Council and Planning & Zoning review Parcel 30 specific plan; plan proposes mixed‑use town core on remediated site

The Town of Sahuarita held a study session with the Planning & Zoning Commission and the council to review a proposed Parcel 30 specific plan, a rezoning of approximately 233 acres intended to create a mixed‑use town core and recreational attractions.

Scope and intent: The specific plan is a flexible zoning entitlement designed for a large property without a committed developer or end user. The plan relies on the Town’s mixed‑use code and supplements it with regulations tailored to Parcel 30: permitted uses, performance standards, development standards, parking, landscaping and buffering. The property is primarily proposed for commercial and recreation uses with ancillary retail, office and multiple‑dwelling residential where appropriate.

Site history and environmental constraints: The northern portion of the parcel includes an approximately 87‑acre former mill and tailings deposition area where earlier mining operations processed lead‑zinc ore. That area was remediated, capped with soil and is subject to a Declaration of Environmental Use Restriction (DEUR) that limits ground‑disturbing activities and regulates permitted uses. Man in the Maze Park currently occupies part of the capped area.

Planning approach and buffers: The preliminary development plan divides the parcel into development areas (north of the railroad for community/recreation uses and south of the railroad for commercial/mixed‑use development). The plan establishes a 40‑foot landscape buffer on the west and a 60‑foot buffer in the El Toro Road right‑of‑way on the south, among other buffers intended to protect adjacent residences. Secondary‑planning requirements will require detailed circulation, drainage, utilities and geotechnical studies before site development permits are issued.

Public outreach and next steps: Staff held neighborhood meetings and briefed adjacent property owners on buffering, permitted uses, drainage, building heights and timing. Planning & Zoning Commission will consider the rezoning at a formal hearing; the application will then return to council for final action. If approved, future development agreements and secondary plans will translate the specific‑plan framework into parcel‑level approvals.

Why it matters: The specific plan is intended to create a walkable town center and regional attraction that aligns with the Sahuarita Square District Area Plan while preserving public safety and environmental protections on the remediated northern acreage. Council and commissioners emphasized the need to balance flexibility for future users with safeguards for neighboring residential areas and to ensure DEUR requirements are respected during design and buildout.