Following a name change and 17 design changes, the 92 Ironwood apartment project came back before the Scottsdale Planning Commission last week as Mercado Courtyards.
The original 92 Ironwood proposal was recommended by the Planning Commission last September but was one of three developments – along with Greenbelt 88 and District at 9400 Shea – to encounter orchestrated opposition from neighborhood groups opposed to higher-density multifamily development. The developer asked for and was granted a continuance by City Council but pulled the proposal in February when a second continuance was denied.
The Commission may deny requests to consider an application if it is resubmitted less than one year after being withdrawn. After debating whether or not the newly submitted request constituted a new proposal, the Planning Commission ultimately voted unanimously to allow the application, saying it had sufficiently changed to be considered a new project.
In addition to the name change, the developer has removed a proposed fourth floor on a building along 92nd Street, reduced the living space by 30.3KSF, and cut 40 units, bringing the total down to 273. Open space has been increased by 11KSF, bringing the total to 110.3KSF, and parking has been increased from 1.91 spaces/unit to 1.99.
The plan has also secured the support of the McCormick Ranch Property Owners Association. The Association’s opposition was a key sticking point for the first submission.
No members of the public spoke in opposition to the project.
The new density on the 8.59-acre parcel of property is proposed at 31.8 units per acre.
The Mercado Courtyards submission will still likely face a challenge in securing approval from the City Council. Under the updated general plan approved by voters last year, the highest density referenced is 25 units per acre. The new proposal has a density of 31.8 as currently planned. (Source)