Planning commission backs text change and rezoning to allow 66 townhomes at Greenway Road and 140th Drive

The Surprise Planning and Zoning Commission voted 7-0 Thursday night to recommend two items to City Council: a zoning text amendment to the Land Development Ordinance to allow greater flexibility for townhomes and a rezoning with a planned unit development (PUD) overlay for a four-acre parcel at the southwest corner of Greenway Road and 140th Drive to allow a 66-unit townhome development.

The zoning text amendment (case FS24-1431) would remove restrictive language in chapter 106-4.3(c)(4) and other provisions that staff said sometimes prevents creative middle-housing designs. "Staffs recommends the Planning and Zoning Commission review the applicant zone text amendment and decide whether to recommend approval or denial to city council," Chris, a planning staff presenter, told the commission. The motion to recommend approval passed 7-0.

The commission then considered a rezone for the same parcel (case FS24-0503) currently designated Sierra Verde Planned Area Development (PAD) with an underlying commercial zoning. The applicant, Bridal Ray, speaking on behalf of developer Zen Investing, described the proposal as "a high quality townhome development" and said the parcel has been difficult to develop as commercial. The rezoning request would change the property to R-2 (residential medium density) with a PUD overlay and allow deviations from standard R-2 lot and setback requirements to accommodate attached townhome designs. Commissioners moved to recommend approval of the rezoning subject to staff stipulations A and B; the motion passed 7-0.

Why it matters: The combined actions would both (1) change city regulations to permit townhomes in more zoning districts and (2) apply that flexibility to a specific infill site that staff and the applicant said has seen little commercial interest. Commission discussion focused on whether the site is viable for commercial uses, parking and guest parking arrangements, the site's small lot sizes, and perimeter setbacks intended to buffer adjacent properties.

Key project details and staff findings - Proposed housing: 66 attached townhome units on the four-acre parcel; unit floor plans described by the applicant as roughly 1,200 to 1,400 square feet. - Lot sizes and deviations: the applicant said individual lot widths/sizes vary roughly in the 1,134–1,300 square-foot range and requested deviations to reduce interior lot area and allow 0-foot interior lot lines for attached units. The project proposes a maximum building height of 30 feet and to retain the same open-space percentage required by code. Perimeter setbacks proposed by staff/applicant: 20 feet from an arterial right-of-way, 15 feet from a collector/local right-of-way, 20 feet minimum adjacent to single-family zoning, 10 feet adjacent to multifamily zoning, and 20 feet adjacent to nonresidential zoning. - Parking: buildings include tuck-under or two-car garages. Applicant and staff said guest parking will be provided in several clustered areas on the site; residents will be required to keep routine parking in garages to reduce curb congestion. Commissioner Chapman asked whether vehicles parked in driveways would impede sidewalks; staff confirmed driveway depths and guest stalls were designed to avoid encroaching on sidewalks and fire/access lanes. - Outreach and history: Staff published legal notice and reported an outreach meeting on Feb. 19, 2025 with one attendee; the applicant said it held an earlier, informal neighborhood meeting with three neighbors and a second formal meeting. The parcel was the subject of past concept review (staff met with the applicant Oct. 19, 2023) and the rezone application was filed March 9, 2024. The site was described in the record as surrounded on two sides by rental communities (a three-story apartment community to the west and a one-story build-to-rent Christopher Todd community to the east) and single-family Sierra Verde neighborhoods to the south.

Commission questions and concerns - Traffic and circulation: Commissioner Spada asked whether a full traffic impact analysis had been done and whether the proposed ingress/egress could cause U-turns on the adjacent collector; staff said a traffic statement rather than a full traffic-impact analysis was required and transportation staff had not raised concerns. Staff acknowledged U-turns were possible on a collector but said the access geometry was intended to minimize that behavior. - Commercial viability: Several commissioners, including Perry and Leonard, said they generally prefer to keep land zoned commercial but that this particular parcel appears ill-suited to commercial uses because it is a mid-block site with limited visibility and has seen little market interest over many years. Perry said after visiting the site he believed viable commercial development would be difficult on the four-acre lot. - For-sale vs. rental: Commissioner Keating asked whether the units would be sold or rented. The applicant said the project is being platted for sale but the developer "is still trying to figure that out" and could potentially offer rental units; staff said the final product type was not yet specified.

Formal actions and next steps - The commission recommended the zoning text amendment (case FS24-1431) to City Council, 7-0. No public speakers addressed the hearing. - The commission recommended rezoning the parcel and approving the PUD overlay (case FS24-0503) to City Council, subject to stipulations A and B in the staff report, 7-0. The recommendations will be considered by City Council, which must approve zoning changes and the PUD for the project to proceed.

Votes at a glance - Approval of March 20, 2025 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting minutes: motion passed 7-0 (movers not specified in the transcript). - Case FS24-1431 (Zoning text amendment to Surprise Land Development Ordinance to allow expanded townhouse/middle-housing flexibility): motion to recommend approval to City Council passed 7-0. - Case FS24-0503 (Rezoning of parcel at SW corner of Greenway Road and 140th Drive to R-2 with PUD overlay; preliminary plat for 66 townhomes): motion to recommend approval to City Council subject to stipulations A and B passed 7-0.

No members of the public spoke during the hearings. The applicant and staff said City Council action is required before development can proceed; the project will return to Council with the staff report, plan sets and any additional stipulations for final decision.