Mariposa preps land for development

Infrastructure laid in developing Rio Rancho housing community

RIO RANCHO — Seasons at Monarch, a new community on the horizon at the Mariposa Subdivision in Rio Rancho, is gearing up for sales.

Some key infrastructure has been laid and land for the project has been cleared as owner Harvard Investments prepares the area for development.

“We’re starting Monarch and are excited about it,” said Tim Brislin, senior vice president at Harvard Investments. “We hope to continue to grow through Monarch over the next few years. The main focus is development and expansion.”

Monarch, he said, will be the first relaunch of the community.

The development will be north of Mariposa Parkway and include 174 lots.

“We’ve got a first neighborhood with Richmond America Homes,” Brislin said. “It will be one of Richmond’s new communities in the Albuquerque area.”

For Rio Rancho Mayor Greggory Hull, the subdivision’s expansion is another sign of the city’s success.

“I am very excited that Mariposa is continuing to grow and that Rio Rancho is the first location in New Mexico where Richmond American Homes will build,” he said. “With our city’s focus on great quality of life amenities, fiscal management, education, and health care, it is no surprise that Rio Rancho is consistently ranked as a great place to live for people at any life-stage.”

Mariposa is a 6,500-acre, luxury master-planned subdivision in northern Rio Rancho, roughly 25 minutes north of Albuquerque on Unser Boulevard.

Builders in Mariposa include Twilight Homes, D.R. Horton and Hakes Brothers and prices range from high $300,000s to more than $600,000.

Among the concerns of local residents is the impact of this new development on the area’s trails, a key amenity.

The network of trails, Brislin said, will be extended and no impact is expected.

The trails are part of the subdivision’s master plan “and we are extending those trails,” Brislin said. “The community as a whole has a great existing trail network and we want to continue that as well.”

Monarch, he added, will include open space, a small park and additional trails.

There will also be a second access point to complement Mariposa Parkway down the line, he said.

“It’s planned as a second access point on the south end of Mariposa and will be built once a certain number of units have been built and we haven’t hit that threshold,” he said.

Lot preparation is expected to take nine months and lot sales are likely in 2023. Other builders, Brislin said, are getting in line to build as the area adds future neighborhoods.

“We will be working on future neighborhoods for the balance of this year,” he said.