Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Rezoning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission clears Maricopa Mixed‑Use rezones and general plan cleanup for northeast Whiting‑Parker area
Summary
The Planning and Zoning Commission approved a general plan amendment and three zoning map amendments to create a mixed‑use commercial corner and higher‑density housing on roughly 60 acres at Whiting Parker and Farrell Road.
The Planning and Zoning Commission approved a package of entitlements to reconfigure land use and zoning for a roughly 60‑acre site at the northeast corner of North Whiting Parker Road and West Farrell Road.
Staff said the applications—one minor general plan amendment (GPA 22‑12) and three zoning map amendments (ZON22‑08, ZON22‑09 and ZON22‑10)—work together to establish a mixed‑use commercial corner, a high‑density residential area and a step‑down multiple‑unit residential zone. The proposals would replace existing general‑rural zoning and better align mapped plan boundaries with likely development patterns.
Why it matters: The entitlements create room for an office/retail corner (Maricopa Mixed Use), a three‑story garden‑apartment product (Allure Apartments) and cottage‑style multiunit housing (Artisan Villas), and are intended to concentrate higher intensity uses near the corridor and step down to single‑family eastward.
What staff and applicants said: Derek (planning department staff) presented the package and said the general plan lines previously did not follow property boundaries and that the amendment “cleans up” those lines to reflect planned commercial and residential intensity around the corridor. The applicant, identified as Roy Arrieta of Ware Malcolm, provided the conceptual site layouts showing a spine collector road that will be built to city standards and connect to future development north of the site.
Public process and review: Staff reported the proposal was routed to internal and external technical reviewers—planning, engineering, fire and building—and that public outreach included neighborhood meeting notices, sign posting and legal notices in local papers. Staff recommended approval of the GPA and the three zone changes, noting no variations to the base zones were requested on the submitted rezones.
Commission comments and action: Commissioners generally supported the cleanup and the mixed‑use approach, describing the package as consistent with city goals to encourage higher‑density and mixed‑use development along transit corridors and busy nodes. The commission voted to approve GPA 22‑12 and each of the rezoning cases (ZON22‑08, ZON22‑09 and ZON22‑10); each was read and acted on separately as part of the single consolidated application set.
Next steps: Approvals forward the cases as recommended and permit future design review submittals (DRPs) for each component. Engineering, drainage and DRP level review will follow as projects move to site design and building permits.
