Planning commission recommends approval of text amendment and special-use permit for 14-unit Carefree condominium project

The Carefree Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend approval of a zoning text amendment and a related special-use permit for a 14-unit condominium project proposed at the northeast corner of Carefree Drive and Sidewinder Road. The commission’s recommendation sends the text amendment (case 2512A) and the special-use permit (case 2513) to the town council for final action.

Planning staff and the applicant described the text amendment as a targeted change to Section 502 of the Carefree zoning ordinance to permit residential condominium development in the Town Center through a special-use-permit process. Planning staff said the amendment would modify standards for density, unit size, parking and applicability within the Town Center and would require future mixed‑use projects to obtain a special-use permit rather than a conditional-use permit. “This amendment would apply to future residential and mixed‑use projects within Town Center as a whole,” planning staff member Stacy said during her presentation.

Applicant representative Alex Hayes said the proposal — marketed as Asena Carefree — would place 14 condominium units in seven two‑story buildings on roughly 0.97 acres, with unit sizes ranging from about 910 to over 1,500 square feet and a maximum building height shown at about 21.5 feet (24 feet from finished grade on the site plan). Hayes said the design is “contemporary desert inspired” with Spanish influences, that the project includes a combination of on‑site and shared public parking, and that the project aligns with the town’s Village Center redevelopment plan. “One of the key parts of this project is that it does bring new housing options to the town and more attainable options that would help support the workforce,” Hayes said.

Commissioners pressed several procedural and policy questions. Commissioner Mike said he supported the project but objected to the idea of allowing a developer to shape zoning language for the town, stating: “I do, however, have a problem in having a developer rewrite our zoning code. I don’t like that idea.” Staff and the applicant replied that a use variance is not a permitted path for this kind of change and that the special‑use‑permit route or a text amendment are the available mechanisms. Staff emphasized the amendment is limited to commercially zoned properties within Town Center and that each future special‑use permit would still require review and approval.

Other questions focused on unit standards and potential precedent. Commissioners asked whether the 900‑square‑foot minimum in the proposed text would create an entitlement for other projects; staff replied that establishing a minimum in the zoning ordinance would allow applicants to request a special‑use permit for units at that size but would not automatically entitle future projects to approval. Commissioners also asked about parking and traffic; staff and the applicant said the site plan shows two parking spaces per unit (the town code requirement) plus guest parking (one guest space per four units, rounded) and noted a traffic analysis recommending widening the adjacent alley to allow two‑way circulation.

During the public hearing, Carefree resident Sarah Emerson said she supports more housing but asked for clarity about short‑term rentals and guest parking, noting local demand and affordability pressures in existing small rental units. “There’s almost nothing available for less than $2,000 a month,” Emerson said, urging the commission to be precise about rental‑term restrictions and guest parking. Applicant and developer representatives said CC&Rs could include minimum lease terms; the developer and Alex Hayes stated an intent to offer multiyear or annual leases initially. Ray Carlin, another resident, asked whether the units would be condominium‑platted and whether the owner might rent them; the applicant confirmed the units would be condominium‑platted (individually ownable) and that owners could choose how to market units, though the current intent is to lease initially.

The commission moved and seconded motions to recommend approval of both the text amendment and the special‑use permit. On each motion one commissioner recorded an opposing vote, but the motions carried and the recommendations will be forwarded to town council for final consideration. The next procedural steps are council hearings on the amendment and the special‑use permit and subsequent site plan and permitting if council approves.