Commercial development near River’s Edge III will have to wait.

The Rio Rancho City Council unanimously approved District 3 councilor Delma Petrullo’s motion to reconsider a recent vote on rezoning the property from residential to special-use.

The council will reconsider the issue on Feb. 13. On Nov. 14, the council voted 4-2 to rezone a 2.49-acre parcel owned by City Center Industries and a 1.51-acre parcel owned by Shillelag LLC from residential to special use.

The land is southeast of NM 528 and Willow Creek Road.

The reconsideration will give the planning and zoning board ample time to make changes to the city’s land use code.

Currently, the code requires developers to submit a site plan when they request a zoning change from residential to special use.

When the zoning was approved, the developers did not issue a site plan.

Site plans to give details on how property will be used, what the drainage, traffic and noise impacts will be, and how those will be addressed.

The city’s land use code requires developers to submit a site plan when they request a zoning change from residential to special use.

Petrullo and some city officials believe the code should be amended to remove the site plan requirement.

Site plans give details on how property will be used, what the traffic, drainage and noise impacts will be and how those will be addressed.

Although the site plan may be removed from the initial zoning request, the developer still must have a site plan approved by the council to continue with the project.

At the Nov. 14 meeting when the zoning was approved, several residents spoke for and against the rezoning.

Supporters of the rezoning argue that they would like to have shops in their neighborhood. They also say that the vacant land accumulates trash and has become unsightly.

Opponents of the rezoning say it is spot zoning and not conducive to the surrounding area. Several are worried that property values would decrease, crime and traffic would increase and that the nearby bosque could be damaged by increased storm runoff.

Petrullo said this is another example of the city’s growing pains.

“Once again, we are faced with something we have never faced before,” she said. “There are some people opposed to it and some who think it’s a wonderful idea. This is another thing a growing city has to deal with.”

In other business, the council:

• approved Karen Stamper’s request for a master winegrower liquor license for Paradise Vineyard and Winery;

• approved Dan Porto’s request to rezone 27.3 acres south of Idalia, between Lacuma and Vatapa Road, from estate residential district to special use for single family residential development;

• approved High Knoll Development’s request to rezone 3.2 acres on 10th avenue, east of Unser, from single family residential to retail commercial district;

• removed the Library and Information Services functions from the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services and created the Department of Library and Information Services;

• approved city elections for March 4, 2008;

accepted an aggrement from Sandoval County to do landscape improvements in Vista Hills; and

• confirmed the city’s legislative requests for the upcoming legislative session.