Council approves 336‑unit conditional use permit for downtown multifamily project with crime‑prevention condition

The Apache Junction City Council on a unanimous vote approved a conditional use permit for a 336‑unit, three‑story multifamily rental development on the Golden Triangle parcel, with a condition that apartment management participate in the city’s crime‑free multi‑housing program and provide annual proof of participation to Development Services.

The permit, case P24‑104CUP (resolution 2519), drew a mix of supporters who said the project would bring year‑round residents and customers to downtown businesses, and opponents who raised concerns about traffic, blocked Superstition Mountain views and impacts on nearby Lost Dutchman RV Resort residents. City planning staff recommended approval after review and negotiated changes with the applicant.

Kelsey Shatnik, a city planner, told the council the property is zoned City Center (B‑3) and the proposed multifamily use is consistent with the voter‑approved general plan and the concentrated downtown master plan. Shatnik summarized the applicant’s plan and staff analysis, including a request to reduce required on‑site parking and staff’s support for the reduction based on a parking demand study and nearby on‑street stalls.

Paul Gilbert, representing the Wolf Company, said the proposal is a market‑rate apartment development and that the company intends to be a long‑term owner. “We bought it to build and we intend to build, and we will be the long term owners of the subject property,” Gilbert said, and told the council the company had revised the project in response to staff comments.

The development as presented would include 336 units in 14 buildings (mix of one‑ and two‑bedroom units), a clubhouse and pool, carports and a dog park. Gilbert said the project is a roughly $80 million development and described a package of public‑facing investments he said would accompany construction, including impact fees and permit payments.

Shatnik outlined staff and applicant calculations on parking and traffic: the site’s code requirement is 749 on‑site spaces; the applicant proposed 684 on‑site spaces, a reduction of 65 spaces (about 8.7 percent), while pointing to 45 on‑street stalls within 100 feet of the site and a parking study showing demand below the standard. The applicant’s traffic analysis estimated the multifamily development would generate roughly 2,265 daily trips and — by the applicant’s comparison — fewer daily trips than a shopping‑center or office buildout under the same zoning.

Public commenters were sharply divided. Local business owners and the Apache Junction Chamber of Commerce said the downtown needs year‑round residents to support shops and restaurants and many urged approval. Andre Meek, a resident who said he lives “nowhere near it,” said his “biggest concern would be traffic” and urged future traffic controls if the project proceeds. Several Lost Dutchman RV Resort residents and the resort’s manager opposed the project, citing view loss, water and power questions and potential noise and traffic; the resort manager said many residents would be “very unhappy.”

Council discussion centered on balancing downtown revitalization needs against neighbors’ concerns. Council members noted the city’s downtown plans and staff recommendation. One council member proposed an additional request that the developer reorient two westernmost buildings to create a view corridor for the RV park; the developer told the council that reorientation as proposed would create engineering and drainage conflicts and the developer declined that modification. The council instead approved the permit with the crime‑prevention participation condition and with the standard list of staff conditions.

Formal action: resolution 2519 (conditional use permit case P24‑104CUP) was approved by roll call vote, 7‑0. The council’s motion added this condition: apartment management must participate in the Apache Junction crime‑free multi‑housing program for as long as the program is supported by the Apache Junction Police Department and must provide proof of participation annually to Development Services.

The city and applicant also discussed implementation points the council did not formalize in the motion: the applicant committed to on‑site management, a crime‑free lease addendum and staging arrangements to avoid Plaza Drive for construction traffic during the first year. The applicant provided a projected build schedule in which initial buildings and clubhouse would open in mid‑2027 and full occupancy finish in 2028, as presented to the council.

The council’s approval moves the project forward but does not itself authorize construction financing, final engineering or building permits; those steps remain subject to subsequent plan reviews, permits and utility confirmations.

Proponents said the project would add residents needed to support downtown businesses in summer months when seasonal visitors leave, while opponents urged the council to protect long‑standing RV park residents’ views and to limit traffic and infrastructure impacts. The council’s conditions and annual reporting requirement give the city an enforcement point to follow post‑approval changes and management commitments.

Votes at a glance: resolution 2519 — approved, 7 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain.