INTER-OFFICE MEMORANDUM September 17, 2025
TO: Brook Bassan, President, City Council
FROM: Timothy M. Keller, Mayor
SUBJECT:
title
Community Planning Area Assessment Report - Northwest Mesa CPA - Plan-2025-00003
body
This memo serves to transmit the Northwest Mesa Community Planning Area (CPA) Assessment Report to the City Council for its acceptance. The Northwest Mesa CPA Assessment Report is the sixth CPA report to be transmitted to Council.
Background
The Comprehensive Plan establishes 12 CPAs in the City, outlines a process to engage residents and community partners in an assessment of each CPA, and establishes performance metrics to gauge progress toward the vision and goals. The results of planning efforts for each CPA, when completed, are contained in a CPA Assessment Report.
The Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO) requires that CPA assessment recommendations accepted by the City Council be included in updates to the Comprehensive Plan and the IDO. IDO §14-16-6-3(E) Community Planning Area Assessments establishes parameters for CPA assessments, which inform updates to planning policies, zoning regulations, technical standards, and capital improvement priorities.
CPA assessments provide an opportunity to generate community-based recommendations for a given area. Though they inform updates and amendments to the Comprehensive Plan and the IDO, the CPA assessments themselves are not part of the ranked planning system.
Request
The request to the Environmental Planning Commission (EPC) was for review and recommendation regarding the CPA Assessment Report for the Northwest Mesa CPA. The Northwest Mesa CPA is bounded generally by the Rio Grande to the east and the city’s edge on the west and between Montaño and Gila Roads to the south and the Bernalillo/Sandoval County line to the north. The Northwest Mesa CPA Assessment Report (Part 5) introduces ten new policies particular to the Northwest Mesa CPA Area. If accepted by the City Council, these new policies will be incorporated into the Comprehensive Plan, Chapter 4 Community Identity, Section 4.3.11 Northwest Mesa CPA, in a future update.
Engagement
The cornerstone of the CPA assessment process is engagement of residents, businesses, and other community partners. The Northwest Mesa CPA planning effort included a range of opportunities for input, discussion, and consensus-building. Planning staff gathered more than 1,500 responses and comments during the CPA community engagement process, that served to inform development of the report and its recommendations.
EPC Role and Process
Pursuant to IDO §14-16-6-3(E)(7), the EPC has an advisory role in the CPA Assessments. The EPC’s task is to review and recommend to City Council whether to accept recommendations in the CPA assessment reports. Pursuant to IDO §14-16-6-3(E)(7), the assessments shall be forwarded to the City Council for review and acceptance. This is a legislative matter.
The EPC reviewed the report during one properly-noticed public hearing. At its August 21, 2025 hearing, the EPC discussed the report, heard public testimony, and voted to forward a recommendation of Acceptance to the City Council.
Conclusion
The EPC is forwarding a recommendation of Acceptance to the City Council of the Northwest Mesa CPA Assessment Report. The Official Notification of Decision dated August 21, 2025 contains the EPC’s findings and recommended conditions that have been incorporated into the Northwest Mesa CPA Assessment Report.
Title/ Subject of Legislation: Project #: PLAN-2025-00003 - Community Planning Area Assessment Report - Northwest Mesa CPA
Approved: Approved as to Legal Form:
____________________________ _______________________________
Samantha Sengel Date Lauren Keefe Date
Chief Administrative Officer City Attorney
Recommended:
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Alan Varela Date
Planning Department Director