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Commission recommends rezoning Pure Heart Church site to community commercial amid neighborhood concerns
Summary
The commission voted to recommend rezoning roughly 10.7 acres owned by Pure Heart Church from rural residential to community commercial (C-2) for frontage commercial uses that the applicant says will support church development; commissioners sought commitments on height, compatibility and asked staff to craft stipulations.
The Surprise Planning & Zoning Commission on May 7 recommended approval of a rezone requested by Pure Heart Church that would change about 10.7 acres from rural residential (RR) to community commercial (C-2).
Leslie presented case FS241442, saying the site sits in the city’s neighborhood character area; the applicant submitted a conceptual site plan showing two commercial buildings along the arterial frontage to help underwrite off-site infrastructure (curb, gutter, retention and a future traffic signal). Leslie said a neighborhood meeting on Feb. 11 drew five residents who raised questions about building height, traffic and light pollution; staff recommended the commission forward the rezone to the mayor and city council with stipulations A and B.
Commissioner Perry said he supported the church’s community work but urged caution, citing examples in other municipalities where properties rezoned for church‑support uses were later sold and redeveloped with general commercial uses inconsistent with original expectations. He asked whether the city could write constraints that would prevent a later sale from enabling incompatible development.
Applicant representative Adam Baugh said the commercial frontage has long been part of the campus concept and would provide revenue to underwrite costly infrastructure; he said the church can manage tenant selection and was comfortable with limiting building height under the city’s 40‑foot code. Mark Hendricks, executive pastor and COO of Pure Heart, said the church plans a phased development, estimated an 18-month planning timeline and a three-year horizon for construction tied to a capital campaign.
Commissioner Holland asked for commitments on the character and height of the frontage buildings; Baugh responded that the zoning code’s height limits and future site-plan review would constrain outcomes and that the church had no interest in building incompatible uses. After discussion, Commissioner Bash moved — and the commission seconded — a recommendation to approve the rezone to C-2 subject to stipulations A and B; the motion carried as reported with six votes in favor.
The recommendation will be forwarded to the mayor and city council for final action. Commissioners asked staff to ensure clear stipulations on height, design compatibility and how future site plans would be evaluated to protect nearby rural residential character.
