Council rejects amendment to Rancho Sahuarita plan that would have allowed denser lots in Pod 33 after heated public hearing

The Town Council held a public hearing on a proposed major amendment to the Rancho Sahuarita specific plan that would have changed the land‑use designation for Pod 33 from low‑density residential (LDR) to medium‑low density residential (MLDR) plus public facilities/open‑space to allow smaller lots and an additional 43 lots in that pod.

Dylan Perry, community development staff, explained the amendment would reduce minimum lot sizes in Pod 33 (from existing minimums as platted to as small as 4,000 square feet) and memorialize a 20‑foot natural open‑space buffer at the south end adjacent to the Valle Verde Del Norte neighborhood. Staff noted the specific plan (adopted in 1996) contains density‑transfer and lot‑size flexibility provisions that the applicant is invoking; the applicant asserted market changes since 1996 make narrower lots necessary to achieve more affordable homes.

The Planning & Zoning Commission had recommended approval with conditions, and staff proposed conditions to address neighborhood…