Rio Rancho approves 109-townhome project, $3.8 million for infrastructure

Rio Rancho approved an 11-acre Encore Multi-Family Subdivision near Broadmoor Boulevard and Hedingham Avenue NE, clearing the way for 109 two-story attached townhome-style units and $3.8 million in supporting infrastructure as the city pushed deeper into its next growth phase.

The Rio Rancho Governing Body voted on the site plan at its Thursday, March 27, 2026, meeting at Rio Rancho City Hall, 3200 Civic Center Circle NE. City staff recommended approval for the project, which will place 109 units across 28 lots in the Tierra del Oro Master Plan area, where the site is already zoned for multi-family use.

The approval landed in a part of the city already absorbing major construction. Broadmoor Boulevard improvement work and an associated water line replacement project triggered road closures from March 9 through March 27, adding another layer of disruption for drivers, nearby homeowners and anyone trying to move through the corridor around Hedingham Avenue NE.

The most direct opposition came from neighboring resident Laura Padilla, who objected in writing to the project. Padilla said the townhome development would be inconsistent with the surrounding single-family neighborhood and noted that nearby property values run near a half-million dollars. Her concerns reflected the tension now shaping many of Rio Rancho’s growth decisions: whether denser housing brings needed supply or simply adds pressure to established neighborhoods.

That debate also fits the city’s broader planning direction. Rio Rancho’s Consolidated Plan identifies housing affordability and public infrastructure reinvestment as priority needs, and says the city has continued working with developers on affordable, accessible, multi-family dwelling complexes. In practice, that means more housing approvals paired with wider demands on roads, water lines and neighborhood services.

For Sandoval County, the Encore project is another clear marker of where growth is heading. The 109-townhome plan adds a sizable multi-family development to the Broadmoor corridor, but it also puts a price tag on the infrastructure needed to support it, raising the same question residents across Rio Rancho are now asking as the city expands: whether this pace of building will ease housing pressure or deepen the strain on streets, utilities and surrounding neighborhoods first.