Planning commission recommends rezoning for 22-unit Palm Lane residences

The Scottsdale Planning Commission on a unanimous vote recommended that the City Council approve a rezoning to allow the Palm Lane Residences, a proposed 22-unit detached housing development at the northwest corner of North 70th Street and East Palm Lane.

The commission’s recommendation follows a staff presentation and an applicant presentation explaining changes made after neighborhood input. Mary Tessier, a planner with the city’s planning department, summarized the proposal and staff’s materials. Applicant representative Lauren Proper Potter described the project, noting the proposed site layout, two-point vehicular access (North 70th and Palm Lane), internal pedestrian circulation, an amenity building with a pool, and a required 35-foot landscape buffer along both street frontages. Potter also said the developer will underground existing overhead power lines along the property’s northern edge.

The commission and applicant emphasized the project’s reductions compared with the original submittal. Potter said the team reduced the request from an R-5 zoning proposal for about 41 units to an R-3 request limited to 22 units, a roughly 45% decrease in density, and reduced maximum height from about 41 feet in the earlier proposal to a stipulated maximum of 25 feet for the current plan. Potter also described landscape and parking changes made in response to neighborhood concerns, including added guest parking and larger fronting sidewalks with benches.

Commissioners asked about likely residents, parking configuration, construction timing and short-term rental restrictions. Potter said all 22 units would be three-bedroom houses with two-car side-by-side garages; the development includes 13 guest parking spaces (she described these as 10 standard guest spaces plus three accessible spaces). On occupancy profile she said the product is aimed at a range of buyers — families, professionals and others — not student housing. On timing Potter said the team would pursue design review and building permits after council approval and anticipated construction starting roughly within about a year to 18 months depending on permitting.

On short-term rentals, Potter told the commission the developer will record CC&Rs at time of condo platting that impose a minimum 30-day rental term, and that language will be reflected on the recorded plat and governing documents. The record shows commissioners pressed for clarity on that point and were told the restriction would be recorded with the development documents.

Traffic and site impacts were discussed. Potter cited trip-generation comparisons showing that the proposed housing would generate roughly the same AM and PM peak-hour trips as a single-family detached housing scenario and substantially fewer daily trips than the site’s prior uses (a church and school). Tessier confirmed staff received public comment and new correspondence dated May 22 related to the case.

After questions and public input (a neighbor submitted a comment in support but did not speak), a commissioner moved to recommend approval to City Council “per the staff recommended stipulations after finding that the proposed zoning district map amendment is consistent and conforms with the adopted general plan.” The motion passed on a roll-call vote with Chair Scarborough, Vice Chair Young and Commissioners Gonzales, Ertel, Joiner and Higgs voting yes.

Next steps: the Planning Commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Scottsdale City Council, which will make the final decision on the rezoning application. If council votes to approve, the applicant still must complete design review, record plat/CC&Rs and obtain building permits before construction begins.

Editors’ note: All direct quotations and attributions in this story come from the meeting transcript and the list of speakers below.