projects. The program was created in 2019 by the State Legislature and is used to fund everything from project planning and design to construction and management. Please contact Channing Hofman for any questions regarding the TPF.