Several property owners in the northern part of the city are appealing a land rezoning decision made by the Rio Rancho city council.

Helene Apper and several other property owners from Vista Entrada, a neighborhood in the northern part of the city, filed a formal appeal in Sandoval County District Court on Thursday.

The residents want the governing body’s decision to rezone two parcels of land in the La Plazuela de Sandoval Master Plan overturned. On May 27, the city council granted Alto Bonito owner Julian Garza’s rezoning requests to rezone nine acres, east of Nativitas Road and south of Hapsburg Road, from multi-family residential to special use for multi-family residential and special use for retail commercial and to rezone 2.5 acres, at the intersection of Idalia and Nativitas roads, from single-family residential to special use for retail commercial.

Councilors Mike Williams, Patty Thomas, Steve Shaw and Larry Naranjo voted for the rezoning, while district 6 councilor Kathy Colley voted against the rezonings. Vista Entrada is in Colley’s district.

The case is being heard by Judge George Eichwald.

Apper and the appellants don’t want high-density developments near their homes.

The master plan was approved by the Rio Rancho city council in February of 2008. The property is owned by Sandoval County, the Town of Bernalillo and the City of Rio Rancho. In 2004, the county set out to master plan the property off NM 528 and Idalia Road. This property will house several county offices, anchored by the Sandoval County Judicial Complex.

The property is anticipated to develop with additional office space, commercial uses and high-density housing. It encompasses 69 acres and the county owns 56 acres. Some of the buildings already complete in the master plan include the Health Commons and the Judicial Complex.