Planning commission approves minor general plan amendment and PAD rezoning for 160‑acre Verrado/Yuma project

The Buckeye Planning and Zoning Commission voted to approve two related land‑use applications for a 160‑acre master planned community at the southwest corner of Verrado Way and Yuma Road: a minor general plan amendment (case PLZU‑24‑0004) and a rezoning to Planned Area Development (PAD) (case PLZD‑24‑0005).

Mandy Woods, principal planner for the City of Buckeye, presented the combined request on behalf of the applicant, who is identified in the record as Jeffrey Bliley with Gilbert Bliley (applicant presence later referenced as Jeff Liley). Woods described a PAD that divides the site into six development units (parcels A–F) across about 160 acres. The proposal would change roughly 46 acres from the existing Neighborhood land‑use designation to a Business Commerce designation limited to that 46‑acre portion, with the remainder retaining neighborhood‑scale uses. "This is a master plan development, 01/1960 acres total. And it's intended to develop with a mix of residential, commercial and business park uses," Woods said during her presentation.

Parcels were described as: Parcel A (about 14 acres) for commercial at the corner; Parcels B and C intended for multifamily (about 15–17 acres each); Parcels D and E for single‑family residential (about 27 and 39 acres, respectively); and Parcel F intended for a business park. The PAD lists permitted and conditional uses for each parcel, uses aligned to comparable city zoning districts, and specific limits on warehousing: the PAD expressly prohibits cross‑dock warehousing, sets a typical warehouse size cap at 150,000 square feet, and allows up to 200,000 square feet only by conditional use permit.

Woods described standards intended to reduce uncertainty about future development by prescribing parcel‑level development standards and listing minor modifications and design review procedures. The staff report also includes a condition requiring half‑street improvements phased with development so transportation infrastructure is provided irrespective of which parcel develops first.

A resident, Terry Mayfield, asked several public‑service questions about water rights, sewer connections and building types. Mayfield said she owns land immediately south of the proposed project and asked whether the developer had secured a certificate of assured water supply and how irrigation rights to adjacent properties would be protected. "How do you get that, prove that 100 year water rights to promote that?" Mayfield asked.

Applicant representative Jeff Liley responded that the project does not have a certificate of assured water supply yet, noted prior wells on the site used for the former dairy and described an agreement with the city to rely on nearby public wells. He said the team drilled a test well toward Yuma that performed well and that the developer intends the well to be a city well; he said the developer is participating in citywide efforts to secure assured water supply. On sewer, Liley said a force main currently serves the area to the Sundance wastewater treatment plant nearby and that the developer has agreed to work with the city to convert to a gravity sewer alignment via an easement along the canal if the city proceeds.

On multifamily intensity, Liley said the multifamily parcel was capped at about 25 units per acre. Woods and Liley said infrastructure phasing, school notifications and other standard PAD‑level requirements have been or will be addressed through subsequent site plans and development agreements.

A motion to approve the minor general plan amendment (PLZU‑24‑0004) was moved, seconded and carried on a voice vote; a separate motion to approve the rezoning to PAD (PLZD‑24‑0005) was subsequently moved, seconded and carried. These actions represent Planning and Zoning Commission approvals and recommendations that will proceed through the city’s annexation and municipal review processes as applicable.