By Roland Murphy for AZBEX
Earlier this month, the Casa Grande Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of a major General Plan amendment and rezoning for a 68.45-acre site near the NWC of Burris Road and Gila Bend Highway.
The requests will now advance to City Council. If approved, the land use will change from Neighborhoods to Manufacturing and Industry, and the zoning will go from Planned Area Development (Mixed-Use Development) to General Industrial (I-2).
The Copper Creek Village PAD currently in place was approved in 2007 and called for 342 single-family homes and 10 acres of commercial uses. No activity has taken place on the site since the current zoning was approved. The property had previously been zoned for a manufactured home park in 1999.
According to the staff report, the undeveloped site is bounded by undeveloped Neighborhoods land to the north, undeveloped Manufacturing/Industry land to the south and east, and the Western Manor single-family and commercial community to the east. The Element at Casa Grande Build-to-Rent community is planned north of Western Manor.
The staff analysis for the General Plan amendment request says, “The existing Neighborhoods designation on the site has remained undeveloped for an extended period, and the previously approved PAD has not moved forward since its approval in 2007. In contrast, surrounding properties have developed or are planned for industrial uses, indicating a shift in development trends in this area. The proposed amendment reflects these changing conditions and aligns the land use designation with the surrounding context.”
Staff reported receiving one inquiry from nearby residents about the plan, but no statements in support or opposition.
According to narrative submitted with the rezoning request, “Since the initial PAD was created 20 years ago, the “Acacia Farms” and northern “Fiore” residential PADs to the south and north have been rezoned to Industrial and the northern PAD “Westfield Park” has failed to develop as residential although it remains zoned for residential as shown in the 2006 PAD exhibit, they have not moved forward as can be seen by the existing zoning map.
“An additional hardship to the previously approved residential plans is that the land use to the north does not have an assured water supply and no attempt has been made to develop the site for many years.”
Assuming the General Plan amendment and rezoning are approved, the owner intends to sell the property for future development. The narrative says, “The proposed rezone will allow the site to become uniformly zoned with the surrounding developing properties. The property owner will be better able to sell their property in the future when it is zoned I-2 in conformity with the rest of the parcels and be more appealing than a residential PAD. The zone change conforms to similar zoning and uses in the area and will cause no disruption to surrounding property owners over the course of development.”
The owner is The Godi Group, operating as Fralia Investments LLC. Upfront Planning & Entitlements, LLC is the planning firm and project representative.
