Jane Stewart for Arizona Builder’s Exchange

Sun Health Senior Living is looking to expand its retirement community, The Colonnade, located at the NWC of Grand Avenue and Reems Road. Working through land attorney, Bergin, Frakes, Smalley & Oberholtzer, PLLC, Sun Health is seeking a Planned Area Development Zoning Amendment to add assisted living apartments and a memory care facility to its campus in Sun City Grande.

Over the past 13 years, The Colonnade has grown considerably through a range of different zoning districts on its five-parcel site. “The applicant is requesting to rezone these parcels from Rural Residential (RR/R1-43), Multifamily (R3-PAD), and Commercial (C2-PAD) to Mixed-Use (MU-21-PAD).”

The Colonnade’s growth has included “duplex casitas, four multistory senior apartments, recreation/wellness facilities, offices, and a restaurant. This PAD rezoning proposal will provide the means… to build out the remainder of the site with facilities that will offer lifestyle options for residents while operating in harmony with the existing community.”

According to the Development Plan Narrative, this project “is focused on the careful integration between all the residents living on campus.” Having effective pedestrian circulation and wayfinding is imperative for a campus of this size. “Internal sidewalks will provide connection to each of the residential areas, open spaces, and amenities within the development…[and] will also connect to external sidewalks to allow residents to access the surrounding development.”

The existing campus profile is prominent along Grand Avenue which showcases the Villas, the four-story multifamily buildings. For this reason, the applicant is seeking more suitable signage to compete “with the nearly 50-foot high structures.” An illuminated sign, 17 feet high, has been designed and would be “located along Grand Avenue [near] the multistory buildings.”

The Zoning Amendment went before the City’s Planning and Zoning Commission at their October 5 meeting. It was recommended for approval to City Council with stipulations, and the City Council made the approval at their November 7 meeting.

According to the City Council meeting minutes, “Mayor Wolcott commented that she is very pleased with this development and knows many residents from Sun City Grand who lives here now and absolutely love it.”

The City’s Planning and Zoning Commission approved the Site Plan for the Colonnade Assisted Living and Memory Care at their January 4 meeting.

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