This rendering shows a planned Whataburger restaurant at Unser Boulevard and Wellspring Avenue. The Rio Rancho Governing Body approved the site plan Thursday.
(Courtesy of Castles Design Group)
Whataburger is coming to Unser Boulevard, according to site plans Rio Rancho Governing Body members approved Thursday night.
The vote was unanimous during their 20-minute meeting at City Hall.
“As much as I love Whataburger, my only objection to this is it’s going to be really close to my house and really tempting all the time,” Mayor Gregg Hull said.
Development Services Director Amy Rincon said the restaurant would be near the intersection of Unser and Wellspring Avenue, beside Dutch Bros Coffee. The 3,800-square-foot building is expected to have a drive-thru separate from the main parking area and entrances at the back of the property, from Roentgen Lane.
The planned Whataburger joins the chain’s existing location at the intersection of NM 528 and US 550.
In other matters, governing body members:
• approved a first reading of changes to the city’s Local Economic Development Plan to conform it to the state Local Economic Development Act; and
• heard Finance Director Carole Jaramillo say the refinancing of two 2011 water-rights acquisition loans combined the loans into one $9.4 million loan with an interest cost of 0.97 percent and a savings of more than $138,000 a year. The loan matures in 2031. Jaramillo said the savings would go toward buying more water rights in compliance with the city’s pumping permit from the state.
