July 22, 2006

FLORENCE - Of the 18 cases on the Pinal County Planning and Zoning Commission's agenda Thursday, only five received an up or down vote; two cases were withdrawn and the rest were continued to dates certain.

Among the latter was the case involving establishing a wastewater treatment plant on 10 acres within a 32-acre parcel south of the Ak-Chin Indian Community and two miles west of White and Parker Road. The other cases were requests by TOUSA Homes Inc. for a zone change and PAD overlay district to develop the facility and an industrial use permit to operate the wastewater plant.

After months of intense negotiations with Ak-Chin officials, an agreement was reached to allow construction of the facility, but despite assurances from attorney Robert Palmquist, representing the Ak-Chin Community, that an agreement was only days away from being signed and delivered, the board decided not to forward the cases to the supervisors for final approval until they had in their hands a signed copy of that agreement. The panel voted unanimously to continue the cases to Sept. 21.

A request for a zone change and PAD overlay district by Omega Management Services to develop the 6,227-lot CG 8 planned area development on 2,194 acres on Bianco Road, north and south of Interstate 8, was continued to Aug. 18. According to planning department staff, more time was needed to review submitted reports.

A zone change and PAD overlay district request by AREAD Inc. to develop the 2,586-lot Vista Del Monte planned area development on 802 acres east of Casa Grande was pushed back to Nov. 16 due to possible annexation of the area by the city of Coolidge.

Because of floodplain and drainage issues, a zone change and PAD overlay district request by Ham Maricopa LLC to develop the 502-lot Venida planned area development on 160 acres south of Maricopa was continued to Sept. 21.

The commissioners were surprised by a last-minute request from District 3 Supervisor David Snider to continue two cases requesting comprehensive plan map amendments to Aug. 17. Snider's note to chairman Kate Kenyon said that he had been requested by city of Maricopa officials to have the cases continued. Redfield Financial Inc. was seeking to change zoning from foothills to transitional a 33-acre parcel situated on lot 11 Palo Verde Foothills Unit 2, west of the Ak-Chin Indian Community, as well as a change from rural to transitional on a 79-acre parcel southwest of the Ak-Chin Indian Community.

(**AZacreage.com note - The 79 acre parcel is available for sale and can be found on the "Property Listings" page.**)

The two cases pulled from the agenda were at the request of the applicant, Southern Dunes Golf Club, calling for a zone change and PAD overlay district to develop the 184-lot Reserve at Southern Dunes planned area development on 81 acres west of Maricopa. With annexation by the city looming in the near future, the applicant felt it was best to wait and submit the request to the Maricopa Planning and Zoning Commission.

The commissioners voted to send the following requests to the board of supervisors with favorable recommendations:

-- A zone change and PAD overlay district by Morado Hills LLC to develop the Morado Hills planned area development on 228 acres east of Casa Grande (7-0 vote).

-- A zone change and PAD overlay district by LMC3 LLC to develop the 53-lot Magma Butte Ranches planned area development on 15 acres north of Florence (7-0 vote) .

-- A zone change by QC 1 LLC to develop the 39-lot Cactus Creek Estates subdivision on 51 acres one mile south of Johnson Ranch (5-2 vote).

©Casa Grande Valley Newspapers Inc. 2006