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City Council approves Artessa rezoning for 47-unit age‑restricted community at Dynamite and Alma School
Summary
After neighborhood outreach and a unanimous planning commission recommendation, Scottsdale City Council approved a planned shared development overlay, a development agreement and an updated development plan to allow 47 for‑sale, age‑restricted homes on a previously undeveloped portion of a 22.26‑acre PCC/ESL site.
Scottsdale City Council on Tuesday approved a rezoning and development agreement to replace a previously approved grocery store site with a 47‑unit, age‑restricted residential community called Artessa at the southwest corner of Dynamite Boulevard and Alma School Parkway.
The council adopted ordinance No. 4664, declared the Artessa development plan a public record via Resolution No. 13379, and authorized Development Agreement No. 2025061COS by resolution No. 13380, following a unanimous 7‑0 recommendation from the Planning Commission.
City planning principal Jeff Barnes told the council the application keeps the underlying Planned Community Center (PCC) and Environmentally Sensitive Lands (ESL) zoning, adds a Planned Shared Development (PSD) overlay, and reallocates residential density across five parcels to allow the 47 units on an undeveloped rear portion of the 22.26‑acre site. Barnes said the original 1995 development plan had contemplated a grocery store on the rear corner that never materialized.
Steven Anderson, attorney for applicant Lifestyle Communities Southwest LLC, said the proposal is for “47 for‑sale, owner‑occupied homes, age restricted, all 1 and 2 stories.” Anderson and the developer team emphasized design changes made after community input: the applicant reduced building massing from an earlier 3‑story design to two stories and cut the unit count from an earlier 67 to 47 units.
Anderson also highlighted staff materials showing a traffic comparison: the previously approved grocery store was projected to generate about 7,800 vehicle trips per day, while the developer’s age‑restricted community is projected to generate about 231 trips per day — a difference the applicant said would substantially reduce traffic impact.
Neighbors and nearby homeowners’ associations were represented at the hearing. Michael Joyner, a resident within 300 yards of the site, told the council he supported the project and said the developer’s revisions — lowered heights, no short‑term rentals and preserved open space — addressed neighborhood concerns.
The approved plan includes single‑story “casita” buildings and a two‑story “villa” building without interior stairs (each villa unit is single‑story), a public trail through preserved Natural Area Open Space (NAOS) and an estimated 2.95 acres of preserved NAOS on the Artessa parcel. The applicant also agreed not to allow short‑term rentals in the development.
Councilmembers who spoke in favor cited responsiveness to neighborhood input and the project’s fit within True North’s commercial zoning. Vice Mayor Jan De Boskus and multiple council members noted staff and applicant revisions before the Planning Commission hearing that reduced height and unit count.
Councilwoman Solange Whitehead moved approval and Councilwoman Cathy Littlefield seconded; the motion passed and the rezoning, development plan and development agreement were adopted.
The project will proceed to design review and other ministerial approvals required under the development agreement and city code.
