Once you know the zone district for your property , you need to look at the Use Table from the Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO) to see the uses that are allowed in your zone.

Table 4-2-1: Allowable Uses makes it easy to see what uses are allowed in each zone.

Be sure to check the IDO to see if there are any Use-specific Standards that may expand or limit the use in certain zones or in proximity to other zones or uses.

For your convenience, here are two Step-By-Step Guides that will walk you through finding uses and key peices of information for your property or the land use you are interested in and then direct you to the parts of the IDO that provide answers. 

• What uses can be developed on a property?

• Where in the city can I develop a particular use?

A use-specific standard is a requirement or set of requirements for a particular use.

Use-specific standards may:

• Limit a use in certain zones, locations, or within a particular distance to similar uses or protected zones (e.g. Residential zones).
• Provide size limits for a use in certain zones.
• Provide additional design standards or buffering standards for a site to mitigate potential negative impacts of the use on surrounding properties.
• Provide information about local, state, and federal regulations, permits, or licenses that may be required for certain uses.
• Provide information about required distance separations between establishments with the same use or between Major Public Open Space and the use. Multiple uses have distance separation required from residential zones or uses. (See FAQ: Required Distance Separations)

Tip: Use-specific standards are found in the right-hand column of the Allowable Use Table 4-2-1. These section references are hyperlinked, so clicking that reference will take you directly to that use standard.

Examples:

In the Allowable Use Table 4-2-1, “Accessory Dwelling Unit” is marked as “A” (i.e. Accessory) in the R-1 zone. The Use-specific Standard makes clear that Accessory Dwelling Units (i.e. “casitas,” “mother-in-law quarters” or “carriage houses”) are not allowed in R-1 citywide, but they are allowed either permissively or conditionally in specific mapped areas. (See FAQ: How does the IDO handle accessory dwelling units in single-family neighborhoods?)

“Liquor Retail” is allowed in certain zones but has further restrictions or allowances in some mapped areas or within a particular distance to Residential zones. (See FAQ: How does the IDO handle alcohol sales?)

Index of Use-specific Standards Tailored for Small Areas:

• See Table I and Table II following the Table of Contents in the IDO for an index of all regulations in the IDO tailored for small areas.
  • Table I is in the order of the IDO, so see Subsection 4-3 for use-specific standards.
  • Table II is the same index organized alphabetically by small area. For each area, check for any use-specific standars in Subsection 4-3.

See also:

• How does the Use Table work?
• What are the special protections for residential uses in Residential and Mixed-use Zones?
• What are the special protections for Major Public Open Space in the IDO?
• What are the additional neighborhood protections under the IDO?

Table 4-2-1: Allowable Uses makes it easy to see which zones allow each land use.

Find the row with the land use you are interested in and scan across the columns to see which zones allow that use.

Uses (rows) are organized into these categories:

• Residential
• Civic/Institutional
• Commercial
• Industrial
• Accessory
• Temporary

Any sub-categories under those main categories are listed alphabetically.  Uses under each category are also listed alphabetically.

Uses may be allowed:

• permissively as a primary use (P) or an accessory use (A) or 
• conditionally as a primary use (C) or as an accessory conditional use (CA).

Zone districts are listed in three categories:

• Residential
• Mixed-use
• Non-residential

Within these categories, zones are generally listed from least intense to most intense.

Be sure to check the Use-specific Standard column and read the details in the referenced Subsection for additional allowances, restrictions, prohibitions, or standards associated with that use.

See also:

• IDO Training - Zones & Uses
• What is a use-specific standard?

The following uses are required to have a certain distance between them via a Use-specific Standard, which are cross referenced in Table 4-2-1: Allowable Uses and found immediately following the table. These section numbers refer to the Effective Draft from August 2021.

IDO SEction | Use/Provision | Separation Distance

• 4-3 (B)(9) | Group Home | 1,500 ft
• 4-3(C)(6) | Overnight Shelter | 1,500 ft
• 4-3(D)(6) | Adult Entertainment or Adult Retail | 1,000 ft
• 4-3(D)(23) | [Bank] Small loan businesses | 1 mile/5,280 ft
• 4-3(D)(26) | [Medical or dental clinic] Methadone clinics | 330 ft
• 4-3(D)(26) | [Medical or dental clinic] Syringe exchange facility | 500 ft
• 4-3(D)(27) | [Personal and Business Services] Bail bonds | 1mile/5,280 ft boundary of any courthouse (there is no seperation requirement within 500 ft of a courthouse)
• 4-3(D)(41) | Pawn Shop | 1 mile/5,280 ft
• 4-3(E)(12)(e) | [WTF] Freestanding WTF | 1,000 ft
• TABLE 5-12-4 | Off-premise Signs in Mixed-use and Non-residential Zone Districts | 300 ft

Other uses are required to be a certain distance from either an existing residential use or residential zone.

• See FAQ: What are the special protections for residential uses in Residential and Mixed-use Zones?

Accessory Dwelling Units (also known as ADUs, Casitas and In-law Units) are now allowed in all R-A and R-1 (single-family residential) zone districts in the City of Albuquerque.  Additionally, they are an allowed accessory use in R-T, R-ML, MX-T, MX-L, MX-M, and in NR- (non-residential zones) as a caretaker’s unit. Remember, however that it is very important for you to check your zoning, as some Overlay zones have special standards for ADU's.

Some of the basic regulations, which can be found in IDO Section 4-3(F)(6) are:

• Only one ADU is allowed per lot. The maximum size is 750 sf. (Some other small area rules apply, so check your zoning.)
• A casita cannot take up more than 25% of the side and rear yards combined, nor can it be taller than the main house on the lot.
• An ADU may extend across the width of the rear yard, except for a passage of at least 5 ft, which must be provided at some point. Also, for fire safety, there must be a 10-ft separation between buildings on adjacent lots.
• The exterior color of the casita must be the same or similar to the color of the main house.
• One off-street parking space must be provided.
• If you already applied to have a casita on your property or have one that was built with the required permits before July 27, 2023, then you are considered to have a legally non-conforming accessory dwelling unit and do not need to do anything to “legalize” the dwelling. See more about non-conforming uses in IDO Section 6-8(C). 

• More information about the building permits required can be found on the Building Department Website: https://tinyurl.com/CABQbuild
• Download the digital flyer on ADUs

The Federal Housing Act of 1988 established protections for “federally protected classes” to ensure that housing opportunities could not be denied to people on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, or familial status.

The former Comprehensive Zoning Code in effect prior to 2018 used the term “Community Residential Programs” for group homes that provide services/programming and did not distinguish facilities that provide housing to “federally protected classes” from housing for non-federally protected classes.

The IDO defines “Community Residential Facility” as a residential use to provide housing for federally protected classes.

• physical or mental disability (includes people in recovery from addiction)
• family status
• race
• sexual orientation

In other words, the Fair Housing Act does not allow cities to have regulations on Community Residential Facilities that are more strict than any other residential use allowed in the same zone district. 

The same types of facilities for non-federally protected classes are called “Group Homes”. You can see in the Use Table below that Group Homes are not allowed in the R-1 zone district, whereas Community Residential Facilities are.

In both cases, these housing programs are subject to State laws for licensing. 

Here’s where each use is allowed under the IDO per Allowable Use Table 4-2-1:

• Note that the last column includes Use-specific Standards (i.e. the fine print!) that further restricts these uses and provides additional requirements.
• The Use-Specific Standard for Group Homes requires that they be 1,500 feet apart and caps the total number in each Council district to 30. 

The size thresholds for small, medium, and large are included in the definitions for the uses in Part 7 of the IDO.

* The former Zoning Code specified different sizes for corrections programs, substance abuse programs, and others. See “Community Residential Program Handbook” available here:

https://www.cabq.gov/planning/documents/CRPhandbook0512.pdf

Last edited 10/30/2024

The IDO regulates 4 cannabis-related uses as of the 2023 IDO Effective Draft.

• General retail - Applies to selling medical cannabis as regulated by the State of New Mexico (Sections 26-2B-1 to 26-2B-10 NMSA 1978 = the Lynn and Eric
  Compassionate Use Act).
  • For zones that allow this use, see Table 4-2-1 Retail Sales in the Commercial Uses Category for General retail uses for small, medium, and large.
  • See Subsection 4-3(D)(37) for use-specific standards.
  • See Section 7-1 for definitions, including the size difference for small, medium, and large.
• Cannabis retail – Applies to selling recreational cannabis as regulated by the State of New Mexico (Sections 26-2C-1 to 26-2C-42 NMSA 1978 = New Mexico Cannabis Regulation Act).  
  • For zones that allow this use, see Table 4-2-1 Retail Sales in the Commercial Uses Category for Cannabis retail use.
  • See Subsection 4-3(D)(35) for use-specific standards.
    • Prohibited within 600 feet of another cannabis retail establishment.
    • Prohibited within 300 feet of any school or child day care facility.
    • Conditional if on-site cannabis consumption is proposed.
    • Odor control plan required if on-site smoking or vaporizing is proposed.
  • See Section 7-1 for definition.
  • See Cannabis Retail Location Approvals map.
• Cannabis cultivation - Applies to growing cannabis completely indoors.
  • For zones that allow this use, see Table 4-2-1 Industrial Uses Category in the Manufacturing, Fabrication, and Assembly Sub-category for Cannabis cultivation use.
  • See Subsection 4-3(E)(2) for use-specific standards.
    • Conditional within 300 feet of school or child day care facility.
    • Conditional if any outdoor activity is proposed.
    • Odor control plan required.
    • Size limited to 10,000 sf in MX zone district.
  • See Section 7-1 for definition.
• Cannabis-derived products manufacturing 
  • For zones that allow this use, see Table 4-2-1 Industrial Uses Category in the Manufacturing, Fabrication, and Assembly Sub-category for Cannabis-derived products manufacturing
  • See Subsection 4-3(E)(3) for use-specific standards.
    • Conditional within 300 feet of school or child day care facility.
    • Conditional if any outdoor activity is proposed.
    • Odor control plan required.
    • Size limited to 10,000 sf in MX zone district.
  • See Section 7-1 for definition.

To see where properties are zoned for these cannabis uses, there are multiple maps that may be helpful.

• IDO Zone Districts Map - simplest map that allows you to see each zone district separately
• IDO Zoning Map - easy map that shows zoning and other IDO regulations for small areas
• Advanced Map Viewer - map with many tools and many different layers of information
• Cannabis Retail Location Approvals - map and dashboard that shows where cannabis retail locations have been approved

The City has a cannabis webpage that summarizes information about requirements and processes outside of zoning approvals.

What is cottage development?

A cottage development is a low-density residential community with small individual dwellings. Cottage developments typically include shared spaces, such as open space, gardening areas, community buildings, or parking. Although not required, if a cottage development includes a shared building, it could be used for activities, cooking, dining, etc. Any shared spaces are maintained through individual membership in a homeowners’ associations or a similar agreement.

In all zone districts, a dwelling unit cannot be larger than 1,200 square feet. In the R-A and R-1 zone districts, a dwelling unit must be at least 650 square feet.

Relevant IDO sections:

• 14-16-7-1 (Dwelling, Cottage Development)
• 14-16-4-3(B)(3) (Use-specific standard for Dwelling, Cottage Development)

Where is cottage development allowed?

Cottage development is allowed as a permissive use in the following zones: R-A, R-1, R-MC, R-T, R-ML, and MX-T. A cottage development is allowed on lots between 1 and 2 acres.

Relevant IDO sections:

• Table 4-2-1 (Dwelling, Cottage Development)
• 14-16-4-3(B)(3) (Use-specific standard for Dwelling, Cottage Development)

What density is allowed in cottage developments?

The density of a cottage development is calculated from the gross floor area allowed for dwelling units, instead of the number of dwelling units. Different zones allow a different number of units based on the minimum lot size of each zone and the square footage of the dwelling units that are built. This will typically result in more dwellings that are smaller in size.

The maximum square footage that is allowed is calculated by determining the number of dwellings that would be allowed if the property were subdivided based on the minimum lot size allowed by the zone, and then multiplying by 2,000 square feet, the size of a typical single-family dwelling. This maximum square footage can be divided into “cottages” up to 1,200 square feet in most zones or 650 square feet in the R-A and R-1 zones. Shared buildings do not count in these calculations. There are no regulations limiting the number of bedrooms in a cottage development, but the dwelling units must comply with minimum square footage requirements in the Uniform Housing Code.

Other regulations, such as parking, open space, and site acreage, further limit the number of dwelling units in a cottage development. Cottage developments are required to have one parking space per dwelling unit. In R-A and R-1 zone districts, two additional spaces are required per project for visitors to use. Also, in R-A and R-1 zone districts, 30% of a cottage development site must be usable open space, and balconies and rooftop desks do not count toward the requirement. In all zone districts where cottage development is allowed, the site must have a 10 feet landscape buffer on the sides and rear of the lot, and no buildings are allowed within the buffer.

Relevant IDO sections:

• 14-16-4-3(B)(3) (Use-specific standard for Dwelling, Cottage Development)
• Table 5-5-1 (Parking requirement for Dwelling, Cottage Development)

Examples:

The example below demonstrates one possible design for cottage development in an R-A zone, with shared parking and open space. The dwellings are 1,200 square feet, single-story homes. The project site has a total of 6 dwellings on 1 acre with 8 shared parking spaces.

The examples below demonstrate potential massing of dwelling units in varying zone districts. The project sites have a mixture of single- and two-story single-family units ranging from 650 square feet to 1,200 square feet. Because these designs do not reflect the site requirements mentioned above, such as parking, open space, or shared facilities, they show more dwelling units than could realistically fit on any particular site.

Similarly, the table below shows the maximum number of dwelling units allowed in each zone district, which would then be further limited by site requirements.

Assuming a 1-acre site, the following calculations show how to determine the total project density (allowed building size in Square Feet (SF)), the maximum number of units if they were the smallest allowed or largest allowed, and the amount of open space required.

What does a cottage development look like?

IDO regulations allow many configurations for cottage developments to provide flexibility for innovative designs. Most often, cottage developments would include small single-family homes spaced closer together than typical residential development to allow room for shared community spaces. In the R-T, R-ML, and MX-T zone districts, dwelling units in a cottage development can also be duplexes (two connected units) or townhouses (three or more connected units).

Dwellings can be centered around a shared design feature of the site, such as open space, parking, or a community building. A cottage development might cluster the dwellings and use open space to buffer a parking area. A landscape buffer is required around the site to provide a natural screen from surrounding uses, giving residents privacy and open space.

Relevant IDO sections:

• 14-16-4-3(B)(3) (Use-specific standard for Dwelling, Cottage Development)

What are the parking requirements for cottage development?

Cottage developments are required to have one parking space per dwelling unit. In R-A and R-1 zone districts, two additional spaces are required per project for visitors to use.

Relevant IDO sections:

• Table 5-5-1 (Parking requirement for Dwelling, Cottage Development)

Why did the City add cottage development as a new use in the IDO?

Cottage development furthers the goals of the Comprehensive Plan by promoting housing options, affordability, and sustainability.

• Adds to housing-type options: Cottage development is a form of the co-housing model, which allows for shared spaces and amenities while offering the privacy of an individual dwelling unit. Cottage development allows for multiple configurations to benefit various populations, such as older folks seeking to downsize but stay in their neighborhood or young families interested in sharing resources, like childcare.
• Creates opportunities for development of affordable housing: Cottage development can create more affordable housing options because of the potential for lower development costs associated with the smaller dwellings units, which can result in lower sale or rental expenses. Living costs can also be reduced if residents share expenses, such as by cooking in a shared kitchen or using shared laundry facilities. 
• Promotes environmental sustainability: Cottage development can help prevent sprawl since it promotes in-fill development with area-appropriate density. It can also work to preserve open space and natural resources, especially in R-A and R-1 zone districts. Cottage development can also promote sustainable practices, such as shared gardening.
• Adds development that respects neighborhood character: Cottage development presents an opportunity to add density to a neighborhood without adding height and reflecting the character of surrounding single-family homes.

Are there any examples of cottage development in Albuquerque?

Acequia Jardin was developed before the Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO) was adopted. While it does not necessarily conform to all the IDO regulations for cottage development, it is a useful example of a cottage development.  Acequia Jardin is a “senior-focused community” on a one-acre lot on Rio Grande Boulevard next to La Montañita Co-op. There are 10 dwelling units on the site, all owner-occupied, and the units range between 800 and 900 square feet. The majority of the units share a wall, which mean they are considered duplexes by current IDO definitions and would not be allowed in new cottage developments in R-A and R-1 zones. Acequia Jardin also has shared living amenities, including a shared garden, guest casita, and community room, which are maintained through a monthly homeownership association fee. (“What Is Acequia Jardin?” Acequia Jardin. Accessed February 3, 2020. https://acequiajardin.com/.)

Campgrounds and RV parks are allowed in some Mixed-use and Non-residential Zone Districts as shown in Table 4-2-1: Allowable Uses.

• A new campground will require a Site Plan – Administrative approval (assuming it includes <50,000 s.f. of gross floor area of non-residential development).
• Code Enforcement will look for compliance with Use-specific Standards in Subsection 14-16-4-3(D)(14).
• Section 7-1 defines the use.

If a property owner wants to put up a tent temporarily (example: for an event), a Temporary Use Permit can be requested.

• See Table 4-2-1 Temporary Use (that requires a permit) for the zone districts where temporary uses are allowed
• See Use-specific Standard in Subsection 14-16-4-3(G)(9)
• See the Fire Marshall tent permit request here. 

The IDO links below refer to the 2020 IDO effective draft, updated as of August 2021.

• Table 4-2-1 Allowable Uses
  • ​Industrial Uses
    • Telecommunications, Towers, and Utilities
      • Solar Energy Generation: permissive use allowed in all zones with a use-specific standard in 4-3(E)(10) that says the use is allowed per state regulation
      • Geothermal energy generation: accessory use allowed in all zones; it is a permissive primary use in NR-BP, NR-LM, and NR-GM
        • Use-specific standard 4-3(E)(9) 
      • ​Wind energy generation or device: accessory use allowed in all mixed-use and non-residential zones; conditional primary use in NR-GM
        • Use-specific standard 4-3(E)(11)
• Section 7-1: Definitions
  • Solar Energy Generation or Device
  • Geothermal Energy Generation
  • Wind Energy Generation or Device

Most (but not all) churches/religious institutions originally received SU-1 zoning with an approved site plan for their property.  The following bullet points refer to the Effective Draft as of May 2018.

• All approved site plans stay in place, even if the IDO is adopted, so churches should not be affected by the IDO. (This is often referred to as “grandfathering in” existing, legal uses.)

  • See Section 1-10(A)(1)

• The approved site plan “runs with the land,” meaning the property can be sold, and the site plan remains in effect.

  • See Section 6-4(W)(1)

• The zoning “underneath” the approved site plan converted from SU-1 to an IDO zone. 

  • See the Zoning Conversion Map to compare pre-existing zoning and IDO zoning.

  • Churches are allowed in almost all zones in the IDO, so this zoning conversion should have no effect on the use of the property as a church with related facilities.

  • One benefit of the new zoning is that more uses of the property would be allowed, should the church decide to sell the property in the future. For this reason, church properties that are currently located within single-family residential neighborhoods with R-1 zoning have been proposed to convert to R-1 zoning, to ensure ongoing compatibility with residential uses in the future, even if the church use goes away. 

  • See Table 4-2-1 Allowable Uses – “Religious institution” for the zones where religious institutions are allowed.

  • See Section 7-1 Definitions for “Religious Institution."

• If the church wants to make minor changes on the property, these can be approved administratively by staff. Larger changes (e.g. removing or adding a building, subdividing the property, etc.) would need to go back to the original decision-making body. See Section 6-4(Y) Prior Approvals.

  • See FAQ: What if I/we want to expand our building or change the layout of the site?

There are 6 zone districts with unique review processes:

• MX-FB (Form-based)
• NR-BP (Business Park)
• NR-SU (Sensitive Use)
• NR-PO (Parks & Open Space)
• PD (Planned Development)
• PC (Planned Community)

For more information about review and approval processes for these zones, please see the following subsections in the IDO:

​

For all other zone districts, the IDO uses the size and complexity of a project as thresholds for the level of review needed to establish the decision process and the decision-maker.

The IDO identifies three different kinds of decisions:

• Administrative Decisions (i.e. decided by staff based on objective regulations)
• Decisions requiring a public meeting or hearing (i.e. decided by a decision-making body based on objective regulations)
• Policy Decisions (i.e. decided by a discretionary decision-making body based on policy, as well as objective regulations)

The IDO sets out these three types of review/approval processes in Table 6-1-1.  More notice is required for decisions requiring public meetings/hearings than administrative decisions so that public input can be taken for the larger, more complex development decisions. Lots of notice is required for policy decisions, which take place a public hearings where public input is a key component of the decision-making process by discretionary decision-making bodies.

In order to justify a request or provide comments to decision-makers, it is important to respond to the review/decision criteria in the Specific Procedures for each type of decision.

• For Administrative Decisions and Decisions Requiring a Public Meeting or Hearing, decision-makers are deciding based on IDO requirements, DPM standards, and other City regulations that may apply.
• For Policy Decisions, decision-makers are deciding based on adopted City policies (e.g. policies in the ABC Comp Plan) in addition to IDO requirements, DPM standards, and other City regulations that may apply.

Forms for applications and descriptions of decision-making bodies, along with schedules with timelines for review/decision processes, are all available from the CABQ Planning webpage:

• Forms
• Boards and Commissions

See also:

• Was the IDO written to reduce protections for neighborhoods or eliminate the power of Neighborhood Associations?

The IDO sets out notice requirements based on the size and complexity of the development projects in Table 6-1-1 and Part 6.

• Small, straight-forward projects can be reviewed and decided by staff administratively with little notice. (See "Site Plan - Administrative" in Subsection 14-16-6-5(G) for thresholds)
• Medium, straight-forward projects can be reviewed and decided by the Development Review Board (a technical decision-making body made up of staff). (See "Site Plan - DRB" in Subsection 14-16-6-6(I))
• Large, complicated projects require zone changes + site plans that are reviewed and decided by the Environmental Planning Commission and by City Council. (See PD, PC, NR-SU zones in Part 14-16-2)
• Extra large, complicated projects require review and recommendation by EPC and review and decision by Council. (See PD, PC, NR-SU zones in Part 14-16-2)

In many cases, the Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO) requires meetings with Neighborhood Associations before an application can even be submitted to the City for a project. See the column marked "Neighborhood" under "Mtgs." in Table 6-1-1. See IDO Subsection 6-4(C) for more details.

Under the IDO, requirements for the different types of public notice depend on the size and scope of the project and the approval that the applicant is trying to get.  (See Table 6-1-1 in the IDO for the full list of decisions. A summary just for Site Plans is included below.) 

• Property owners within 100 feet and Neighborhood Associations receive mailed notice.
• Neighborhood Associations receive electronic mail (i.e. email) notice.
• IDO Subsection 6-4(K) describes the requirements for the different kinds of public notice in Table 6-1-1.

The IDO requires the applicant to use forms for public notice with required information. Forms and more detail are available from the CABQ Planning webpage:

• Neighborhood Meeting
• Emailed / Mailed Public Notice

See also:

• Was the IDO written to reduce protections for neighborhoods or eliminate the power of Neighborhood Associations?

Variances and waivers are requests for a special exception to a regulation.

Under the IDO, these special exceptions can be requested from the following decision-making bodies and are considered at a public meeting or hearing, with opportunities for public comment:

• DRB = Waivers related to
  • 5-3 Access & Connectivity
  • 5-4 Subdivision of Land
  • 5-5 Parking & Loading
    • Exceptions: 
      • Front Yard Parking --> Variance - ZHE
      • Carports --> Variance - ZHE
• EPC = Variances related to other IDO sections requested during consideration of a Site Plan – EPC
• ZHE = Variances related to other IDO sections requested during consideration of a Site Plan – Admin or a Site Plan – DRB

Table 6-1-1 shows the types of public notice that are required for each type of special exception. Note that a meeting with neighborhood associations is required PRIOR TO SUBMITTAL of a variance or waiver request for all types of special exceptions.

Subsection 6-4(K) describes the notification distance for property owners and neighborhood associations.

The IDO uses the term "zoning map amendments" for zone changes. Under the IDO, Council decides all zone changes of 10+ acres in Areas of Consistency, areas mapped in the Comprehensive Plan where the existing character, scale of development, and patterns of the built environment are to be protected and reinforced. Council also decides all zone changes of 20+ acres in Areas of Change, areas mapped in the Comprehensive Plan where growth is to be encouraged, including Center & Corridor areas, business/industrial parks, transit centers, and metropolitan redevelopment areas. Under these thresholds, zone changes can be reviewed and decided by the Environmental Planning Commission.

See also:

• What are "Areas of Change" and "Areas of Consistency,"and what is this new map intended to do?

If you do not like the existing zoning shown on your property, or want to request a different zone, here are several options:

• You can change your zone to a zone district that allows a range of uses regulated by IDO standards. Projects in those zones would then require site plans reviewed/decided either administratively by staff or by the Development Review Board, based on the size of the project.
• If your property is between 2 and 20 acres, you can request a zone change to a site-plan controlled zone district called "Planned Development" (PD). Site plans in the PD zone district specify a particular use or set of uses and zoning standards that apply. These site plans are reviewed/decided by the Environmental Planning Commission at a public hearing.

The first step in any zone change request will be to request a Pre-application Review Team (PRT) meeting with staff to ask any questions and get some guidance on the process and requirements.

• Pre-application Review Team Meetings 

The next step will be to offer a meeting to affected Neighborhood Associations. This step can take up to 45 days, so be sure to start early!

• Pre-submittal Neighborhood Meetings

Then you will need to submit an application for review by the Environmental Planning Commission. Note that you will either need a Zoning Map Amendment - EPC or a Zoning Map Amendment - Council, depending on the size of the lot and whether any part of it is within an Area of Consistency. Part of the requirement will be a justification for the change in zoning to respond to the decision criteria in Subsection 6-7(G)(3).

• IDO Interactive Zoning Map
  • See "Development Areas" under Button 2 to see Areas of Consistency.
• City of Albuquerque Planning Department forms
• Environmental Planning Commission

Long Range Planning staff will continue to gather information about where there are mismatches between land use and zoning and where there opportunities for beneficial zone changes in specific areas throughout the city through the Community Planning Area (CPA) assessment processes, which commenced in 2021.  Assessments are likely to result in recommendations for City-sponsored zoning actions for contiguous properties with multiple property owners.  The proposed CPA assessment process is intended to work with all communities in Albuquerque every five years.

See also:

• Urban Design & Development FAQs
• Community Planning Area Website
• How does ABC-Z propose to improve public engagement with the City?