Buckeye commission approves 363‑lot Vistas at Buckeye preliminary plat

The Buckeye Planning and Zoning Commission approved a preliminary plat for Vistas at Buckeye (Case PLZS24-0004), a proposed 363‑lot single‑family subdivision, voting to approve the application subject to conditions A through DD.

Planning staff said the site is located at the northwest corner of Broadway Road and 230 First Avenue and is zoned planned residential under the town's older code. Ken Galica, planning staff, said, "The proposal tonight is consistent with that single family zoning." He described the project as roughly three different lot types ranging from about 45 by 115 feet (just over 5,000 square feet) to about 63 by 120 feet (about 7,500 square feet).

Galica told commissioners the proposal includes three points of vehicular access (one from Broadway Road and two from Elwood Street using Lawson Road and 230 First Avenue), a comprehensive internal trail system, and multiple amenity areas. He said the proposal provides nearly 33% landscaped/open space, above the code requirement of 25%: "The proposal is exceeding that, providing almost 33%." Amenities called out in staff materials include a children's play structure in one amenity area and a basketball court in another.

Staff described the surrounding area as currently agricultural with anticipated single‑family development nearby; the city's Hazleton Memorial Cemetery sits across 230 First Avenue from the southern, narrower portion of the site. Galica said home elevations have not yet been submitted and will require subsequent review and approval, and that the developer must complete typical water, sewer and street improvements before final platting.

Galica also noted a precondition to final approval: "The certificate of adequate water supply has not been issued yet for this community." He said that certificate is required before a final plat can be recorded and construction can start. A commissioner referenced the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) during the discussion about water supply and ownership/transfer of agricultural water rights; staff clarified that those determinations involve ADWR and are not solely a municipal decision.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about the relationship of lot sizes to the stated density (about 3.3 dwelling units per acre when streets and common areas are included), the extension of 230 First Avenue to serve the site, and buffering between the development and the cemetery. One commissioner noted the planned extension of 230 First Avenue and staff confirmed there will be separation between the cemetery and new homes.

The commission voted to approve the preliminary plat. The motion and second were recorded and the chair announced "Motion carries." The transcript does not provide a roll‑call vote tally or identify which commissioner made and seconded the motion.

At the same meeting planning staff reminded commissioners to review the parks and recreation master plan and introduced a new planning division intern, Bailey Pacinski. No members of the public provided public comment on the Vistas at Buckeye item during the meeting.