Council approves rezoning for 100-unit Skyline Towns project amid resident concerns

The Apache Junction City Council on Sept. 2 approved Ordinance No. 1566, rezoning property at the northwest corner of Winchester Road and Junction Street to allow a two-story, 100-unit multifamily rental development known as Skyline Towns. The measure passed 6-1 after a public hearing and formal motions to read the ordinance by title and to adopt it. The developer described the project as market-rate multi-family rental housing and said it is consistent with the city’s downtown plan.

The rezoning will change the parcels from city center B-3 and RSGR (general rural low-density single-family) to RM-2 PD (high-density multifamily residential, planned development). Erica Hernandez, city planner, told the council the project includes a gated entrance on Junction Street, an exit-only on Winchester Road, a six-foot perimeter wall, parking, a pool, clubhouse, green space and an eight-foot multiuse trail along the frontage.

The rezoning drew comments from nearby residents who said the area has traditionally hosted single-family and equestrian properties and raised concerns about traffic congestion near Junction and Idaho, strain on water supplies and the concentration of multiple rental projects in a small area. Steve Droop, who lives at 269 North Winchester Road, told the council the surrounding area had been attractive for its open space and horse properties and warned that the block is becoming dominated by rental developments.

Developer counsel Reese Anderson of the law firm Pew & Lake said the project conforms with the council’s adopted downtown plan and urged approval. Council members who supported the ordinance said the project fits the council’s downtown vision, responds to demand for rental housing and will support nearby small businesses.

Council member Johnson cast the lone dissenting vote after noting the developer did not attend the meeting to present. Mayor Wilson, in approving the ordinance, emphasized local businesses’ need for residents nearby to patronize them. The council approved both a motion to read the ordinance by title only and the final motion to adopt Ordinance No. 1566.

Planning staff and the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval subject to conditions in the staff report. The applicant and staff said notices were posted, property owners within 300 feet were notified and a neighborhood meeting held June 9 drew two neighbors who said they supported the project.

Next steps will follow the city’s standard building permit and development-review process for a planned development zone change. The council record shows the rezoning is intended to implement the city’s downtown mixed-use designation in the general plan.