Planning commission approves rezoning for Copper Sky medical campus on 9.33 acres

The City of Maricopa Planning and Zoning Commission on Sept. 22 approved PAD 25-06 to rezone about 9.33 acres at the southeast corner of West Bolin Road and North John Wayne (John Winn) Parkway, creating the Copper Sky Medical Campus planned area development. The new PAD separates the parcel from a larger Copper Sky PAD and sets minimum program requirements including a limited emergency hospital with at least 24 medical‑surgical inpatient beds and outpatient medical office space.

The PAD establishes a minimum hospital program that includes one operating/procedural room, an emergency department with 10 treatment bays, diagnostic imaging (CT, MRI, X‑ray), laboratory, an on‑site pharmacy, a cath lab and other ancillary services. The applicant and staff said a helipad is proposed but “will only be for really, egress of patients out of the facility, not into the facility,” meaning it would chiefly be used to transfer patients out to another hospital for higher‑level trauma care. The commission approved the PAD subject to the conditions in the staff report.

Why it matters: City staff and the applicant said the development is intended to keep more health‑care services in the city and reduce travel to hospitals in the Valley. The PAD also allows a range of build‑out scenarios — from a 60,000‑square‑foot, one‑to‑two‑story ER hospital up to a possible four‑story, 100,000‑square‑foot facility — plus one or two medical office buildings and a small retail support building. The commission’s action starts the zoning process; design review, building permits and operator selection remain separate steps.

Staff presentation and applicant goals Derek Scherer, planning division staff, told the commission the request was for a planned area development rezone to create a medical campus and reviewed three possible build‑out scenarios that mix inpatient and outpatient services. He said the proposal is consistent with the city’s general plan future land‑use designation and met PAD development standards as presented to staff. Scherer noted notification steps: letters to property owners within 600 feet on Aug. 15, a sign posted Aug. 18, neighborhood meeting Sept. 4 (about six members of the public attended) and a legal notice published Aug. 30.

AJ Thomas, president of BR Companies (health care development), described the project goals as keeping health‑care spending local, providing outpatient surgery capacity not currently in the city, and designing a compact campus to help recruit and retain staff. Thomas told the commission the PAD ties the property to an operator’s business plan and that the operator could influence final program and phasing.

Key approvals and limits The PAD sets a maximum permitted height of 65 feet (about three stories) and the applicant requested flexibility to allow single‑story components for operational practicality. The development team asked for a reduced open‑space requirement from 20% to 10% to allow a denser campus in some build‑out scenarios.

On phasing, Thomas said: “The 18 months is specifically for the outpatient side of things, and the 36 months is for the hospital.” He added that if an operator chose to build outpatient and inpatient together, the schedule could accelerate.

Traffic, access and services Scherer and the applicant described the proposed access configuration: an emergency entrance right‑in/right‑out on Bolin Road, a full‑movement primary entrance on Greythorn Drive (left‑in/left‑out and left‑in/right‑out), and a limited access on John Wayne Parkway (right‑in/right‑out and left‑in only). Staff said a traffic impact analysis (TIA) and subsequent development review permit will evaluate whether signalization or additional traffic controls are required at the building‑permit stage.

Commission discussion and vote Commissioners asked about maximum height and the number of stories, the implications if one of the optional buildings is not built, and whether the previously completed TIA for the larger Copper Sky development would still apply. Scherer said final traffic and engineering requirements would be determined during the development review permit and TIA process. After discussion, a commissioner moved to approve PAD 25‑06; the motion carried and the commission approved the PAD subject to staff conditions.

What’s next Major development review permits (any building over 5,000 square feet) must return to the commission on an informational basis for public presentation and staff review before building permits are issued. The PAD approval does not finalize building design, operator arrangements, final phasing or permit issuance; those are separate processes that will return to staff and the commission as required.

Ending notes Staff emphasized that neighborhood meeting notes and the citizen participation report are part of the record and that the operator selection and final program details will refine many aspects of the site’s design, traffic controls and service mix during the development‑permit process.