Commercial development is on the way.

Rio Rancho city councilors voted 4-2 to rezone a piece of vacant land southeast of NM 528 and Willow Creek Road, near the River’s Edge III subdivision.

Councilors Fay Davis, Patty Thomas, Delma Petrullo and Howard Balmer voted to rezone the land from R-1 residential to special use. The rezoning will allow retail and business development.

Councilors Larry Naranjo and Marilyn Salzman went along with the Planning and Zoning’s recommendation and voted to deny the request.

The rezoned property is two adjoining sites, a 2.49-acre parcel owned by City Center Industries, and a 1.51-acre parcel owned by Shillelag LLC.

The council voted separately on the zoning change for each portion of the land, but the votes were identical.

Salzman, who represents District 6 where the land is located, has intimate knowledge of the issue and admitted it was a tough decision.

“As many people that were against it as for it contacted me,” she said. “It has been such a controversial issue over the years and it’s nothing new.”

Salzman has lived in the area for more than 15 years and said the landscape has changed much in two years.

“With the addition of the Wal-Mart to the north and Tampico coming out of the ground at the southwest corner of 528 and Idalia, there are many more choices now. So, rezoning that land for commercial use doesn’t make as much sense today as it did two years ago.”

Petrullo, who represents District 2, disagrees.

“My first consideration is always the whole of Rio Rancho,” she said. “Although people were opposed to it, there were just as many for it and I don’t see any other best use for that four acres of land.”

Christopher Pacheco, who is representing the owners, said there are not detailed plans for what type of businesses or how many buildings will be put on the site.

However, the developers will submit detailed plans to the Planning and Zoning Board and City Council for final approval. The public will have an opportunity to comment on the plans

“Whatever they will do, I am sure it will be beneficial to the neighborhood,” Petrullo said. “I think it is the absolute best use and think it will be a good thing.”

Petrullo went on to say that easement, traffic and drainage concerns will be addressed in future open meetings with the developers.

“That all has to be done before they turn the ground,” she said.

Several residents spoke for and against the rezoning.

Residents against the rezoning argued that is was spot zoning and not conducive with the surrounding area.

Several were worried that property values would decrease, crime and traffic would increase and that the nearby bosque could be damaged by increased storm runoff.

Meanwhile, residents for the change mentioned that they would like to have shops in their neighborhood. Also, the supporters argued that the land is vacant, just accumulates trash and is becoming unsightly.

“I’ve lived in the neighborhood since 2001 and my home overlooks the bosque, but if we leave this as vacant land then it could accumulate trash and erode,” Bill Stanish said during the public comment period.

Said Jason Campbell: “I’m against this development,” he said. “I understood the property would stay as R-1 and it’s not right to increase the value of their land while decreasing my value.”

Some residents against the development said they would like to see the vacant land turned into a park and mentioned that there are plenty of shopping options across 528.

Resident Diane Constallos disagreed.

“I’m in favor of it because it would be nice to have a commercial center,” she said. “There’s a great park in River’s Edge II and it’s empty during the school year and a lot of us don’t want to cross the highway to shop.”

In other city business, the council:

* Appointed Karen Payne and Jenise Borrasso to the Keep Rio Rancho Beautiful board

* Approved Rio Rancho United Methodist Church’s request to rezone the property where the church is from residential to commercial. The church is on the southeast corner of Idalia Road NE and Abrazo Road NE.

* Approved the Church of Incarnation’s request to rezone land at 2309 Monterrey Road NE from residential to special use. The church wants to build a church community center.

* Approved Harold Southward and Will Kerzee’s request to rezone land on the northwest corner of Broadmoor Drive and Fruta Road from residential to commercial.