Planning commission recommends denial of Banyan Apartments rezoning amid parking and neighborhood concerns

The Apache Junction Planning and Zoning Commission on June 23 recommended that the City Council deny a planned‑development rezoning requested by Banyan Residential for a 146‑unit apartment complex, voting 6–0 with one abstention after more than an hour of staff and applicant presentations, commissioner questions and public comment.

Nick Leftwich, principal planner for the City of Apache Junction, told the commission that the property is currently zoned RM‑2 and lies within the downtown mixed‑use land‑use category, but staff had concluded it could not support the proposed plan‑development overlay and the requested parking deviation. “Staff has determined that we are not supportive of the proposed rezoning by plan development case, and respectfully recommend to the Planning and Zoning Commission a recommendation to deny the zoning amendment,” Leftwich said.

The proposal from Banyan Residential would develop roughly 6.7 net acres along Renick Drive into six buildings totaling 146 units, with a mix of one‑ to four‑bedroom apartments and streetscape improvements including detached sidewalks and landscaping. The applicant requests an 8.5% parking reduction — providing 290 spaces where the current application context indicates roughly 317 spaces would normally be required, a deficit of 27 spaces. The developer cited a parking study and comparisons with other Arizona cities to argue that 290 spaces would meet demand.

Attorney Mike Marowitz, representing Banyan and the development team, described the project as a Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) development intended to preserve affordability. “It is a LIHTC low income housing tax credit project,” Marowitz said, and he clarified that LIHTC rent restrictions would apply for 30 years. He argued the revised site plan (fewer buildings, reduced lot coverage and improved circulation) addressed constructability and design issues found in the 2022 approved site plan.

Leila Villasenor, who presented the team’s outreach summary, said the developer conducted door‑to‑door outreach starting in April (166 conversations) and submitted roughly 120 signed letters of support; she acknowledged that some of the signed materials reflected an earlier, two‑story plan and said the team was updating contacts after recent plan changes that add three‑story buildings in the rear.

Members of the public offered mixed views. Some residents and a nearby business owner said they signed support letters but were not told at the time that the project would be LIHTC/“low income” or that parts of the design had changed to three stories. One business owner said, “They approached me with a letter, and I signed it. And they did not tell me there's a low income family,” and expressed concerns about long‑term impacts. Other neighbors said the developer responded constructively to access and entrance concerns and voiced conditional support, particularly for increased affordable housing supply.

Commissioners’ deliberations focused largely on parking, neighborhood impacts and whether the plan‑development deviation satisfied the city’s findings of fact. Several commissioners emphasized that city parking standards exist to prevent overflow into adjacent neighborhoods and argued the commission should uphold those standards; others acknowledged the city’s housing needs and that design tradeoffs had been presented. A motion moved by Vice Chair Barker asked the commission to recommend denial of the rezoning and the requested parking reduction.

By roll call the commission recorded six votes in favor of the recommendation to deny — Commissioners Callan, Kelly, Chair Hanche, Vice Chair Barker, Gage and Commissioner Mike Lind — and one abstention (Commissioner Star); the motion passed. The staff noted the item will go to City Council for a work session on July 6 and a public hearing and final council vote on July 21.

The commission did not take alternate action (for example, to conditionally approve with adjustments) at the meeting; the Council will now receive the commission’s recommendation and the project team may present revised materials to the council as part of the upcoming public review process.

Next steps: City Council work session on Monday, July 6, 2026, and a City Council public hearing and potential vote on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.