November 18, 2006

Says it reaches too far into rural community

FLORENCE - The Pinal County Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously Thursday to recommend denial of a request by Empire Ralston Vista 160 LLC for a zone change and overlay district to develop the 557-lot Escondido Hills planned area development. The project was slated to occupy a 159-acre parcel about 1.5 miles southwest of the Ak-Chin Indian Community in the northern Hidden Valley area.

In general, the commissioners felt that the development was too far ahead of the growth path that is beginning to extend to the south and west of the city of Maricopa and, therefore, would impact negatively on the neighboring area, which at the present time consists mostly of 3.3-acre mini farms.

Commissioner Scott Riggins commented that inserting an urban community in the midst of a rural area was a classic example of poor planning, particularly since the infrastructure is already under stress from the increased traffic flowing to and from Maricopa.

Commissioner Philip "McD" Hartman said the proposed development was surrounded by three dirt roads and one paved road that already are experiencing more traffic than they were meant to handle. He pointed out that Mayer Boulevard on the north, Thunderbird Road on the west and Val Vista Road on the south were section and mid-section line roads that were barely able to accommodate farm vehicle traffic let alone an estimated 700 or more additional vehicles from the new community, which would be comprised of 3.5 homes per acre.

Ralston Road on the east side of the development is a paved section line road, which Hartman said could not handle a high rate of traffic safely.

Denial was recommended to the Board of Supervisors, which makes the final decision.

The commissioners spent most of the morning session listening to a presentation and subsequent testimony by opponents of a request by Queen Creek XVII LLC to withdraw a 108-acre parcel from the 151-acre PAD described as Tract Q, Links Estates east of Queen Creek. The parcel in question, referred to as Tract Q, is the Links Golf Course that is adjacent to both the Links Estates Manufactured Home subdivision and the Cambria planned-area development.

With the golf course being part of the original PAD overlay district, it had been an integral part of the open space requirements for the two developments. The applicant planned to build houses on the course and utilize the four existing lake hazards as open space.

In presenting the developer's case, attorney Ralph Pew told the commission that he could not find anything in the way of restrictive covenants in the deeds that he had examined that would prevent the applicant from removing the golf course and creating another subdivision.

More than a dozen residents from the Links Estates were on hand to give testimony in opposition to the project, and the very first of the five who came forward presented the commissioners with a copy of the final plat document that clearly stated: "Tract Q shall remain an open area." The man said another reason for retaining the golf course was that it was an essential element in the drainage plan for the entire area.

Pew responded by saying that further research could turn up subsequent documents that would nullify the conditions laid out in the final plat document and suggested that a continuance was in order, but a motion was made for denial, and the commissioners recommended that by a 5-4 vote. Two related cases for a zone change and PAD overlay district on Tract Q were not considered, since the denial of the PAD amendment case took the issue out of the jurisdiction of the commission.

A request for zone change and PAD overlay district by Lazarus & Associates PC to develop the Superstition Views at Canyon Vistas Manufactured Home/Park Model PAD on a 22-acre parcel east of Apache Junction was forwarded with a favorable recommendation.

The commissioners approved the following plat requests, allowing the developers to continue on to final platting:

-- A tentative plat by Casa Grande 70 LLC for Encanto Hacienda, 65 lots on an 80-acre parcel east of Casa Grande.

-- A tentative PAD plat by Combs and Vineyard Properties LLC for Shoppes at Pecan Ranch, eight lots on a 20-acre parcel in the Queen Creek area.

-- A tentative PAD plat by All State Associates of Pinal XVI LLC for Selma Ranch, 2,009 lots on a 627-acre parcel in the Eloy area.

-- A tentative PAD plat by Stanfield Partners LLC for Stanfield Estates, 300 lots on a 95-acre parcel in the Stanfield area.

The following cases were continued to dates specified:

-- A request for a zone change and PAD overlay district by AREAD Inc. to develop the 2,586-lot Vista Del Monte on an 802-acre parcel east of Casa Grande to Feb. 15.

-- A request for a zone change and PAD overlay district by Gallup Financial LLC to develop the 557-lot Grande Village on a 159-acre parcel west of Casa Grande to Jan. 18.

-- A request for a zone change and PAD overlay district by 145 Casa Grande LLC to develop the 494-lot Daley Farms on a 150-acre parcel west of Casa Grande to Jan. 18.

The commissioners and staff held a work session regarding a request for a zone change and PAD overlay district by Hidden Valley Ranch I to develop the 4,034-lot Hidden Valley on a 1,164-acre parcel in the Hidden Valley area.

©Casa Grande Valley Newspapers Inc. 2006