Florence council approves Skyview Farms PUD amendment, redevelopment boundary change and a package of other measures

The Florence Town Council on Oct. 21 approved a major amendment to the Skyview Farms planned unit development and a series of other ordinances and resolutions, including a change to the downtown redevelopment boundary and a minor general-plan amendment for a proposed rock and landscape-supply site.

The Skyview Farms amendment adds roughly 605 acres into the existing planned unit development, consolidates adjacent PUD parcels, revises the roadway network and land-use table to introduce a 100-acre “mixed use” category and new circulation, and proposes nearly 9,975 residential units and about 80 acres of parks and nearly 26 miles of trails. Town staff said the amendment follows public-notice requirements and that the Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended approval to council. The council approved the ordinance with stipulated edits.

Why it matters: the Skyview amendment changes the scale and connectivity of a large master-planned area south of Arizona Farms Road and east of the Central Arizona Project canal, adds mixed-use acreage intended to support commercial and higher-density residential uses, and establishes a trail and park framework the town says will connect to the CAP recreational trail.

Council members and the applicant discussed circulation improvements, open-space locations, the requirement that at least 25% of each mixed-use parcel be commercial, and availability of park and school sites. Town staff and the applicant said emergency-service locations were identified but that station funding and siting remain a next step for the town and future developers.

The council also adopted a resolution to expand the town’s downtown redevelopment plan to formally include the Gateway District on the south approach to downtown (Resolution No. 1952-25). Staff said adding the Gateway District makes that entry corridor eligible for redevelopment tools such as façade grants and Community Development Block Grant–type programs; the Planning and Zoning Commission found the change consistent with the general plan, and the council approved the measure by the supermajority required under state law.

In a separate public hearing the council approved a minor general-plan amendment (Ordinance No. 774-25) to change a 10-acre site at 7309 West Arizona Farms Road from "suburban neighborhood" to an "industrial" place type to accommodate a proposed MDI landscape-rock and processing facility. The applicant and staff said a subsequent rezoning and site-design review will follow; nearby property owners raised concerns about potential crushing operations, silica dust, truck traffic and the need for a traffic study.

Other actions on the agenda included adoption of an eminent-domain policy (Resolution No. 1968-25), approval to replace a turf area at the aquatic center with synthetic turf under a cooperative contract not to exceed $125,527, and a change to the town’s comparator list for salary benchmarking (Payson removed; Casa Grande added). The council also approved several consent-agenda items.

Votes at a glance

- Ordinance No. 773-25 (Skyview Farms PUD major amendment, PZ 25-26) — Motion to approve with stipulations — Outcome: approved (voice vote recorded; Planning & Zoning recommended approval). Provenance: public hearing opened Oct. 21, applicant presentation and council discussion; council motion and approval recorded on Oct. 21.

- Resolution No. 1952-25 (Downtown redevelopment boundary amendment — Gateway District) — Motion to approve — Outcome: approved 7–0 (supermajority required). Provenance: Planning & Zoning recommended; council approved Oct. 21.

- Ordinance No. 774-25 (Minor general-plan amendment for 10-acre MDI rock site at 7309 W. Arizona Farms Rd., PZ 25-72) — Motion to approve — Outcome: approved (voice vote). Provenance: public hearing held Oct. 21; neighbors spoke; planning recommended approval.

- Cooperative contract with Paradise Greens & Turf Inc. (synthetic turf at aquatic center) — Amount not to exceed $125,527 — Outcome: approved (voice vote). Provenance: staff presentation and council approval Oct. 21.

- Electronic message centers (locations) — Council approved two sites for new electronic message-center signs (Fire Station 2/Hunt Highway and the 79/Main Street corridor). Vote recorded Oct. 21 (see separate article on sign locations). Provenance: public presentation, sites analysis and council vote Oct. 21.

- Resolution No. 1968-25 (Real property acquisition/eminent-domain policy) — Motion to approve — Outcome: approved (voice vote). Provenance: council work-session discussion and approval Oct. 21.

- Comparator list change for salary benchmarking — Motion to remove Payson and add Casa Grande — Outcome: approved (voice vote). Provenance: staff presentation and council approval Oct. 21.

What council said and next steps

Town staff said they will work with the Skyview applicant in follow-up meetings to finalize how the amended PUD language is incorporated into the existing PUD document and to coordinate infrastructure phasing. The MDI rock site will return with a rezoning/site-design submittal that will include more detail on operational controls, truck circulation and air-quality mitigation. The redevelopment amendment makes the eight Gateway District parcels eligible for redevelopment incentives and programs; staff said property owners were noticed and at least one owner expressed support.

The council’s motions and votes were taken in open session after public hearings; specific implementation items such as roadway funding, emergency-station siting and traffic improvements were described as future steps that will require follow-up action by staff and possible future council approvals.