Gilbert council approves Pony Lane general plan amendment and rezoning near South Valley Junior High, 7-0

The Gilbert Town Council voted unanimously on Jan. 28 to approve a general plan amendment (GP 24-03) and a conventional rezoning (Z 24-15) for a 7-acre site on Lindsey Road adjacent to South Valley Junior High.

Senior planner Kristen Devine presented the staff recommendation for the project, called Pony Lane, saying the request would change the site’s general-plan density category from “0 to 1 dwelling unit per acre” to “1 to 2 dwelling units per acre” and rezone the property from Single-Family 43 (SF-43) to Single-Family 35 (SF-35). Devine explained the change would reduce the minimum lot area from 43,000 square feet to 35,000 square feet and the minimum lot width from 145 feet to 140 feet, and it could allow the current conceptual layout to be split so the site could eventually contain seven lots instead of six if future owners pursue splits that meet development standards.

Kristen Devine said the site contains a historical canal that constrains a secondary access point from Pony Lane and that access will be taken from Lindsay Road. She noted a neighborhood meeting on Oct. 28 drew 14 neighbors, most opposing the project over density and access concerns. The Planning Commission recommended approval 6–1 after hearings in December and Janurary; Devine said commissioners had questions primarily about access and lot configuration.

Nathan Finch of Cross Law Firm, representing the property owner, told the council the primary change that reduced developable area arose after the town began requiring dedication of road plats, which reduced lot-area calculations and prompted the request for rezoning. “Because you didn't have to give the square footage up to the separate plat for the road you maintained the … 43,000 square foot size of the lots,” Finch said, describing why the owner is seeking SF-35 zoning now.

Council member Young Koprowski moved to approve GP 24-03 and Z 24-15; Council member Chuck Bongiovanni seconded. The motion passed on a roll-call-style vote recorded as 7–0. The council discussion focused on access, whether the three larger lots could be split later (Devine said each could be split once as undeveloped lots if setbacks and dimensional standards are met), and the absence of a median or gating requirement for the Lindsay Road entrance.

Why this matters: The rezoning permits a denser residential pattern on the site and creates the legal possibility for one additional lot under the revised zoning; neighbors raised concerns about additional traffic on Lindsay Road and maintaining neighborhood character.