IDO Annual Update 2022

 

Review + Decision Process | Proposed Citywide Changes​ | Small Area Changes​ | Public Review Meetings

The City has committed to continually improving the Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO) through an annual update process. 

The City's Review + Decision Process

Hearings

The Annual Update is complete for 2022. The review/decision process had three steps, each of which includes opportunities for hearings and public comments:

 

Environmental Planning Commission > Land Use Planning Zone > City Council

City Council

Citywide Text Amendments

City Council voted to approve proposed Citywide Text Amendments in June 2023. 

  • Annual IDO Update (O-23-77)
    • On June 5, 2023, Council voted on proposed amendments and adopted the 20022 Annual IDO update (O-23-77).
  • Housing Forward (O-22-54)
    • On June 5, 2023, Council took public comment, heard staff presentations, and voted to continue the hearing to June 21, 2023.
    • On June 21, 2023, Council voted on proposed amendments to O-22-54 and adopted the bill. 

Adopted Changes

Small Area Text Amendments

City Council voted to approve the proposed small area amendments on April 3, 2023. 

The changes will be incorporated into the IDO and go into effect with the Annual Update.   

LUPZ Review

Citywide Amendments

Hearing #2

Council's Land Use, Planning, and Zoning (LUPZ) committee voted to send proposed Citywide Text Amendments to City Council with a recommendation of "Do Pass" on April 26, 2023.  

Meeting Materials

Hearing #1

LUPZ heard proposed Citywide Text Amendments on April 12, 2023. LUPZ heard staff presentations, took public comments, voted on proposed amendments, and voted to defer both citywide bills to a second hearing.  

Meeting Materials

Small Area Amendments

LUPZ voted "Do Pass" on three proposed small area text amendments to Overlay zones in the IDO on March 15, 2023. 

Meeting Materials

EPC Review

Hearing #1

EPC heard proposed changes at a special hearing on December 8, 2022. Staff gave presentations, and EPC took public comment. 

Proposed Changes

  • IDO Annual Update - Citywide - PR-2018-001843 / RZ-2022-00054 
    • Continued to EPC Hearing on January 19, 2023
    • ​Staff presentation (PDF), including staff recommendations for proposed conditions to be considered on January 19, 2023
    • Proposed changes
  • IDO Housing (O-22-54) - Citywide - PR-2018-001843 / RZ-2022-00059 
    • Continued to EPC Hearing on January 19, 2023
    • Staff presentation (PDF), including staff recommendations for proposed conditions to be considered on January 19, 2023
    • Proposed changes
  • Small Area - North 4th Character Protection Overlay (CPO) Zone - PR-2018-001843 / RZ-2022-00055 
  • Small Area - Northwest Mesa View Protection Overlay (VPO) Zone - PR-2018-001843 / RZ-2022-00056 

Study Session

EPC held a study session on December 1, 2022.

Hearing #2

On January 19, 2023, EPC voted to recommend approval of proposed changes in the IDO Annual Update and Housing Forward/O-22-54 with several conditions.

Proposed Changes

Proposed Citywide Changes​

IDO Annual Update

Planning staff gathered proposed amendments to the IDO from staff, Councilors, and the public and submitted them to the EPC as the 2022 IDO Annual Update in October 2022.  City Council introduced the adopting ordinance in March 2023 as O-23-77 and adopted the bill on June 5, 2023.

Planning staff is incorporating changes into the IDO that will go into effect July 27, 2023.

Housing Forward / O-22-54

The Mayor's Housing Forward Initiative is the City's effort to increase the supply of new housing and increase access to existing housing. Housing Forward proposes several changes to zoning regulations to remove barriers to new housing and provide incentives to develop apartments and affordable housing.

The proposed changes were introduced at City Council as an Ordinance (O-22-54) in November 2022 and referred to the EPC to be heard in conjunction with the IDO Annual Update. City Council adopted the bill on June 21, 2023. The changes will be incorporated into the IDO and go into effect with the Annual Update.

  • Review O-22-54
  • Review Council amendments
    • Hearing 1 - June 5, 2023
      • Council Amendments - Council voted / passed B3(b). Others were voted on June 21, 2023. 
    • Hearing 2 - June 21, 2023 
      • Council Amendments (updated 6/21/2023)
        • B1 - Neighborhood Edge (Remove) - Passed
        • B2 - Parking Reductions (Remove) - Passed
        • B3 - Clean Up - Withdrawn
        • B4 - Duplex (Remove) - Passed
        • B5 - ADU (Remove) - Withdrawn
        • B6 - ADU - Conditional - Failed
        • B7 - Setbacks (Amended and Passed)
        • B8 - ADU or Duplex (Withdrawn)
        • B9 - ADU - Structure Height (Passed)
        • B10 - ADU - Small Areas (Passed)
        • B11 - Whereas - Passed
        • B12 - Microwave - Passed
        • B13 - Building Height Bonus (Remove) - Passed
        • B14 - Development Opportunity - Passed
        • B15 - SDP Review - Passed
        • B16 - Housing Affordability - Passed
        • B17 - Affordable Housing Distribution - Withdrawn
  • Review LUPZ amendments
  • See presentations from public information meetings in January and March
Proposed Small Area Changes​

These small area amendments will be heard in conjuction with the IDO Annual Update.

These amendments will be reviewed/decided as a quasi-judicial matter, meaning City Councilors will be acting as judges rather than as legislators. 

North 4th Character Protection Overlay Zone (CPO-9) - sponsored by Councilor Benton

Review + Decision:

  • City Council adopted this proposed amendment on April 3, 2023.
  • City Council introduced this proposed change as O-23-72 and referred the bill to its Land Use, Planning, and Zoning (LUPZ) committee to be heard on March 15, 2023.
    • Legistar - Legislation and case tracking
    • Legistar - Hearing informations, including agendas with instructions on submitting comments in writing or at verbally at hearings
  • EPC recommended approval of this proposed change as PR-2018-001843/RZ-2022-00055 at a special hearing on December 8, 2022. 
    • EPC cases, including staff reports and notices of decision

History: CPO-9 was added to the IDO in September 2020. The CPO offers unique protections that are not applicable to other development in the City in an effort to maintain an established character along the corridor. CPO-9 currently has regulations related to building setback, building height, and building design.

Proposed changes: The proposed changes in 2022 seek to fix potential ambiguity in the applicability of the language. The specific proposed changes are notated below, where underlined text depicts new language and strikethrough language depicts deleted language.

3-4(J)(2) Site and Setback Standards

Lot size, width, usable open space, and setbacks shall be provided according to the applicable standards in Section 14-16-5-1 (Dimensional Standards), with the exception of the following:

3-4(J)(2)(a) [Front Any] setback from a lot line abutting 4th Street], minimum: 10 feet.

3-4(J)(2)(b) [Front Any] setback from a lot line abutting 4th Street], maximum: 15 feet.

Purpose: The original intention of the above provisions was to create a quality streetscape along 4th Street. As originally drafted, the provision assumes that the “front façade” of a building will always face 4th street. This is not necessarily true, especially for development on corner lots where there is an opportunity to orient the “front” of the building away from 4th street. This clarification will ensure that there is always a setback of 10 feet to 15 feet from 4th street.

3-4(J)(3)(b) Building Stepback

Any portion of a building over 30 feet tall shall incorporate a minimum stepback of 6 feet from any [front] façade facing [4th street. a public street.]

Purpose: The original intention of the above provisions was to create a quality streetscape along 4th Street. As originally drafted, the provision assumes that the “front façade” of a building will always face 4th street. This is not necessarily true, especially for development on corner lots where there is an opportunity to orient the “front” of the building away from 4th street. This clarification will ensure that there is always a stepback of 6 feet on façades that are facing 4th street. 

The boundary for CPO-9 is below, and all properties within the red line may be affected by this change.

Northwest Mesa View Protection Overlay Zone (VPO-2) - sponsored by Councilor Lewis

Review + Decision:

  • City Council adopted this proposed amendment on April 3, 2023.
  • City Council introduced this proposed change as O-23-73 and referred the bill to its Land Use, Planning, and Zoning (LUPZ) committee to be heard on March 15, 2023.
    • Legistar - Legislation and case tracking
    • Legistar - Hearing informations, including agendas with instructions on submitting comments in writing or at verbally at hearings
  • EPC recommended denial of this proposed change as PR-2018-001843/RZ-2022-00056 at a special hearing on December 8, 2022. 
    • EPC cases, including staff reports and notices of decision

History: VPO-2 was added to the Integrated Development Ordinance upon initial adoption of the document in 2018. The VPO offers unique protections that are not applicable to the rest of development in the City in an effort to maintain an established character on the corridor. Its provisions are based on previously adopted plans, including regulations related to building and structure height, color, reflectivity, and roof-mounted equipment.   

Proposed changes:  The proposed changes to the text seek to allow some flexibility in how the provisions are applied, which may be overly restrictive as they exist today. The specific proposed changes are notated below, where underlined text depicts new language and strikethrough language depicts deleted language.

3-6(D)(1) Applicability

The VPO-2 standards apply to all development in the following mapped area. Where the VPO-2 boundary crosses a lot line, the entire lot is subject to these standards [unless otherwise specified].

                3-6(E)(3) Building and Structure Height

The following standards apply in the Height Restrictions Sub-area shown in the map above. [In mixed-use and non-residential zone districts, where the height-restriction sub-area crosses a lot line, only the portion of the lot within the sub-area boundary is subject to these standards.]

Purpose: The proposed change will affect lots with mixed-use or non-residential zoning within the VPO-2 height subarea. This provision as it exists in the text today requires that any property owner comply with the height restrictions on their lot if the sub-area boundary crosses any portion of their lot. Some properties with mixed-use or non-residential zoning have very large tracts of land and this provision requires the entire tract, even outside of where the sub-area boundary ceases, to comply with the height restrictions. The change to how the height restriction in the sub-area is applied will allow property owners with large lots more flexibility in building design. This change will not be applicable to residentially zoned properties, which typically are much smaller parcels that are not impacted in the same way.

The boundary for VPO-2 is below, and all properties within the hatched red area (the Height Restriction Sub-area) may be affected by this change.

East End Addition Historic Protection Overlay (HPO) Zone [new] - sponsored by Councilor Fiebelkorn (by request)

Review + Decision:

  • City Council adopted this proposed amendment on April 3, 2023.
  • City Council introduced this proposed change at the Council meeting on March 6 as O-23-76 and referred it to the Council's Land Use, Planning, and Zoning (LUPZ) committee to be heard on March 15, 2023.
    • Legistar - Legislation and case tracking
    • Legistar - Hearing informations, including agendas with instructions on submitting comments in writing or at verbally at hearings
  • Landmarks Commission recommended approval of this proposed change as PR-2022-007874/SI-2022-02108 at a hearing on December 14, 2022. 
    • LC cases, including staff reports and notices of decision

History: Planning staff submitted a portion of the East End Addition to become an HPO because of its history as the first African-American suburb in Albuqurque. The HPO offers unique protections that are not applicable to other development in the City in an effort to preserve the character and history of this neighborhood. 

Purpose: An HPO establishes design guidelines and standards from the historic period that established the character to be protected. Any changes to the exterior of structures in an HPO must be reviewed for historic appropriateness by staff or the Landmarks Commission. 

The HPO is proposed with the following boundary including addresses on individual lots.

Public Review Meetings

Public Information Meetings

Housing Forward - Zoning Proposals 

The Mayor's staff hosted meetings to discuss proposed zoning changes intended to increase housing supply.

Pre-EPC Hearing Public Review Meeting

Planning staff hosted a review meeting in November to discuss proposed changes before the first EPC Hearing in December 2022. 

Pre-EPC Submittal Public Review Meetings

Planning staff hosted 2 meetings to discuss proposed citywide changes before submitting to the EPC in October 2022.