By Roland Murphy for AZBEX
In an April 2 study session, the Gilbert Planning Commission met to discuss a requested rezoning and minor General Plan amendment to allow the development of Aura San Tan, a proposed 366-unit multifamily community with 9.1KSF of space on 14.26 gross acres near the SEC of Val Vista and Pecos Roads.
The site is currently zoned residential commercial with a planned area development overlay. The development by Trinsic Residential Group would have the land use designation changed to Residential with a density of 25-50 units/acre and the zoning changed to Mixed-Use/Large. The project team has also requested design review approval.
According to the submitted narrative, the site is one of the few still-vacant parcels in a mixed-use development with plans dating back to 1999. The Spectrum at Val Vista PAD was to feature residential, commercial office and retail uses. The PAD was amended in 2005 to allow the development of an upscale urban mixed-use project called Main Street Commons. That proposal was derailed by the Great Recession.
Over the last 20 years, portions of the site have been developed through multiple PAD amendments. The Aura San Tan portion is part of a section that was separated and rezoned in 2012. Other parcels in that rezoning have since been developed into a hospital, a bank, a grocery store and the NOVEL Val Vista apartment community.
The Aura site had previously been envisioned as the commercial office component of the overall site, but the pandemic and post-pandemic market shifts have made that plan untenable.
In describing the vision for the new proposal, the narrative says, “Aura San Tan is a mixed-use multi-family and commercial office development that will consist of 366 residential units and approximately 9,137 SF of ground-floor commercial office space. Although a commercial office project is no longer feasible for the Property, a multi-family residential project with a cutting-edge commercial office component on the ground floor both remains faithful to the original vision… and reflects the market needs and land use patterns for the area.”
It goes on to say the proposed development will support the larger mixed-use functionality of the area, provide improved pedestrian connectivity to nearby uses, contribute its own integrated mixed-use components, and provide new residents to support the new and existing uses in a walkable urban core.
The planned unit mix consists of 235 one-bedroom and 131 two-bedroom units. Amenities include a central building site with a pool, fitness center, game lawns, a clubhouse and leasing office. Other amenities on the site include a fenced dog park and additional open space.
Town regulations require 589 parking spaces for the residential component and 21 for the office space. The developer has requested a 10% parking reduction to 530 residential and 19 office spaces.
Trinsic Residential Group is the developer. The design firm is ORB Architecture, LLC. Hubbard Engineering is the engineer, with traffic planning by Southwest Traffic Engineering. Withey Morris Baugh, PLC is the project’s land use law firm.
