Council approves major amendment to former Trillium CMP, clearing path for Florio at Terravalis

The City of Buckeye Council voted unanimously to terminate former development agreements for the Trillium Community Master Plan and to approve a major amendment and a new development agreement for the project now presented as Florio at Terravalis.

The ordinance, introduced as item 5A, terminates the prior agreements associated with the Trillium CMP and approves a comprehensive amendment and development agreement between the city and Trillium Land Company, LLC. City staff and the applicant described the amendment as a detailed, nearly 500-page document establishing a land-use budget, development unit plans, and design standards tailored for the project area.

Staff presenter Sean Bridal summarized the project area as approximately 3,029 acres (about 4.7 square miles) located near the Sun Valley Parkway interchange. Bridal said the original Trillium CMP, approved in 2004, envisioned about 8,816 dwelling units at roughly 2.9 dwelling units per acre; later amendments had reduced allowable maximums (the most recent prior amendment allowed up to 6,596 dwelling units at about 2.2 dwelling units per acre). The amendment approved by the council restructures the CMP to include a land-use budget, development-unit planning, and more detailed design standards that staff said reflect the vision proposed by the developer and the Howard Hughes Corporation.

Bridal and staff said the amendment creates a hierarchy of planning: the CMP sets the overarching vision, development-unit plans specify character and standards for large subareas, and site-plan or subdivision reviews implement those standards at the parcel level. The amendment package includes a maximum gross floor area figure of 7,200,000 square feet in project documents and a framework intended to provide higher-quality, project-specific design standards.

The approved development agreement includes specific public-infrastructure commitments. Staff described requirements tied to early phases of construction, including a permanent public-safety facility requirement and funding obligations tied to fire services. Under the agreement, the developer must provide full funding for one fully equipped fire engine and payments for fire operations and maintenance for five years; the agreement requires the permanent public-safety facility either by the earlier of two years after issuance of the first single-family residence or upon issuance of the 1,760th single-family residential building permit (the text presented to council tied the timing to the earlier of those two benchmarks).

Public comment on the amendment was limited: three written comment forms were placed on the record and three individuals submitted non-speaking comment cards; one resident asked about emergency-vehicle access and whether parking on both sides of streets would impede fire trucks. Staff responded that the plan and engineering reviews incorporate current standards for fire-truck turning radii and public-safety access, and that site plans and subdivision plans will be reviewed by planning, engineering, water resources, public works, police and fire departments.

Mayor Osborn commented from the dais on the project’s potential impact, saying the development "is just game changing" for the Sun Valley Parkway corridor and expressing enthusiasm for the Howard Hughes Corporation’s design approach. Council members also thanked staff and the developer for the amount of work that went into the amendment and development agreement.

The council approved the ordinance (listed as item 5A) on a unanimous voice vote. Staff said the amendment and development agreement will be implemented through subsequent development-unit plans, site plans and subdivision reviews, which will return to the city for department-level review and approvals as the project advances.

Votes at a glance: Ordinance authorizing termination of prior Trillium agreements and approval of the Florio at Terravalis major amendment and development agreement — Passed unanimously.