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Maricopa council approves rezone for Terrible’s gas station despite neighborhood concerns
Summary
Council approved ordinance ORD25-13 (ZON25-04) to rezone about 2.21 acres at W. Honeycutt Rd. & N. Border Rd to City General Commercial for a proposed Terrible’s gasoline service station after hearing public opposition and staff assurances about required development controls.
Maricopa — The City Council voted Nov. 4 to approve a city-initiated rezone (ordinance ORD25-13, case ZON25-04) of roughly 2.21 acres at the southwest corner of West Honeycutt Road and North Border Road to a City General Commercial (GC) zoning district, a change staff said would transition the parcel from legacy Pinal County CB-2 zoning into the city’s code.
Derek Shearer of the city’s planning division told the council the proposed rezone is a "like-for-like" change that conforms with the city’s general plan and zoning code and that a gasoline service station is a permitted use under both the legacy county CB-2 and the city GC zoning. Shearer said staff mailed notifications, held a neighborhood meeting and that the Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval by a 5–2 vote. He also said staff received three letters of opposition to future development at the site (those letters are in the council packet) and that the development itself will require a separate administrative development review permit.
A nearby resident, Ron Anjorami, spoke at the council meeting opposing a gasoline station in the residential area. "Placing a gas station in the middle of a residential neighborhood is far from ideal," Anjorami told the council, citing concerns about traffic, noise and environmental risk. He acknowledged commitments the developer made at prior hearings, including a southern block wall and additional landscaping, but said those mitigations did not fully address the core issue.
Council members pressed staff on technical issues including flood mitigation and clarified that a "no" vote on the rezone would not necessarily prevent a service station from being built because the use is permitted under the existing county zoning in some cases. Council member Manfredi noted that voting against the rezone would not automatically bar development because the landowner could pursue development under current zoning rules.
After discussion, the council moved to approve the ordinance (motion by Council member Manfredi, second by Vice Mayor Wade). The council voted in the affirmative and the mayor declared the motion carried.
Staff said the administrative development review process will address site design details such as the promised block wall, landscaping and flood mitigation before final permits are issued.
