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Florence council approves Monarch preliminary plat for 2,050 homes on 513-acre PUD
Summary
The Florence Town Council approved a preliminary plat for the Monarch planned unit development, permitting 2,050 single-family lots on roughly 513 acres. The plan reserves land for a school, fire station, water campus and a 400-foot freeway alignment and includes transportation and amenity commitments.
The Florence Town Council voted to approve the preliminary plat for the Monarch development — a proposed 513-acre planned unit development (PUD) that includes 2,050 single-family lots — at the council’s March 4 meeting. The applicant, Community Southwest, was represented by attorney Andrew Yancey.
The preliminary plat, which the Planning and Zoning Commission had recommended for approval on Feb. 6, allocates about 124 acres (approximately 24% of the site) as open space and includes a central six‑acre park and amenity area to be built in the project’s first phase. Community Southwest said the overall plan also reserves a six‑acre church site, a three‑acre parcel to be dedicated to EPCOR for a water campus, a six‑acre site for a fire station, and a 15‑acre school site currently reserved for Florence Unified School District No. 1. The developer also described a 400‑foot‑wide easement reserved for a future north–south freeway alignment.
Andrew Yancey, attorney for the applicant, described the project layout and phasing, saying development would proceed west to east to tie into existing utilities on Felix Road. He said lot widths would range from about 40 to 60 feet, the density would be about four units per acre to match the PUD and development agreement requirements, and the project proposes sidewalks, bike lanes, pocket parks and multiple amenity areas. “We are reserving about a 400 foot wide easement for the future freeway alignment,” Yancey said. “There is a six acre central park that will be built in the first phase.”
On transportation, the applicant said it will construct half‑streets along Felix Road and Arizona Farms Road (one travel lane each direction plus a dual left turn lane), provide a detached sidewalk with landscape buffer, and include dedicated bike lanes. The developer’s traffic analysis projects three traffic signals eventually will be warranted — signals at each of the two main entrances and at the corner of Arizona Farms and Felix — with signal installation tied to phase‑by‑phase traffic counts at the final plat stage. The plan also shows roundabouts on internal collector streets.
Councilmembers asked about noise and roadway design along Felix Road and stressed the need for coordinated design with other developers building along the same corridor. One councilmember noted that portions of Felix are under different planned build‑outs and urged staff to work with multiple developers to ensure consistent roadway design and landscaping. Planning staff and the town manager said they will coordinate with developers on Felix Road improvements.
The council moved to approve the preliminary plat with the five stipulations recommended by staff; the motion carried (motion passed). Councilmembers and staff said they look forward to reviewing final plats and the phased traffic analyses as the project advances.
Ending — The developer said it will work with town staff on final design as the project moves to final plat review. The council’s approval allows Community Southwest to begin detailed engineering and phase planning with the town and other agencies.
