Planning commission continues review of Anthem at Merrill Ranch preliminary plat after residents raise safety, roads and amenities concerns

FLORENCE, Ariz. — The Florence Planning and Zoning Commission on Thursday continued the public hearing and preliminary-plat review for the Anthem at Merrill Ranch planned unit development, formally PZ-24-37, after residents and commissioners pressed the developer for clearer plans for roads, amenities, water and lot counts.

The commission voted to table action on the preliminary plat for 30 days and asked staff to compile the meeting minutes and a written list of the commission’s and public’s questions so the developer can respond in writing before the commission resumes the hearing on March 20.

The preliminary plat covers roughly 983 acres east of Felix Road and north of Hunt Highway and, in the version presented to the commission, proposes 3,137 lots in several phases. Staff and the developer said the project falls under the Anthem at Merrill Ranch PUD (originally approved in 2005 and amended in 2008) and that the PUD sets the overall development framework and allowable unit allocations.

The staff presentation said the project includes roughly 340 acres of open space, more than four miles of trails and a mix of single-family and active-adult housing. Joshua Robinson, a civil engineer for Colliers Engineering and Design, told the commission the revised plat reduced lots to 3,137 and calculated an overall average density of approximately 3.37 dwellings per acre for this side of the PUD.

Developer and engineering team members described planned infrastructure improvements including phased widening of Felix Road adjacent to the property, signalized intersections at Merrill Ranch Parkway and FELIX, and a planned water campus and water-reclamation facility that proponents said will start construction next year. The team also said pedestrian connectivity will include a concrete underpass beneath Felix where a partial structure exists today.

But residents and several commissioners pressed for more detail and for stronger, earlier commitments. Several speakers told the commission that existing community amenities are already near capacity and that local roads are congested.

“Florence is at capacity with roads, and we keep building and building, and all these developers keep coming to us,” said Courtney Ramirez during public comment. “I ask you developers, what are you going to do to help fix this road situation that your high density housing is bringing to this little bitty town?”

Commissioners and residents asked for specific numbers on how many active-adult (55+) lots would be on the east side of Felix; the developer provided an immediate table figure for the segment identified as active-adult: “The total is 31,” Joshua Robinson said in response to the question about the north-of-Merrill-Ranch-Parkway, active-adult parcel.

On lot allocation and the PUD cap, Jared Baxter of Baxter’s AgGroup said the project team is “well below the maximum number that’s approved through the original PUD” and described the changes as a reallocation of authorized units rather than a transfer; “I wouldn’t really consider it a transfer. It’s a reallocation,” Baxter said.

Commissioners voiced multiple concerns that led to the continuation. Those included: - Road capacity and timing: Commissioners and residents asked whether Felix Road improvements would be completed prior to substantial occupancy and highlighted the railroad crossing and downstream bottlenecks noted in the traffic analysis. Developers said Felix Road widening adjacent to the property will be phased and that Pulte will construct the east-side improvements to its property line as part of phase construction; other owners and the town will be responsible for additional segments. - Amenities and programming: Commenters and commissioners said the community’s existing activity center and union center are heavily used and wanted a clearer plan for how new residents will be accommodated. Developers pointed to 16 acres set aside for future amenity expansion west of Felix and said programming would be developed with HOA feedback over time. - Water and wastewater: Developers described a planned water campus and a water-reclamation facility intended to serve the area. Staff and the developer said reclaimed effluent is planned to be recharged into the aquifer (via recharge basins or injection wells), not used broadly for irrigation in this portion of the development. Commissioners pressed whether the new utilities would be built to municipal standards and noted potential costs passed to future homeowners via a community facilities district (CFD). - Fire and emergency egress: Commissioners asked about secondary accesses and fire access; the applicants said they worked with the fire marshal and added multiple permanent and temporary access points to meet fire access requirements.

After nearly three hours of public comment and detailed questioning, the commission voted unanimously to continue the preliminary-plat hearing for 30 days and asked staff to prepare draft meeting minutes and a consolidated written list of questions within one week, so the applicant could respond in writing prior to the March hearing.

The Planning and Zoning Commission recorded the continuation motion as tabled for 30 days; the commission’s next scheduled discussion of the application is set for Thursday, March 20, 2025.

What’s next

The hearing will resume March 20. Commissioners asked staff to circulate the draft minutes of this meeting as the formal record before the next hearing so the developer’s written responses directly map to the commission’s and public’s stated concerns. The developer also agreed to provide additional engineering and timing details in response to the written questions.

For more information

Staff and the applicant said the application is filed as PZ-24-37 (Anthem at Merrill Ranch preliminary plat). The PUD document (Anthem at Merrill Ranch PUD, 02/2008) and the Town of Florence Development Code (Chapter 150) were referenced repeatedly during the hearing and guide what parts of the review go to the commission and what are administrative.