In its Sept. 8 meeting, the Buckeye Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended a major Community Master Plan amendment request from Sunbelt Investment Holdings, Inc. to change the land use for 156 acres in the Monte Verde Community Master Plan area west of Miller Road between Warner Street and Lower Buckeye Road.
The amendment will revise the formerly approved land plan and permitted uses, as well as the development standards and design requirements to enable development of up to 862 residential units in a mix of single- and multifamily housing types, along with associated commercial development.
The existing plan allows for up to 433 single-family homes and slightly more than 15.1 acres of commercial uses. Under the requested amendment, the expanded maximum of 862 multi-format residential uses would carry a maximum density of approximately 5.5 units/acre.
According to the prepared planning action report, “The amendment would expand the range of available housing types and establish coordinated requirements for open space, parks, trails, pedestrian connectivity, buffering, screening, circulation, and infrastructure. The proposed development framework is intended to accommodate additional housing and commercial services in an urbanizing area near Interstate 10 while providing appropriate transitions to surrounding residential neighborhoods.”
It goes on to say, “The proposed land use plan expands the range of available housing types, concentrates commercial development where it can serve surrounding neighborhoods and take advantage of the regional roadway network, and provides a logical transition in development intensity from existing single-family neighborhoods toward Miller Road and Lower Buckeye Road.”
The vacant site is currently used for agriculture and is bounded by Lower Buckeye Road and Warner Street to the north and south, Miller Road to the east and Westpark to the west. Surrounding uses include warehouses to the north, agricultural uses and an elementary school to the east, and single-family residential to the west and south.
Zoning is currently Planned Community with a Community Master Plan Overlay and is part of the 2005 Monte Verde Community Master Plan, which was amended in 2010 and 2021.
The proposed amendment assigns the following land uses to each segment of the 156-acre site:
- Parcel A (18.0 acres): Single-Family Residential – Medium/High,
- Parcel B (51.2 acres): Commercial,
- Parcel C (21.3 acres): Multi-Family Residential,
- Parcel D (8.5 acres): Single-Family – Medium/High,
- Parcel E (12.0 acres): Single-Family Residential – Medium/High and
- Parcel F (45 acres): Single-Family Residential – Medium.
Under the revised development standards, Single-Family Medium would have minimum lot sizes of 6KSF, with minimum widths of 55 feet. Single-Family Medium/High would have 3KSF minimum lot sizes and minimum widths of 30 feet.
Multifamily components would have maximum heights of 60 feet. There would be no maximum density, but minimum density would be set at 15.1 units/acre.
Commercial buildings would have a maximum height of 50 feet.
The update includes a requirement to maintain a minimum of 20% overall open space throughout the property.
The site will be accessible from multiple driveway access points from Lower Buckeye and Miller roads, with additional access provided via Warner Street. The property will also feature a commercial connector road that connects Lower Buckeye and Miller. Local internal circulation will be established during the site plan/preliminary plat process.
Both six-foot- and eight-foot-wide sidewalks will be implemented along the residential and commercial parcels, and there will be pedestrian connections to the existing sidewalks on Miller Road and Lower Buckeye Road, as well as planned sidewalks on Warner Street. A 30-foot-wide trail corridor is planned that will establish a buffer between the residential development and the Westpark master plan area.
Given the diverse nature of the planned offerings, multiple builders and design firms are expected to take part in the various components of development. Phasing will depend on market conditions, but the submitted narrative says residential development is expected to take place before commercial.
The Buckeye City Council may take up the requests in one of its October meetings.
Sunbelt Investment Holdings, Inc. (as Sunbelt Land Holdings, LP) is the owner. Planning is by Colliers Engineering & Design. Engineering services are provided by Hunter Engineering, and transportation engineering is provided through Southwest Traffic Engineering, LLC. Legal representation is by Gilbert Billie, PLLC.
