Maricopa staff and residents spar over water, traffic and wildlife at 995‑acre Santa Cruz Ranch general‑plan hearing

City of Maricopa Planning & Zoning Commissioners opened a public hearing on GPA 21‑03 on a request from iPlan Consulting on behalf of W Holdings to amend the city’s general plan to designate roughly 995 acres at the northeast corner of Anderson Road and Miller Road as a master planned community; no vote was taken.

The request, described by Rudy Lopez, the city’s development services director, would add the property to the city’s planning area and designate it Master Plan Community (MPC). "This request constitutes a major general plan amendment," Lopez told commissioners, citing the city general‑plan administration rule that amendments over 40 acres are considered major. He also said the proposal is step one of typically a five‑step entitlement process that would require annexation, rezoning and later platting before any building could occur.

The item drew more than a dozen public commenters. Resident Dave Klingensmith said he opposed the amendment "mainly because of water." At the podium Klingensmith described his previous career in the water industry and told commissioners his neighborhood’s wells and the local water table could be strained if the development proceeds as proposed. "I'm not for this particular zoning change mainly because of water," Klingensmith said. Several other residents raised similar concerns about groundwater and the local municipal supply.

Kristen Cardone and other speakers warned of heavier traffic on Maricopa‑Casa Grande Highway and on Anderson Road. Tina Dugan, who said she sits on a local parks/recreation body, highlighted neighborhood meeting communications and asked that developers clearly state which portion of the project was under consideration at outreach events. Jackie Shields, a local realtor, asked staff to provide maps and documentation showing floodplain changes and the project’s water arrangements.

Jason Sanx of iPlan Consulting, representing the applicant, told commissioners that notices to neighbors included a larger 1,886‑acre project footprint for context but that the portion proposed to be added to the city totaled 995 acres. "It really was just to clarify that. I'd be happy to answer any questions for the commission," Sanx said, adding the property already holds county zoning entitlements and that the applicant expects future development to meet City of Maricopa standards rather than Pinal County standards.

Commissioners and staff repeatedly stressed that no final action was being taken at this meeting. Lopez reminded the panel that state law requires two public hearings at separate locations for general plan amendments and that the commission would see the item again with staff’s formal recommendation. Commissioner Ravine and other commissioners asked staff to compile written responses to the range of issues raised — water supply, traffic impact analyses, floodplain adjustments, wildlife mitigation and emergency‑response capacity — before the next hearing.

Clarifying details provided in the staff presentation and public comments included that the site is about 995 acres made up of more than 15 tax parcels and that the property was rezoned by Pinal County in February 2005; staff described MPC as a large‑scale (160+ acre) designation anticipating varied housing types, neighborhood commercial uses and required off‑site infrastructure improvements. Multiple residents requested documentation on water providers, floodplain maps, and whether the area would remain on Casa Grande water rather than a private provider such as Global Water.

The public hearing was closed after multiple speakers; commissioners directed staff to assemble the neighborhood questions and require the applicant to address them at the next, action‑level public hearing.

Ending: Staff confirmed the commission will schedule the next hearing (the formal recommendation and possible action) at a future meeting and that applicants must provide traffic and flood studies, and water‑supply information for review.