Archives: Projects

Haverland Carter Lifestyle Group

In 1979, four local churches recognized the need for a retirement community that could provide an independent, active lifestyle, with customized levels of Life Plan to meet residents’ needs through the aging process. La Vida Llena, Haverland Carter’s flagship community, opened its doors in 1983 and continues to be the only Life Plan community in Albuquerque that offers all levels of care – Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Skilled Nursing.

Consensus Planning has provided professional planning and landscape design services on several Haverland Carter projects, including La Vida Llena on Lagrima de Oro Road and Nueva Vista on Juan Tabo Boulevard in Albuquerque’s Northeast Heights and The Neighborhood in Rio Rancho on Loma Colorado Boulevard in Rio Rancho.

Nuevo Vista is a 58-unit building that accommodates independent living seniors, with common amenities such as an indoor aquatic center, health and fitness spa, dining facilities, outdoor courtyard, underground parking, etc. The 4-story building features a southwestern design aesthetic, including flat roofs, 3-color stucco finish, variations in height and massing, and a u-shape that faces Juan Tabo Boulevard which provides the space for a 10,000 square foot lushly landscaped courtyard. Consensus Planning secured the entitlements for Nuevo Vista, which included a zone change, site plan approval, and landscape design services.

The Neighborhood at Rio Rancho features spectacular views to the Sandia and Manzano Mountains and is comprised of Independent Living apartments, Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Skilled Nursing units and a full array of indoor and outdoor amenities, including raised garden plots, a dog park, patio and gathering space, water features, and walking paths. Phase 1 development of The Neighborhood was completed in 2016. Consensus Planning represented the project before the Rio Rancho Planning and Zoning Committee and the City Council for the zone change, site plan, and amendment to the Loma Colorado Master Plan, and provided landscape design services.

To address La Vida Llena residents’ concerns regarding the design and layout of the health care area, La Vida Llena initiated a master planning process in 2017 and subsequently engaged a design team, which included Consensus Planning. The project involved the relocation of Assisted Living and Memory Care functions out of the existing health care building and into a new building; expansion of Independent Living apartments to accommodate market demand for senior living; and a new Independent Living commons area expansion of dining, exercise, and physical plant functions. Consensus Planning represented the project before the Albuquerque Environmental Planning Commission for a major amendment to the existing approved site plan and variances to the Integrated Development Ordinance, and provided landscape design services.

Jennifer Riordan Spark Kindness Sports Complex

Consensus Planning is working with the City of Albuquerque on an 81-acre sports complex located on Albuquerque’s west side. The project started with Consensus Planning securing the entitlements for the facility through the Environmental Planning Commission approval process with new zoning, a Master Development Plan for the entire facility, and a Site Plan for Building Permit for Phase 1.

Consensus Planning led the design team in developing the program and site plan for the complex, which includes in Phase 1: five adult baseball fields, lighted with a synthetic turf surface; two-story administration building with recreation services offices, concessions, restrooms, umpire locker facilities, meeting room, press boxes, and open viewing terrace. Future phase(s) will include a 6th adult baseball field and multiple youth oriented baseball and softball fields of various sizes.

Other amenities and facilities will include a children’s play area, picnic facilities, and a perimeter pedestrian trail. Extreme grade change across the site of nearly 50 feet afforded the design team the ability to layer the fields and create dynamic viewing opportunities. The development of the Complex will enhance Albuquerque’s economy, attracting sports tourism dollars through regional and local tournaments.

City of Alamogordo Comprehensive Plan and Downtown Metropolitan Redevelopment Area Plan

Consensus Planning provided professional planning services to the City of Alamogordo that included an update to the City’s Comprehensive Plan, and subsequently, creation of a Downtown MRA Plan. The Comprehensive Plan is a key policy document that establishes an overall vision for the community’s future growth, development, and character with a planning horizon of 20 years. It provides an integrative approach to all aspects of the City’s physical growth and development and related economic and social issues. Goals, objectives, and implementation strategies express the community vision gleaned from a robust public engagement process and are organized under the elements of land use, economic development, housing and neighborhoods, infrastructure, transportation, community facilities and services, greenhouse gas emissions, and hazard mitigation. The Preferred Land Use Scenario provides a graphic representation of how the City of Alamogordo intends to grow in the next 20 years.

The Downtown Alamogordo Metropolitan Redevelopment Area (MRA) Plan provides the necessary framework and vision for the redevelopment of Downtown Alamogordo. The Downtown MRA Plan was developed by Consensus Planning through a community engagement process that was initiated in March 2018 and included a two-day workshop at the Flickinger Center for Performing Arts, a walking tour and planning sessions with the MRA Steering Committee, community surveys geared toward Downtown business owners and the general public, and stakeholder interviews. The Downtown Alamogordo MRA Plan identifies specific redevelopment projects, public sector investments, and support actions to help achieve the community’s vision. It provides a powerful planning tool for establishing future public/private partnerships and communicates the types of uses and redevelopment that are appropriate for Downtown Alamogordo. The Downtown MRA Plan has been developed to be consistent with and further the City of Alamogordo’s 2018 Comprehensive Plan.

Overlook at Oxbow

Overlook at Oxbow is a 24-acre cluster subdivision on Albuquerque’s west side. The property includes several sensitive land constraints that required special analysis and design considerations. These include a portion of the Oxbow Wetlands, steep slopes overlooking the Oxbow, an AMAFCA water quality pond, existing mature trees on the property, and adjacency to City Open Space and the Rio Grande Bosque. The challenge was to create a layout that met the cluster development standards, protected the sensitive lands, and provided a unique residential community. Consensus Planning prepared a development strategy that was the first project to use the cluster provision of the IDO to ensure that the sensitive lands were protected and allowed for the reasonable development of the property with internal and external open spaces and an internal walking trail. Pedestrian connections were provided to the adjacent Andalucia neighborhoods and neighborhood park.

Consensus Planning led a team that included Abrazo Homes, Bohannan-Huston, Inc., and the Rodey Law Firm. The project was extremely controversial and included numerous appeals and hearing by the Land Use Hearing Officer and City Council. The initial project design was approved by the Environmental Planning Commission but remanded back to the EPC by the City Council. The project was redesigned to comply with the remand instructions and approved again for 69 residential lots. The project was designed as one contiguous neighborhood with two separate and adjacent clusters.

The final design includes 69 residential lots and almost 8 acres of private, protected open space. The City Council rejected the final appeals and approved the project in September 2020. Consensus Planning is currently working with the developer and Project Team to secure sign-off and subdivision plat approvals from the Development Review Board.