Buckeye commission continues Jackson Place manufactured-home park after notice dispute

The Buckeye Planning and Zoning Commission voted to continue review of the Jackson Place manufactured-home park conditional use permit and site plan (case PLZU-25-2) to the commission's Oct. 14 meeting after a nearby property owner said he had not received mailed notice of the hearing.

The continuance follows public comment from Jay Broadbent, part owner of the Broadbent Levitt office building, who told the commission, "If this project goes through, I'm out of here," and said notices were mailed to a P.O. box he said he closed three years ago. Staff responded that mailed notice had been produced from assessor records and that the relevant statute requires mailing to addresses listed in the county assessor's rolls.

Why it matters: The project is a small, downtown infill residential proposal and would place eight park-model manufactured homes on a roughly 0.3-acre lot at the northwest corner of Jackson Avenue and South Second Street in Downtown Buckeye. The commission's decision to delay allows staff and affected parties additional time to confer with the property owner and the applicant before the commission acts.

City staff presented the proposal as a conditional use permitted in the mixed-residential zoning district only with commission approval. Planner Jerrick Dunn said the application calls for eight park-model units, each about 399 square feet, plus detached 100-square-foot storage sheds. The site plan shows a primary access from Jackson Avenue, 10 new 90-degree on-street parking spaces to be constructed by the developer on Jackson Avenue, a private aisle built with decorative open-cell pavers (not intended for vehicle parking), a concrete pad adjacent to Jackson Avenue for residential solid-waste containers, and landscaping including a synthetic lawn and shaded barbecue area. Dunn said the units "feature 9 foot flat ceilings throughout" and enhanced architectural detailing intended to fit the downtown character.

Dunn also told the commission that the applicant team listed on the submittal is Preflin Engineering LLC (Mike Preflin, PE, and Sarah Gilbride) on behalf of property owner Hickman X Ranch Incorporated, and that the owner intends for Hickman X Ranch to own the land and the park-model units and use them to house on-site workers who would be transported to and from job sites.

On public participation, staff reported a neighborhood meeting held June 25, 2025, at Liberty United Methodist Church; a legal notice posted Aug. 20, 2025; a site posting on Aug. 22, 2025; and mailed notices on Aug. 5, 2025. Staff said one public comment had been received before the hearing and that no attendees appeared at the neighborhood meeting. Broadbent said he had not received mailed notice because mail had been sent to a P.O. box he closed three years earlier; he asked the commission for a 30-day extension to meet with his tenant.

City staff (identified in the hearing as Tosca) told the commission that, "the statute specifically states that the notice must be mailed to the address listed in the assessor's roles," and that failure to receive notice does not automatically invalidate the commission's actions when statutory procedures have been followed. The planning manager noted the packet included the mailing list and affidavits of mailing.

Commission discussion touched on the downtown preference for on-street parking and the project's compatibility with the Downtown Buckeye Specific Area Plan and the Buckeye General Plan. Commissioner Basler asked whether Jackson Avenue is a city street and how on-street parking would be created; staff confirmed Jackson Avenue is a public roadway and said on-street spaces would be constructed by the developer. Commissioner Trippiano said a 30-day continuance was not unreasonable and moved to continue the item to the Oct. 14 meeting to give staff, the applicant, and Broadbent time to work through concerns; the motion was seconded and the commission voted in favor.

Discussion versus decision: The record shows discussion of notice procedures, on-street parking, ownership and maintenance of the park-model units, site design and landscaping, and potential impacts on downtown businesses. The only formal action recorded in the hearing was the motion to continue consideration of case PLZU-25-2 to the Oct. 14 commission meeting.

Next steps: The commission will revisit the Jackson Place conditional use permit and site plan at its Oct. 14 meeting; staff and commissioners indicated they expect follow-up discussions with the Broadbent Levitt property owner and the applicant before that hearing.