By Roland Murphy for AZBEX
A new mixed-residential and commercial master plan could soon come to Pinal County if a proposal by El Dorado Holdings is allowed to proceed.
El Dorado Holdings is the company behind several major planned and in-process developments around the state. Their projects include the REV-branded Build-to-Rent communities in San Tan Valley, Queen Creek and Maricopa, and they are co-developers of the Douglas Ranch and Trillium Village master plans in Buckeye.
Requests filed with the Pinal County Planning and Zoning Commission on behalf of Langley AZ Farms 150 LLC and El Dorado affiliate El Dorado Arizona Farms LLC seek to redesignate the remaining 761 acres at Felix Road and Arizona Farms Road near Florence from the original 1998 Arizona Farms Planned Area Development. The land is currently designated for Moderate (Medium) Low Density Residential.
Under the new master plan, El Dorado wants to remove the site from the existing PAD, create a new PAD Overlay Zoning District and rezone the various parcels as Community Commercial, Multiple Residence Zoning District and Single Residence Zoning District to “enable the development of horizontal mixed-use community, including single family, multifamily, and commercial uses,” according to the project narrative.
The existing PAD allows for varying densities of residential, a golf course, commercial, light industrial, and park and open space. Since 1998, various portions of the original PAD have been carved off and redesignated for other developments, including two large single-family subdivisions. The site under consideration for the new project is the last remaining portion of the originally designated area.
The Arizona Farms Development Master Plan
In describing the plan, the submittal references Pinal County’s exceptional growth and increasing significance as an economic force in the Southwest while emphasizing the expanding need for a large and diverse increase in the existing housing stock. Specifically, “The adjustment to the existing Arizona Farms PAD will provide a high-quality community consisting of a variety of housing types, open spaces, infrastructure improvements, and commercial development to meet demand already in place. Housing options are critical to the growing employment base in Pinal County, and this proposal seeks to strike a balance between densities and typology, while maintaining high quality throughout.”
The project narrative identifies the surrounding land uses as either Moderate Low Density Residential or Moderate Density Residential consisting of either single-family or agricultural uses. To serve that need for diverse housing options while not being overly disruptive to surrounding uses, the developers have proposed the following structure for the development area:
- 467.26 acres across 15 parcels as Moderate Low Density Residential,
- 53.7 acres across three parcels as Multiple Residential,
- 200.96 acres across seven parcels as Moderate Density Residential, and
- 38.45 acres across three parcels as Commercial.
In total, the plan will create 3,126 residential units of varying types, with 2,311 planned as single residences and 815 multifamily units. The developers expect a five-to-10-year buildout period across seven phases, depending on market conditions. Some phases may be developed concurrently, and the current plan is structured as follows:
- Phase 1: 852 units on 279.3 acres,
- Phase 2: 708 units on 198.8 acres,
- Phase 3: 419 units on 114 acres,
- Phase 4: 332 units on 88.3 acres,
- Phase 5: 256 units on 36.2 acres,
- Phase 6: 295 units on 26.4 acres, and
- Phase 7: 264 units on 18.4 acres.
Open space will be established in each phase and parcel and will total 155 acres. Per the project narrative, “A variety of open space amenities within the Arizona Farms project will assist in creating opportunities for community interaction and strengthen neighborhood ties. The designs will maintain a character important to create variety for both passive and active recreational opportunities in the service of all age groups.”
The three commercial parcels will be developed individually in separate areas of the site to maximize usefulness and appeal for residents according to market conditions at the time. Potential uses include retail and office.
Neighborhood Meeting
The development team held a community meeting with nearby residents on Oct. 21 to discuss the plan. Questions and comments focused on roads and traffic controls, water sourcing, crime associated with density, low-income housing, the presence/absence of apartments, and the types and locations of commercial components.
The representatives explained the road improvements would be put in place prior to units being constructed but that the location of new traffic controls had not been determined yet. As to water usage, they explained a version of the project had been planned for 23 years and that lots are accounted for under the current studies. They added that water use and supply will have to be demonstrated as part of the approval and review process.
One resident alleged that rental properties foster crime, which representatives disagreed with and pointed out it has not yet been finalized what types of properties will go where in the overall development. They also noted the original plan had high-density zoning that would have permitted multifamily development, but not necessarily traditional apartments. They further reiterated there was no low income/affordable housing component included in the plan.
The representatives also explained that no specifics had been identified as to the commercial components of the development, but that each would go through a review and approval process as it was proposed. They offered to collect email addresses of interested attendees and to provide a bi-monthly project update as the various cases and components progress.
Development Impacts and Team
One key driver for the development and its arrangement is the site’s proximity to the planned North-South Corridor under consideration by the Arizona Department of Transportation. Officials estimate the new freeway corridor – which is presently planned to run adjacent to Arizona Farms – will be operational by 2040. The Arizona Farms narrative says the plan is to create appropriate land uses around the corridor and that revisions in keeping with that goal will happen as the freeway project advances.
In summarizing the proposal’s conformance with economic development goals, the developers say, “As Pinal County becomes a major driver of employment in Arizona, and the southwestern United States, a variety of housing options, and maintaining the right jobs and housing balance becomes a key component of economic development. In fact, increasing the housing capacity in Arizona, and by extension in Pinal County, is becoming an economic development imperative. The Arizona Farms project provides housing for a variety of income levels and lifestyles within an integrated community setting. This assists in employment attraction and retention by providing options for a diverse labor pool.”
The named members of the principals and development team so far are El Dorado Holdings, Inc. (El Dorado Arizona Farms LLC), EPS Group, F2 Group Landscape Architecture and Iplan Consulting. Construction start is targeted for 2024.
