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Council approves rezoning and site plan for Carefree Highway 'Cave Creek Gateway' project
Summary
The council approved a rezoning from DR‑89 to Commercial Buffer and a site plan for a retail/restaurant center (Cave Creek Gateway) on Carefree Highway between 50th and 51st Streets. The project includes a TDR to preserve 34,000 sq ft of centrally‑located land; council votes were unanimous (7–0).
The Town Council approved a pair of related land‑use actions for a 5‑acre parcel north of Carefree Highway between 50th and 51st Streets: a rezoning (Z‑24‑01) from Desert Rural (DR‑89) to Commercial Buffer consistent with the Carefree Highway Specific Area Plan, and the site plan (SPR‑24‑01) for a retail/restaurant center the applicant calls Cave Creek Gateway.
Senior planner Steven Peroz explained the parcels’ location and that staff and the utilities director reviewed water/wastewater reports and found the proposed low‑water‑use retail/restaurant program compliant with town code. Applicant counsel Steven Anderson and planner Michelle Santoro said the plan meets the SAP’s overlay standards — 22‑foot building height limit, more restrictive setbacks, and an 18% lot‑coverage target — and that the proposal will provide 17.2% lot coverage and 26.2% landscaping. The applicant agreed to 20 staff/commission recommended conditions.
The project is linked to a previously approved transfer‑of‑development‑rights (TDR): the developer purchased a centrally located parcel and will preserve about 34,000 square feet in perpetuity in exchange for the development rights used at the Carefree Highway site, staff said. During public comment, nearby resident Julie Goldhammer, who lives in the neighborhood, thanked staff for outreach but urged caution about potential grocery use, traffic impacts and water demand, noting grocery stores are heavy water users.
After discussion, council approved the rezoning and site plan on voice votes (both 7–0). Staff will require on‑site and off‑site infrastructure plans at permitting and stated that building permits will not issue until water, sewer and transportation requirements are fully satisfied.
Ending: With approvals, the applicant can proceed to permit submittals and satisfy 20 recommended conditions before building permits are issued; staff emphasized compliance checks at the permit stage to verify infrastructure and water usage.
